Demonstrating the flexibility of the iScala 2.2 collaborative ERP platform, an East African mining organisation has selected the technology to take control of its management and financial systems.
Athi River Mining Limited (ARM) was founded in 1973 to extract and process locally available mineral resources as raw materials for Kenya's growing industries.
The company began with just one mineral - limestone, pulverised for use as agricultural lime. However, the company rapidly added over 15 different minerals to its product list, serving over 50 different industries not only in Kenya, but also throughout the East African region. Further growth of the company in the 1990s when it began further value added processing of minerals and manufacturing of lime and cement. The company listed on the Nairobi Stock Exchange in 1997.
According to Vaibhav Gupta, regional manager for Scala East Africa, since going public ARM has grown in leaps and bounds in terms of turnover and expanded geographical area. "The company had been using a small-scale system, which sufficed until now. With the accelerated pace of growth, the organisation felt the need for an effective, integrated ERP system," he says.
"The iScala solution is ideal as it suits the present size and operations of the company while allowing for considerable further expansion, since this is an organisation that has demonstrated robust growth in recent years. ARM also has a requirement to integrate its materials planning and control, which Scala is able to deliver, while our functionality comes at better pricing for the company," Gupta continues.
Implementation of the solution, including financials, materials, distribution and manufacturing process, is scheduled to start in April and the project time is expected to take five months.
Gupta says the company is linking its existing site via leased line connectivity, and will deploy iScala over Citrix. "The same solution will be accessed via the Internet for its Tanzanian and South African operations. From their small head-office based system, ARM is moving to a full iScala decentralised ERP system that offers management information in real-time," he concludes.
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Scala Business Solutions is represented in Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands by Scala Africa, which provides sales, consulting and implementation skills to a customer base of 70 companies in SA and a further 300 in the rest of Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands. Headquartered in Johannesburg and with offices in countries including Kenya, Uganda and Nigeria, Scala Africa (Pty) Ltd, is a truly pan-African concern that offers integrated, collaborative ERP solutions to businesses across the continent. Visit Scala's Web site at www.scala.co.za for press information including press releases, information and product information.
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