Digital Systems & Business Transformation Intern

About The Business: Berry & Escott Ltd is a Bridgwater-based engineering and manufacturing business delivering design, machining, fabrication, welding, 3D scanning, pipework and site support solutions. We work across demanding industrial sectors, including nuclear, providing both one-off bespoke engineering and repeat manufacture. Our in-house design and production capability allows us to take projects from concept and detailed design through manufacture, assembly and installation.

Overview: Join Berry & Escott as a Digital Systems & Business Transformation Intern and help us improve how our systems, data and processes work together. You will review our current Microsoft 365, SharePoint, spreadsheet and MIE Trak ERP environment; investigate ERP, CRM and scheduling options; identify practical AI and automation opportunities; and help shape a better SharePoint file structure. Working across departments and with directors, suppliers and our IT provider, you will turn findings into recommendations, business cases and, where appropriate, practical implementation support.

Desirable Skills: Desirable skills and attributes • Strong general IT and digital skills, with a good understanding of business software, systems and data. • Awareness of current and emerging technologies, particularly AI, automation, cloud software and system integration. • Ability to research, compare and evaluate software solutions against business requirements. • Comfortable working with Microsoft 365, SharePoint and spreadsheets. Experience of ERP, CRM, workflow or scheduling systems would be useful but is not essential. • Logical and analytical approach, with the confidence to ask questions and suggest improved ways of working. • Punctual, reliable, professional and a good communicator, able to work with people across different departments and with external suppliers. • An understanding of engineering or manufacturing would be beneficial but is not essential. Coding/programming skills may be useful but are not a requirement.

Job Description:

This internship is focused on helping Berry & Escott improve the way its digital systems, data and business processes work together. The intern will work across the company, engaging with departments and directors to understand current processes, identify inefficiencies and recommend practical digital improvements. The role will combine research and analysis with hands-on implementation where appropriate, giving the intern exposure to a live digital transformation programme within an engineering and manufacturing business. Primarily on-site at the start so the intern can understand the business, people, systems and workflows; some remote working can be agreed once established. Flexible to start from September 2026.

Main responsibilities

• Review the current business systems landscape, including Microsoft 365, SharePoint, spreadsheets and the existing MIE Trak ERP system.

• Map how information and data currently move between departments and identify duplicated entry, manual work, disconnected systems and other inefficiencies.

• Support a structured review of ERP requirements and potential alternative systems, including research, demonstrations, comparison of options and preparation of recommendations or business cases.

• Investigate suitable CRM and production scheduling/planning solutions, as Berry & Escott does not currently have a dedicated CRM or a satisfactory scheduling system.

• Help define a practical future SharePoint and company file structure, including information architecture, ownership and migration principles. The intern will help design the structure rather than decide independently which historic files should be deleted.

• Identify practical opportunities to use AI and automation to reduce administration, improve information flow and make day-to-day processes more efficient.

• Where an agreed solution is suitable for the placement scope, support trials, configuration, testing, documentation and implementation.

• Liaise with software suppliers to gather information, arrange demonstrations and understand functionality, costs and implementation considerations.

• Work with Berry & Escott's IT provider, PC Comms, to ensure any proposed software, integrations or trials stay within the company's security, infrastructure and access requirements.

• Present findings, options and recommendations clearly to Chris Escott, the directors and relevant departmental staff, and be prepared to challenge existing processes constructively where a better approach is identified.

Suitable academic backgrounds

The opportunity would particularly suit students or recent graduates in Business Information Systems, Digital Transformation, Information Technology, Computer Science, Data Science, Software/Systems Engineering or a related discipline. Engineering students with strong digital and business systems skills would also be considered.

Anticipated outcomes / deliverables

• A documented current-state review of key digital systems, data flows and process pain points.

• Prioritised recommendations for improving integration, efficiency and data management across the business.

• Requirements, comparison and business-case material for ERP, CRM and scheduling solutions where appropriate.

• A proposed SharePoint/file information architecture suitable for the business, with principles for future migration and governance.

• A shortlist of practical AI and automation opportunities, with selected low-risk improvements tested or implemented where feasible.

• Configuration, testing, documentation or implementation support for selected systems or workflows, depending on project progress and placement scope.

Learning opportunities

The intern will gain hands-on experience of requirements gathering, process mapping, software evaluation, supplier engagement, digital project delivery, data and information management, IT security considerations and change implementation in a live manufacturing environment. The placement will be supervised by Chris Escott and will involve regular contact with directors and staff across the business.