Infonet Globalizes Enterprise Resource Planning Processes for Major Supplier of Penicillin on American Continent Fersinsa Gist-Brocades
Company Creates High Security Global Network Infrastructure and Extranet Access
biz.yahoo.com
EL SEGUNDO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 22, 2002-- Infonet Services Corporation (NYSE/FSE:IN), a leading provider of global communications services for multinational corporations, today announced it is globalizing Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) applications for Fersinsa Gist-brocades, the only Penicillin G crude producing company on the American Continent, and one of the major manufacturers of semi-synthetic penicillins. Fersinsa is also relying on Infonet's global infrastructure to support the company's rollout of their extranet and initial E-Business applications.
With employees manufacturing products at two primary locations in Mexico, as well as working with colleagues at a sister company in Holland, Fersinsa needed to improve the efficiency of its global communications. Simultaneously, the company wanted to ensure new levels of security and accuracy in its electronic communication, take advantage of time zone differences and reduce international long-distance charges. Creating a global infrastructure would enable Fersinsa's employees to more reliably access their ERP software. Infonet's World Network combined with Fersinsa's new IT infrastructure have become a strategic advantage for Fersinsa. It enables the company to produce significantly more product than in years past and improves communication of proprietary and time-sensitive pharmaceutical information between headquarters, manufacturing plants and international governing agencies.
Fersinsa Gist-brocades is the result of a joint venture between Benavides Industrial Group and Royal Dutch Gist-brocades. In 1998, Gist-brocades joined the Dutch Group DSM and Fersinsa became part of DSM's Anti-Infectives Division. The company subsequently has come to export nearly 1,300 tons of penicillin each year and supplies more than 20% of the world's Ampicillin and Amoxicillin.
At Fersinsa's two primary manufacturing sites and a third location in Mexico City, 600 users transact business and share information daily via its ERP system. Their transactions include sales order management, inventory and delivery information as well as manufacturing. The company also sells products through its Dutch offices, yet ships products from Mexico to many customers located in India, Egypt, Russia, Africa and throughout the world. In the past, these users were unable to communicate with employees in Holland except by telephone -- and with time zone issues and cost, this limited means of communication was not an acceptable long-term solution.
For Jose Carlos Villarreal, Fersinsa's IT Manager, the company needed a fast, secure and robust connection to Holland, reliable Internet access and dial-up connections worldwide. After evaluating three vendors over six months, Villarreal selected Infonet based on the quality of its service and worldwide presence. With successful basic communication services established, Fersinsa subsequently embarked on an extranet rollout and is now planning to launch its first E-Business project. ``Our goal is to communicate effectively with our business partners, provide them with better information and make our applications more global in nature,'' commented Villarreal. Assuming he is successful with his initial B2B implementation, Villarreal anticipates expanding into electronic supply chain management.
Infonet has established an effective communications infrastructure for Fersinsa and is providing reliable, faster and easier communication worldwide. ``We are happy to have implemented a robust networking solution for Fersinsa -- and to be providing faster, more reliable access to its critical ERP applications. Having a single point of contact, worldwide presence and proactive monitoring are the ways that Infonet can proactively support Fersinsa and other multinational clients,'' concluded Richard Couturier, Infonet's Vice President and General Manager for the region. |
