The business had been running an MIS from a different supplier for the past decade, but at the tail end of 2019 it began researching the market.

It signed for the Tharstern system earlier this year and installation of the MIS has recently begun, ImageData chief financial officer Steve Hadfield said the installation will complete by the end of 2020.

“It will help to change the way we do business, by providing us real-time data via customised reports and live dashboards,” said Hadfield.

“This will give us a level of transparency and visibility across the whole business, from estimating to dispatch, that will allow us to make the right decisions based on real-time accurate data, which will be an invaluable asset to have.”

The system will run across the £20m-turnover group’s two East Yorkshire sites in Willerby and Howden and its Brighton facility.

Like most businesses ImageData utilised the government’s coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, but remained in operation 24-7 throughout lockdown on reduced staffing.

However, from June’s lockdown relaxation it started a phased return of furloughed staff and hopes to be back to almost full strength in the next month or so.

“We feel we’ve managed to ride it out. We devoted some time to sit back and assess kit requirements and have a look at the business,” said Hadfield.

Tharstern customer enrolment manager Ross Edwards added: “We have been exploring the combination of Tharstern integrated with other technologies with imageData Group for a while. It’s fantastic to be able to offer them a solution to address many of the workflow issues and time-consuming challenges they have been facing over the past few years.”

The family-owned business's operations span commercial litho and digital and wide-format screen and digital, with around 200 staff employed across its three sites.