Written by Peter Needle

Segura recently attended the Leicester Mercury Business Awards, and we were delighted to be named New Business of the Year.

The Leicester Mercury Business Awards celebrated the achievements of companies across Leicestershire. Mercury publisher and managing director David Simms said that the awards ceremony was “the biggest event of its kind in the East Midlands,” and “a fantastic celebration of inspiration”, and we certainly enjoyed the prestigious evening.

Innovating at Loughborough University

Segura was founded in 2011, and our supply chain technology solution has gathered plenty of use in the garment industry, supporting transparent and ethical sourcing. We relocated to the Loughborough University Science and Enterprise Parks (LUSEP) Innovation Centre in 2013, and have since joined forces with construction management experts to support supply chain compliance within the construction sector.

It was an honour to have all our hard work recognised at the awards ceremony, and we also celebrated a win by our neighbours in the LUSEP Innovation Centre. CommAgility, a leading technology developer for the latest 4G and 5G mobile communications, won the Excellence in Science and Technology Award.

Professor Steve Rothberg, Loughborough University Pro Vice-Chancellor for Enterprise, said: “These are well-deserved accolades for CommAgility and Segura, and many congratulations to them”.

Leicester Businesses Lead Economic Growth

Last year, the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) Regional Growth Tracker report found that Leicestershire was among the fastest-growing economies in England, with the East Midlands being the UK’s fastest-growing region in 2014.

George Cowcher, chief executive of Leicestershire Chamber of Commerce, said: “The fact the county has fared so well is testament to the strength of the businesses we have here in Leicestershire.

“The economy here is well-balanced, with a good mix of global manufacturing brands, smaller but no less innovative SMEs and a strong service sector which has helped not just the East Midlands, but the UK as a whole, come out of recession and well into recovery.”

Promoting Supply Chain Compliance

In order for businesses to flourish, both in the UK and on a global stage, it must be possible to tackle the challenges of managing, controlling and generating efficiency in supply chains. Over the last four years, we have developed Segura’s unique cloud-based platform to address this issue, and demonstrated its abilities on a global scale.

Segura makes it possible to source responsibly, efficiently and ethically in complex supply chains. Orders are placed online within a pre-approved framework of suppliers, which provides a comprehensive audit trail detailing each and every link in the supply chain. Our software also has full EDI capabilities, enabling it to link with existing customer platforms to deliver real-time integration and reporting.

As a result, any missing links in the supply chain are immediately flagged up. This makes it possible for customers to see exactly where any unauthorised sourcing or subcontracting is occurring, and enables them to become more ethical, responsible and profitable in the process.

By turning their attention to supply chain compliance companies can reduce the risk of reputational damage, improve the quality of their services or products and increase their efficiency and profits. Perhaps they can even win an award for their efforts.