SoftBrands, Inc. (OTC: SFBD), today announced that UBP Products, a leading provider of synthetic nail and manicure products and training to the beauty care market, has selected the global software supplier's enterprise resource planning solution, Fourth Shift, to run its operations.
Based in Nottingham, UBP Products (UBP) licensed Fourth Shift because it was most appropriate to its needs, promises to solve a number of supply chain issues and has proved itself in other companies owned by Chemence, the fast-growing international enterprise that recently acquired the nail and manicure products supplier.
In particular, the Fourth Shift system will enable UBP to manage a key supply chain issue where goods may be on purchasing lead times of up to twelve weeks and come from distant countries, and where the company's aim is to deliver products from its Nottingham premises to customers within 48-hours of receiving their orders.
Comprising a set of fully integrated application modules and a centralised database, Fourth Shift is expected to substantially improve many business processes for UBP, including the planning of procurement, delivery of materials, and production and fulfillment of orders. In addition, closer collaboration will be possible, together with more informed and timely decision-making, and standardised management reporting, both within the company and to its parent group.
The new system will replace an accounting package, spreadsheets and other office administration programs, all separate, that placed great strain on resources, risked delayed fulfillment of orders, and required manual intervention to achieve results.
UBP's installation of Fourth Shift reflects the policy of its new owner Chemence, an international group of industrial and commercial companies, to purchase ERP systems from one corporate supplier. The aim is to standardise management procedures and controls within the group, and to simplify licensing, implementation, and maintenance of IT resources.
The Chemence group's management expects the Fourth Shift system will enable higher productivity to be achieved by the nail and manicure products company, and make it easier to check and report on the performance and profitability of the business.
Fourth Shift systems are already used by other companies owned by the Chemence group in the United Kingdom and United States of America, where they have proved their worth in terms of reliability, high performance and value for money, coupled to equally valued local support from SoftBrands.
Chemence also benefits because SoftBrands is a global supplier and has all the necessary products, research, development, and financial resources to provide support for the lifetime of Fourth Shift systems. SoftBrands offers sales and support offices in each country that Chemence runs businesses, including South Africa.
"Over the years we have built up substantial experience of Fourth Shift - including the implementation process. We understand how the solution works with the business and have developed unique methods to support our particular requirements," said Chemence IT Manager in the UK, Behzad Niasseri. "By standardising our ERP assets to include the UBP Products site, we will be able to continue exploiting our investment in these valuable techniques." The methods and experience amassed will enable Chemence to rapidly transform the newly acquired company into a highly productive and profitable business, he explained.
"For UBP Products, the rapid implementation that is possible with Fourth Shift will ensure operational results may be obtained quickly, enabling the company and its parent to gain a faster return on investment," said Gareth Robinson, managing director of SoftBrands EMEA. "In addition, as the business grows the system's modularity and scalability means it may be expanded without loss of performance, matching the ambitious business development plans Chemence has for the company."
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