Faritec adopts Baan as internal system

Faritec Holdings, a JSE listed IT solutions group, has chosen the already Y2k compliant Baan Enterprise Business Applications (EBA) software as the enterprise system for all companies within the group. According to Paul Cronin, Channel Manager at Baan SA, the implementation will take place over a period of four months.

"Faritec was looking for a system that could enable it to consolidate information, such as financial results, from the different companies within the group. Baan was not only able to provide such a system, but one which meets all the different requirements of the individual companies, as one package," says Cronin.

The implementation of Baan software strengthens existing ties between the two companies. Faritec has worked with Baan in several projects as a channel partner.

Faritec, through its specialist sales and implementation solution provider Opentec, has extensive expertise and knowledge of Baan products. The solution provider is one of Baan`s biggest reseller partners and provides a comprehensive range of services for quick and efficient implementation of Baan`s products. Another Faritec company, FGH, has also been a long time Baan reseller.

"The deal will also yield a number of business benefits for the two companies. For Baan, this represents a major step in our reseller strategy. The Faritec Group has evolved strongly in the IT marketplace and is a solid foundation to add value to us. Faritec, who will be assisting in the project, will benefit from skills transfer and Baan`s flexible dynamic modeling capabilities," enthuses Cronin.

Baan was chosen after an extensive search in the ERP market. "Other packages were reviewed but unfortunately they could not provide a proven integrated system, with adequate depth of staff in terms of support, within the budget we had determined. Baan offered the closest fit in terms of the business needs, and more importantly, demonstrated depth of knowledge of the business requirements from a support issue," says Milton Stegmann, Marketing Manager of Opentec.

The system will initially focus on distribution, service and business consulting to enable expansion to meet the needs of other areas of the business such as e-commerce and hardware and software maintenance.

The deal is expected to provide a number of operational benefits for Faritec. "Baan demonstrated that through the correct use of their systems, Faritec would achieve a significant competitive edge in terms of marketing, speed of delivery, management information and the ability to react timeously to critical situations. We see major benefits through an integrated solution that will provide tight controls in terms of business disciplines and also enable us to respond more timeously to our customers," explains Stegman.

"The beauty of the Baan system is that the system can be adapted to meet our needs as our business continues to grow and expand," concludes Stegman.