Muddy Boots software

In an age where sustainability issues should be at the top of every organisation’s agenda, Ross-based Muddy Boots Software develops software for the food industry that allows clients to demonstrate their ethical, ecological and food safety credentials at the click of a mouse.

There was a huge need for this kind of software as farmers were really struggling.

The company was started 12 years ago by MD Jonathan Evans.The idea came to him while running Technicrop an agronomy based company founded by Jonathan in 1985. ‘I saw there was a gap in the market,’ he says. ‘There was a huge need for this kind of software as farmers were really struggling. It just started to grow organically and then in the mid ‘90s we said ‘let’s get serious about this’’.

Muddy Boots now focuses primarily on the retail sector and has 30 full time staff, partners as far afield as Germany, Egypt, Kenya, Australia and New Zealand, and a hugely impressive client base that includes M&S, Unilever and Ben & Jerry’s among many others. A new building will open in Spring 2009 to house the ever-expanding organisation. Its three main software packagesCropwalker, GreenLight and Quickfireenable clients to easily gather and process information on food quality, safety and hygiene as well as ethical and social issues, improving transparency in the supply chain andeasily tracing product origins to ensure compliance with sustainability policies. The food safety aspect alone is invaluable at a time when companies are all too aware of the irreparable damage to their brand that a scare can cause.

‘Business information has a huge value,’ says Jonathan. ‘A big element of our message is to do with the risks associated with food – food comes from all over the place, so monitoring and measuring is essential. Brand is all-important, and the supply chain information gathered using our software can be used to communicate powerful brand messages.

‘It’s all very well saying ‘we don’t buy any of our fish from non-sustainable sources’’, he explains,‘but when someone says ‘ok, prove that’ you need to be able to run a report and show it. We allow companies to demonstrate those values through every step of the process. Our software is about the entire food supply chain, covering the whole food journey – from farm to fork. We’re unique in our knowledge and understanding of the practical issues within the food industry’s complex supply chains, nobody offers anything quite so comprehensive.’

For an IT organisation, Ross and its surrounding area is the perfect recruiting ground, he says. ‘If you’re looking for good people then you’re in an excellent spot, because you’ve got all these people in their 30s with a young family who don’t want the stress of commuting. They’ve had their share of that and they want a change so this area is ideal – they can do a full day’s work in the office and still be home at 5.30pm to see their kids.’

And it all adds up to a much more stable workforce. ‘We have a very low turnover, because the competitive areas are the cities they’ve just come from,’ he says. ‘But that’s not to say that salaries aren’t competitive – it’s not cheaper for us. We offer that flexibility, but what we want in return is commitment.

‘When you look at businesses around here there are some really, really interesting organisations.It’s extraordinarily central and the road links are second to none. If you’re looking to relocate, you can’t beat it.’