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SUCCESS CASE
How an Ice Manufacturer Secured S$300K EDG Support for IoT and E-Commerce Digitalisation
RIC helped a Singapore ice manufacturer secure EDG support for an enterprise digitalisation project integrating IoT freezer monitoring, ERP workflows, and e-commerce channels.
CATEGORY
Enterprise Digitalisation
CLIENT TYPE
Food-grade ice / cold storage
GRANT TYPE
Enterprise Development Grant support
FUNDING SECURED
Above S$300,000
About the Client and Project
Client Profile
The client is a Singapore-based ice manufacturer and distributor founded in 1935, serving F&B, supermarkets, events, hospitality, and both B2B and B2C markets. With 55 employees, the company provides food-grade ice, cold storage solutions, bespoke ice sculptures, and cold pain therapy services. It also operates an e-commerce platform selling frozen foods, beverages, and specialty products, giving the business a strong operational need to integrate offline distribution, retail replenishment, and online sales.
Project Nature
The project involved digitising the client’s core operations through ERP integration, IoT-enabled freezer monitoring, workflow automation, and e-commerce channel integration. Key operational areas included employee management, procurement, warehouse management, inventory tracking, customer relationship management, and order management. The project also connected the client’s back-end systems with sales channels such as its own e-commerce platform, Lazada, Redmart, and Shopee. The goal was to reduce manual processes, improve stock visibility at retailer locations, automate replenishment, and create a more scalable operating model for both B2B and B2C growth.
Funding Objective and Challenge
Funding Objective
The funding objective was to support the client’s enterprise digitalisation and automation project under the Enterprise Development Grant. The approved S$300K grant supported development and implementation of a comprehensive digital ecosystem integrating ERP workflows, IoT-enabled smart freezer monitoring, inventory management, procurement, warehouse operations, CRM, and multichannel e-commerce systems. The funding helped the client move from fragmented manual processes toward a more connected operating infrastructure that could support higher sales volume and better customer responsiveness.
The Challenge
The main challenge was turning a broad operational transformation effort into a clearly scoped, grant-ready digitalisation project. The client’s business involved physical inventory, freezer assets, retail replenishment, warehouse workflows, procurement, customer service, and multiple e-commerce channels. These moving parts had to be presented as one coherent enterprise digitalisation project rather than disconnected software upgrades. The application also needed to justify how ERP integration, IoT monitoring, and e-commerce automation would reduce operational inefficiencies, support growth, and create measurable business impact. RIC’s role was limited to the application and grant offer stage, so the case had to be framed around project scoping, proposal preparation, vendor coordination, and successful grant approval.
How RIC Supported the Client
RIC supported the client in structuring and preparing the EDG application for its enterprise digitalisation project.
RIC’s support included:
• Scoping the digitalisation project across ERP, IoT, procurement, warehouse management, CRM, and e-commerce integration.
• Preparing the full project proposal for EDG submission.
• Framing the business case around productivity improvement, operational efficiency, customer responsiveness, and scalable growth.
• Helping define how IoT-enabled freezer monitoring would support inventory tracking and automated replenishment.
• Coordinating with the selected technology vendor to present the system scope and implementation approach clearly.
• Structuring the project narrative around integration between back-end systems and sales channels such as Lazada, Redmart, Shopee, and the client’s own e-commerce platform.
• Supporting the application through to grant offer.
RIC did not handle claims for this case, so the support should be understood as application-stage advisory and grant approval support.
Outcome
FUNDING SECURED
Above S$300,000
The client secured S$300K in Enterprise Development Grant support for its IoT and e-commerce digitalisation project. The approved project covered a comprehensive digital ecosystem integrating ERP workflows, IoT-enabled freezer management, inventory tracking, procurement, warehouse operations, CRM, and multichannel e-commerce systems. RIC’s contribution was focused on helping the client scope the project, prepare the application, coordinate relevant inputs, and secure the grant offer.
What This Means for Similar Companies
For established SMEs, digitalisation is rarely just about buying software. The fundable project is usually the integration of systems, workflows, data, assets, and commercial channels into a measurable transformation plan. This case is relevant for businesses with physical operations, inventory-heavy workflows, retail distribution, or e-commerce ambitions. A strong EDG application must show why the project matters commercially, how the systems connect operationally, and how the investment supports productivity and growth. The sharper the project scope, the easier it is for evaluators to understand why the grant should support it.
