Based in Berwick-upon-Tweed, TRS Ribbons is a family business employing eight people. They manufacture and wholesale a wide range of rosette making components and printed ribbons, with customers as far afield as Australia and New Zealand.

Streamlined operations

“Superfast is enabling us to improve customer communications, streamline business processes and explore new ways of working that will help keep our business ahead.”

The owners, Eddie and Ann Prentice and their daughter Elizabeth, are delighted that superfast broadband is enabling the company to streamline communications and provide an even better service to their customers.

Eddie says: “We need to send high definition artwork to customers to show them exactly how their finished product will look. Being able to show customers precise colour combinations and designs is vital. Now we have superfast broadband, we can send large high definition files by email in seconds. Previously, we had to reduce the size of the files to email them, resulting in lesser image quality.

“This means we can now present our products in the most accurate way and meet our customers’ high expectations. It also means we can gain customer approvals faster, streamlining our operations.”

As well as enjoying the benefits of faster email, TRS Ribbons has also been able to upgrade their internal business systems as a direct result of superfast broadband.

Improved business systems

Eddie explains: “We have introduced a cloud-based accountancy system. This is allowing us to speed up our processes as well as enabling secure access when we are away from the office, providing greater flexibility and resilience.

“Another really exciting avenue that superfast broadband opens for us is being able to use voice-over internet telephony. (VoIP)

“We take pride in delivering a personal touch, so it is important to us to speak to customers on the telephone as well as communicating through email. VoIP will enable us to use the telephone for communications with our worldwide customer base, without running up huge phone bills. We expect to make significant cost reductions as a result of this.

New ways of working

“In addition, we will make more use of Skype or other video-conferencing in future as our superfast broadband connection will ensure a crystal clear connection. Being able to have face to face conversations with our customers - even on the other side of the world - will again help us deliver the personal touch that sets our business apart from our competition.

“Superfast broadband is changing the way we can work, opening up a wide range of new opportunities. For example, it will now be easier to make greater use of video in future as it will be so much faster and simpler to upload videos to YouTube or our website.”

Eddie concludes: “Superfast broadband is bringing us a number of advantages and making it easier to service customers worldwide. It is enabling us to improve customer communications, streamline business processes and explore new ways of working that