In an exciting move, Adapt IT has a new international client - Louisiana Sugar Refining (LSR). A partnership between Imperial Sugar, one of the largest processors of sugar in the US, SUGAR, Louisiana's sugar co-operative, and Cargill, the international agricultural marketer, has seen the building and operation of LSR as one of the largest sugar refineries in the United States. Once fully operational, LSR will refine a million tons of raw sugar per year. And they have chosen Adapt IT Solutions as their primary IT solutions provider!
With its extensive expertise in sugar, Adapt IT Solutions was the obvious choice to implement the required IT solutions for the new plant. While Adapt IT Solutions has worked with major refineries internationally, the relationship with LSR means a series of firsts. Their biggest sale to date, Adapt It Solutions will now be running its systems at two of the biggest sugar refineries in the world for the first time. For the current Adapt IT team, on-site over the last few months, this is also the first time they have worked on a Greenfields operation - a completely new plant built from the ground-up.
This also means that Adapt IT Solutions has built LSR's IT system from the 'ground up'. Implementing offerings like Tranquillity and Canelab as well as related technical services (all at the same time, for the first time), the Adapt IT team has created an environment-specific system for the LSR plant. Having gone live in January 2011, the systems will be in 'project mode' until March, when they will move into a remote support mode where Adapt IT staff will be available off-site to offer support services.
The project has presented the Adapt IT team with a number of challenges and learning opportunities. “It's been a real-eye opener. It's been successful and we can definitely grow from this experience” says Debbie Raine, Executive Director of Sugar Operations. For example, in contrast to many African operations, working in a first-world, English-speaking country has meant access to better resources and no language barriers for the Adapt IT team. However, working in the United States has also meant dealing with process rigidity and having to implement systems in a busy and stressed environment as the new plant was being developed at the same time as the systems were being put in place, which creates a very different environment to working in an already established plant structure. This has required adaptation and innovation at every stage of the implementation process, abilities on which Adapt IT prides itself.
One example of this 'adaptability' is the system and services customisation required by American State law. This means that technology cannot be simply transferred from a South African environment to an American one as a number of adjustments have to be taken into account, from the smallest detail such as invoice size to major differences in terminology (it's an 'elevator', not a 'lift') and Sales Tax structures, which differ per state. All the implemented systems had to be customised to accommodate factors such as these. For Raine: “The American 'twang' meant that we needed to modify existing systems to an American context. It's an exciting challenge as it's part of what we promise our clients - we are an 'agile' organisation, able to customise in terms of the client's specific environment.”
One of the biggest practical challenges has been the time zone difference between South Africa and Louisiana - when staff in South Africa are finishing off their work day, their American counterparts are just arriving at work. While Adapt IT Solutions has dealt with time differences before, this is the most extreme instance. As a solution, the team has implemented a shift support system so that there will be a telephonic support team available in South Africa, operating on a late night shift, to accommodate Central American Time. For Cindy von Pannier, Group Marketing Director: “Working in any new country is like this. You have to customise according to the environment, financial systems, and needs. Our success in doing so with a client like LSR proves once again that Adapt IT can go anywhere in the world and offer complete, innovative IT solutions based on best practice and innovative thinking.”
Once again, adaptability and innovation are the touchstones of Adapt IT's approach to new projects and the keys to its success in what looks to be a very bright future.
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