UK Bioreactor Manufacturer Cultivates Growth with MRP Software

Biotechnology startup OGI Biotec adopted manufacturing software early on to get its fledgling production off the ground, a move that quickly proved beneficial.

Creating biotech equipment to free up scientists’ time

OGI Biotec is a growing biotech startup founded in Edinburgh, Scotland, four years ago. The company was born from a breakthrough invention—an innovative modular bioreactor designed to automate and optimise the culturing of bacteria in various fermentation processes.

OGI Biotec’s flagship product, the OGI 3 modular reactor, serves two primary customer segments – universities conducting microbial research and commercial clients with industrial fermentation processes. By automating early-stage bacterial culturing, the system accelerates data collection and dramatically reduces manual labour, freeing scientists to focus on discoveries rather than babysitting their equipment.

Due to a competitive price point and modular design, OGI Biotec’s offerings represent an ideal solution for labs aiming to scale their operations without sacrificing precision. Today, the Scottish startup is scaling production volumes while maintaining a lean team. Their ultimate mission is clear—helping researchers generate better microbial data faster and more efficiently.

Committing to manufacturing software early on

From early on, OGI Biotec’s managers recognised that ad-hoc operations management would not take them far. Using disconnected spreadsheets and notebooks and relying on phone calls or meetups for business-critical communication hindered performance and wasted precious time. As a startup moving toward serial production, the founders sought a solution that would unify data management and allow the business to grow without the complexity and costs of large enterprise systems.

The software needed to be intuitive, SME-friendly, and deployable without a long implementation timeline. David Maddison, Operations Director at OGI Biotec, reflects: “We needed something simple and easy to pick up, not a bespoke six-figure system that would take a year to deploy.” Their search led them to MRPeasy, a cloud-based manufacturing ERP system designed for small and medium-sized businesses.

Implementation was undertaken independently in two teams

With the choice of software companion done, the team set out to implement it. The process was split across two teams: one would focus on the manufacturing and procurement side of the business, while the other handled CRM and sales orders.

Over the course of six months, OGI Biotec worked through MRPeasy’s numerous demo videos and support materials, tested features, and gradually adapted the new software to their workflows. Choosing to implement relatively early allowed them to avoid retrofitting the software to a complicated or fragmented process down the line—a challenge many SMEs face if ERP adoption is delayed. Going live early also meant the team could build best practices around the software, helping reduce the risk of human errors and ensuring transparency as the company grew.

A unified solution for managing production and stock

With MRPeasy deployed, OGI Biotec manages its operations in a much more streamlined way compared to the early days. Today, sales quotes from their CRM flow directly into MRPeasy, where procurement, order management, and production are all handled in one place.

“The moment a quote is confirmed, we load the data into MRPeasy,” David explains. “The system generates purchase and manufacturing orders, and we’re off.” This gives the team real-time visibility over material requirements and lead times, critical for managing a complex product with modular components. “We are still developing our use case around some aspects of production planning, but it’s coming along as we go,” he adds.

According to David, a standout feature has been MRPeasy’s responsive help resources. “Anytime I’ve hit a problem, the help feature has been extremely useful. Support always replies within 24 hours, which is perfectly fine for our needs.”

Staff training goes a long way when adopting production software

OGI Biotec’s key takeaway for other SMEs looking to implement is the importance of dedicated staff training when adopting manufacturing software.

Having inherited the system from his predecessor, David says the intuitive interface made it relatively easy to get up to speed, even without formal training. “I mostly learned the system on the go, and it was manageable, especially thanks to my background in operations and prior experience using large-scale ERPs.”

He emphasises, however, the importance of a structured approach to onboarding when adopting production management software. “While the documentation and videos are great, nothing beats having someone in the room you can bounce ideas off.” In hindsight, he sees clear value in dedicated training sessions or even hiring consultants to aid with the rollout. The challenge, he notes, lies in learning a material requirements planning system, while simultaneously managing daily operations, a balancing act many small manufacturers know all too well.

In addition, David advises setting aside time to truly sandbox a new system before going live. “Try to break it, make mistakes, and ask the questions early on. It’s the best way to eliminate inefficiencies that stem from not fully understanding the software.”

Looking ahead, OGI Biotec envisions building a robust pull-based production system with kanban-style material management to increase flexibility and responsiveness to customer demand. With MRPeasy as the backbone of their operations, they’re well on their way.

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