Synergistic Alliance Investment`s distribution initiative is beginning to make good on its promises to improve customer service with an investment of more than R11 million in information technology.
SAI`s operating arm, Druggists Distributors, has contracted enterprise resource planning software vendor J.D. Edwards to supply and configure a new integrated information system.
J.D. Edwards, which was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Denver, Colorado, provides integrated software for managing the enterprise and supply chain in the consumer products, industrial and services industries.
J.D. Edwards ActivEra technology allows customers to change their enterprise software quickly and easily during and after implementation to suit a changing business environment.
Its software has been implemented in South Africa and around the world in organisations like BOE, Beacon Sweets, Castrol, Coca Cola, Shell, Manchester United Football Club, and Warner Lambert. A similar system to the one that will run at Druggists Distributors was implemented at TAMRO in Scandinavia, one of Europe`s largest drug distribution companies.
J. D. Edwards has strong local technical support and was selected after extensive evaluations, says Peter Brierley, Operations Director at Druggists Distributors.
Customers will see some changes during this year, mainly in EDI, to ensure all communications systems are Y2K compliant, he says. Configuration of J.D. Edwards is underway, in consultation with customers. Final implementation will dovetail with other aspects of the plan to up-grade the company.
The new system, one of three new IT initiatives undertaken in the distribution initiative in the last three months, will provide the platform for future business. "It is the foundation for future value added activities," says Brierley.
These initiatives are amongst the first manifestations of SAI`s intention to re-shape Druggists Distributors into a best-practice customer-focused distribution channel since it was acquired by SAI in December 1998.
The new IT system will allow lot-tracking of products throughout the distribution chain, and provide real time information about the state of the business, adds Brierley. This will enable Druggists Distributors to manage inventory and minimise costs while still ensuring that a product is on the shelf when it is needed.
The system will run on two AS /400 servers, to ensure available time. "These are IBM`s newest AS/ 400 release, with double the capacity of previous versions. "We felt that they were the most robust and stable hardware platforms available for the high-volume applications that we need to support," says Brierley.
A Johannesburg IT company, Marstec, was contracted to design and manage the software application selection process. It also played a key role in facilitating and chairing the Principals IT Design Group to put an IT operational design focus into place, and was tasked with the IT project management role.
Marstec was asked to remain on as a key member to assist Druggists Distributors with detailed implementation plans.
Marstec is currently involved primarily in the IT implementation part of the project which focuses on the implementation of the new technical infrastructure and the implementation of the J.D. Edwards software suite.
Share