Hybrid gives Zespri tailored versatility

By ADAM GIFFORD

Kiwifruit marketer Zespri International has adopted a Lotus Notes-Citrix solution to bring down its desktop operating costs.

Chief information officer Grahame Coles said Zespri asked four companies - Datacom, Unisys, IBM and gen-i - to tender for a review of its infrastructure.

"We short-listed IBM and gen-i, then decided we liked qualities of both so we asked them to combine into one team," Mr Coles said.

Convergence, an IBM Lotus partner, was brought in to add some specialist knowledge.

Mr Coles said the project, including hardware, software and consulting, is budgeted at $800,000.

"We picked Lotus for its workflow capability and because some applications we want to run involve a lot of replication, where Lotus' technique is excellent."

Lotus is also used for e-mail.

The system must deliver desktop and specialist applications, including access to the core SAP system and to 220 staff: 85 in Auckland, 70 in Tauranga and the rest in Tokyo, Antwerp and other overseas offices.

Mr Coles said the Citrix thin client technology would allow Zespri to rationalise its Windows NT servers.

It has already closed a computer room in Tauranga and is running the applications from Auckland.

"We bought centralised disk and tape storage, so all NT servers will share one storage system," he said.

"It's all about reducing the cost of managing the desktop, which is mainly a people cost. We retrenched one person in Tauranga and reassigned a person in Auckland.

"We also get savings on capital. It is $900 for a Citrix terminal, compared to $3000 for a PC."

Zespri's main financial and distribution system is from German software maker SAP, running on Unix on a Compaq Alpha server.

Mr Coles said the company is also reviewing its SAP infrastructure and re-engineering parts of it to cope with changes in the business.

He believes much of the system is overly-customised and wants to bring it back to standard modules.

Five Zespri staff are SAP-certified and used for work involving the supply chain, sales and marketing areas, which are considered core business.

SAP New Zealand is used for work utilising financial modules.

"We've changed dramatically as a business. A year ago we were a cooperative, now we are a fully commercial company," Mr Coles said.

"A year ago we sold the New Zealand crop, now we are planting Zespri Gold around the world as a franchise operation so we can go to 12 months' supply.

"Becoming commercial has changed the way our people work, the way we pay growers, the efficiencies we need to get.

"SAP was put in four years ago, when none of this was envisaged."

He said every time Zespri goes into a new country, "we want a streamlined system we can just roll out."