Tanganda Tea brews with Tetra`s CS/3

Tanganda Tea, one of Zimbabwe`s biggest tea growers, recently upgraded its it`s information technology systems at its Mutare head office in a "multi-million dollar" (Zim dollars) contract, electing to run its 40-user Windows SCO network on the Tetra CS3 CS/3client-server ERP (enterprise resource planning) system from Tetra Software SA. The cost of implementing the Tetra CS3 CS/3 ERP system is estimated to be $1.7m (Zimbabwe dollars).

The ERP system is to be installed and supported by Tetra implementation partner, Chips Computers, while the hardware is to be supplied by IBM.

Rob Watson, MD of Chips Computers, said the contact included the supply of an IBM server and PCs for the 40-user SCO network, which was installed at the tea grower`s Mutare offices. The Tetra CS/3 ERP system is being used to run a sales and distribution system for the company`s beverage division.

According to the group financial manager at Tanganda Tea, Mr D Wallington, Tanganda Tea set up a computer steering committee to decide on the which technology and which vendors would "get the nod", adding that it ultimately chose Tetra CS/3 against rival ERP vendor Baan because it was felt the product enjoyed better local support and had been tried-and-tested by several users in Zimbabwe. The company also conducted numerous Tetra site visits in Zimbabwe. Tetra CS/3 was also deemed to be more cost-effective and was seen as "more appropriate to Tanganda Tea`s current and immediate future - and more dependable in terms of the sometimes unreliable telecommunications systems in the country".

Phased implementation

The installation of the ERP system forms part of the company`s "Project Masamba". Wallington said Project Masamba has been divided into three phases - phase one deals with financial and stock models at the Mutare offices and New Year`s Gift bulk store - which encompasses the replacement of the old hardware and software, including the general ledger, debtors, creditors, stock and fixed assets models. Phase one has already started and it is expected to go live by May 1999.

Phase two of the project consists of the implementation of hardware and software modules and networking at the corporate offices, which will be primarily for the beverage divisions in Massa and Bulawayo. A central IBM file server was installed at the corporate office`s beverage division in Mature, with linkages via land lines to the Massa and Bulawayo warehouses.

"At the same time the manufacturing resource planning module at Mutare was implemented. This phase should continue through to February 1999.