SYSPRO Case Study: Astrapak Standardizes on SYSPRO to Accommodate Expansion
Company Size
1,000+
Region
- Africa
Country
- South Africa
Product
- SYSPRO
- SYSPRO Report Writer
Tech Stack
- ERP
- Barcoding Equipment
Implementation Scale
- Enterprise-wide Deployment
Impact Metrics
- Customer Satisfaction
- Digital Expertise
- Productivity Improvements
Technology Category
- Functional Applications - Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERP)
- Functional Applications - Inventory Management Systems
Applicable Industries
- Packaging
Applicable Functions
- Business Operation
- Sales & Marketing
Use Cases
- Inventory Management
- Supply Chain Visibility
- Warehouse Automation
Services
- Software Design & Engineering Services
- System Integration
About The Customer
Astrapak manufactures and supplies a wide range of plastic packaging products. Listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, Astrapak’s operations are grouped into three divisions: Films (seven business units), Rigids (nine business units) and Flexibles (seven business units). There are manufacturing facilities in all the main centers of South Africa and a joint venture operation in Mauritius. The products are supplied to the food, beverage, confectionary, agricultural, consumer, cosmetic, personal care, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, textile and industrial markets. Future expansion of the company is planned to take place through continued organic and acquisitive growth as well as through the implementation of new and opportunistic business initiatives.
The Challenge
Astrapak recognized that one system across its enterprise was necessary for future success. Of the 23 business units, three were already running SYSPRO. The other various solutions in place mainly focused on finance, sales, purchasing and distribution, with little attention being given to manufacturing. Together with the aggressive growth being experienced by Astrapak, other challenges included the diverse nature of the three divisions, the geographic spread of the sites and Astrapak’s inexperience in rolling out an ERP solution.
The Solution
It was decided to standardize on the SYSPRO solution, and to decentralize IT to the business units based on the highly entrepreneurial nature of each unit. The intention was to follow a single overall strategy, using standard SYSPRO functionality and the concept of strategically sourcing the additional suppliers required. Key strategic suppliers were identified and contracted, including SYSPRO, SYSPRO’s implementation partners, Microsoft, an Internet Service Provider and a hardware supplier. One of the advantages of adopting this approach was that the Astrapak management team was shielded from day-to-day implementation issues, as these were handled by SYSPRO and the implementation team. The management team was therefore able to concentrate on the core business.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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