How Four Irish SMEs Went Digital | LeanBPI in the Sunday Times

This article features several businesses we worked with through the LEO Digital for Business programme. 

Palm Free Irish Soap

Killaloe, Co. Clare — natural soap and skincare

When Tony Hoynes and his wife Kathy founded Palm Free Irish Soap in 1996, they did everything by hand — harvesting rainwater, using brown paper packaging, and taking orders in triplicate on paper. Through the LEO’s Digital For Business scheme, Tony worked with LeanBPI to design a digital order processing system. Orders now come in digitally, appear on a picker’s tablet instantly, and a shipping label prints at the press of a button.

The results went beyond going paperless — improved traceability, fewer errors, and the confidence to explore automated batch codes and a digital HR app for staff leave management.

“I’m old school. When someone mentions change, I immediately think, we don’t need to change. Now I’m not only making this digital leap, I’m embracing it.”

— Tony Hoynes, Palm Free Irish Soap

Also featured in this article

Profix Maintenance Services

Founded 2007 — maintenance and facilities

Stephen Hartnett founded Profix in 2007 and ran everything on pen and paper. His biggest challenge was capturing job hours accurately — if they weren’t recorded, they couldn’t be billed. After trying several off-the-shelf solutions that didn’t fit, he used Digital Start to develop a customised mobile data collection system with LeanBPI.

“Using digital is like driving a Ferrari where you previously drove a Mini.” — Stephen Hartnett, Profix Maintenance Services 

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JFH Jewels

Founded 2016 — jewellery manufacturing and wholesale

John Harrison started JFH Jewels selling with a pen and a sheet of paper. Through Digital Start, he digitised sales ordering using a tablet app — orders now go back to head office instantly. That led to digitising stock management too, eliminating monthly stocktakes. Revenue rose 220% with staff numbers growing from five to eight.

“Digitisation has given me time to think, and it has given us more capacity. Now there’s no more fear of ‘can we?’ when it comes to big orders. I’m buzzing.” — John Harrison, JFH Jewels 

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Kilmartin Education Services

Limerick & Ennis — tuition and after-school study

Covid prompted founder Julie Kilmartin to develop online services, opening up a national market. That success led her to build an online HPAT simulator for medical school applicants, with results that previously took days now available in seconds.

“As a teacher I used to teach that evolution is a process of gradual change over an extended period. We’ve done a lot of change over a short period — and we’re still evolving.” — Julie Kilmartin, Kilmartin Education Services

Delivered through the LEO Digital for Business programme