In a multimillion rand deal, Hulett Aluminium, Africa`s largest aluminium semi-fabricator, has chosen Oracle as its supplier for certain software applications in an effort to further improve its control over critical business issues. The Oracle purchase is part of a management information systems solution for Hulett Aluminium`s R2,4 billion Rolled Products Expansion Project which will see the company increase capacity threefold from 50 000 tons per year to over 150 000 tons per year. "Apart from the Oracle database which has been fully operational for some time, we have also purchased the Oracle Financials module and the GeMMS package, a process manufacturing solution. All the software will be running on Hewlett-Packard hardware," explains Leon Castelyn, area manager, systems for Hulett Aluminium. The systems integration partner for the project is Q Data Consulting, whose consultants are providing onsite implementation services of all the new systems, including the production planning and scheduling system. Eighty percent of the estimated 200 users on the Oracle software are based at Hulett Aluminium`s head office in Pietermaritzburg with the balance in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban. Apart from giving Hulett Aluminium more control over its critical business issues, Castelyn says the Oracle software will also improve management accounting information. Other benefits include improved flexibility and the ability to expand as and when needed. "The Oracle applications we have purchased also make provision for Year 2000 requirements and reduce maintenance efforts and dependence on critical resources as compared with legacy systems," says Castelyn. The entire company, including the finance section, production, shop floor, marketing and sales, and management, will migrate to the new system, which is scheduled for completion by the end of the year. Castelyn says Oracle software was chosen because it offers considerable flexibility and its fits in well with Hulett Aluminium`s `best of breed` philosophy and because it has good integration capabilities with other systems in the company`s applications portfolio. "The software`s rapid implementation capabilities and its diverse features and functionality also played a decisive role," he says. Before choosing Oracle, Hulett Aluminium went through an extensive evaluation process, drawing up functional requirements documents which were issued to a number of vendors. Oracle beat other competitors to clinch the deal. "In future, we plan to promote the use of Oracle packages to appropriate levels within the company and to integrate the applications with the shop floor systems and production scheduling systems," says Castelyn. "Oracle`s products now form an integral part of our future IT strategy and vision."
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