Bahrain-based financial services company begins IT development project

Once implemented, KFI's new system will enable them to serve their showroom, finance and investment customers more efficiently.

All business functions including Accounting, Human Resources, Consumer Finance, Direct Investment, Investment Placement and other management requirements will be unified and fully integrated through Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solutions. The back office system will be powered by MS Great Plains and Business Portal, while the front office and customer interface systems will be handled by MS CRM. MS SharePoint Portal Server will improve internal communications and also facilitate collaboration and document management services.

"We are thrilled at the launching of this IT project. By implementing our front and back office functions as a single integrated platform, we aim to improve efficiency, eliminate job redundancies, reduce costs across the organization and improve overall workflow. In addition to providing greater visibility and transparency throughout the organization, the bottom line is that by implementing ERP and CRM solutions, we will be able to serve the customer better with faster response time," said Ahmed Buhazza, IT Manager, KFI.

The project, which launched in July, will take approximately 4.5 months for completion and is being facilitated by BCS-IDEAS, a division of Business Communications Services (BCS). BCS started in 2002 and in partnership with IDEAS, has grown to become the leading one-stop-shop for integrated ICT solutions in the Kingdom of Bahrain. BCS-IDEAS are a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner for Business Solutions, Information Worker Solutions and Infrastructure solutions.

KFI recently concluded their extensive selection process for this prestigious IT project by signing a contract with BCS-IDEAS. "BCS-IDEAS showed a genuine interest on this project, professional and quick prompt on the responses and presented a comprehensive and clear proof of concept for each functional department that led to proving them and made the gap analysis, evaluation and selection exercises much simpler, smoother and very successful. "Buhazza added.

This current IT project is part of a three phased plan that KFI's IT department has developed. Phase 1 was successfully accomplished during 2004. The Integrated Great Plains Solutions (IGPS) project represents the commencement of Phase 2, and will cover development and enhancement requirements, plus any new requirements that are discovered through KFI's continuous development and expansion.

When planning for this project, KFI's IT professionals reviewed their organization structure in a holistic manner, rather than as separate functions. The overall consensus among them was that a software infrastructure would be required, to hold the company together internally, while supporting each external business processes the company engages in. Since KFI's business is dynamic and several functions are performed by its divisions, the importance of ERP became evident for back office functions.

"Our aim is to provide an end-to-end solution for KFI, starting from the core networking and infrastructure, to the end-user desktop and server applications. We have developed a complete business solution utilizing today's leading technologies to ensure that our solutions meet KFI's specific needs," said Jaleel Sharaf, Information Technology Manager, BCS-IDEAS.

"We are dedicating the best IT members in our organization for this project with the best skills combination to assure a successful implementation and leave a very good site of reference. The project will follow the rapid implementation methodology that aligns with the MSF methodology." Sharaf added.