Indian Manufacturing and Export Firm Finds Competitive Edge



Overview

Country or Region: India

Industry: Manufacturing

Customer Profile

Centwin, established in 1978, is a leading Indian manufacturer and exporter of cotton hosiery garments for men, women, and children. The company supplies garments to customers across the globe.

Business Situation

Indian garment export has grown exponentially in the last decade. With an eye on the future, the company's management wanted to create an IT backbone to support the documentation required by its customers, as well as the government, as a part of its processes.

Solution

The company decided to deploy an integrated accounting and documentation solution based on Microsoft® Windows Server System™ products, including Microsoft Windows® Small Business Server 2003, Windows Server™ 2003, and SQL Server™ 2000.

Benefits

■ Streamlined business processes

■ Centralized and secure data storage

■ Accessible information from anywhere, at anytime

■ Improved team performance

| | |"Using Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003 is so easy. Our employees have been using it after a basic training module, and it has been a problem-free experience to date.”

Mohammed Rabi, Systems Manager, Centwin

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| | | |Centwin, established in 1978, is a Tirupur, India-based manufacturer and exporter of cotton hosiery |

| | | |garments. With the business growing rapidly, the company decided to invest in IT infrastructure to |

| | | |help create, maintain, and manage the documents required for exporting garments. The company deployed|

| | | |Microsoft® Windows® Small Business Server 2003 across a local area network with 10 desktops. An |

| | | |application created by a local vendor to automate the billing, inventory, and export management |

| | | |processes also has been deployed, which runs on Microsoft SQL Server™ 2000. Apart from deploying the |

| | | |integrated accounting and documentation solution, the company has utilized Windows Small Business |

| | | |Server 2003 to deploy a robust intranet, and file and print services, in addition to achieving |

| | | |database consolidation within the organization. |

| | | | |

| | | | |

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Situation

Centwin, an Indian manufacturer and exporter of hosiery garments, grew rapidly in the last decade. The growth was stimulated by the overall recognition of India’s textile industry, as well as recognition for the quality of Centwin’s garments. The company has grown into a multi-million dollar business with just 50 staff members.

Centwin has been focused on quality, a clear differentiator for which it has won several awards. But as with every company, Centwin also faced growing pains, such as managing complex export regulatory documentation and invoices. Centwin executives sought to upgrade its infrastructure to improve employee productivity.

In addition, while in contact with its customers, the company's executives wanted to project a competent organization with a well-managed infrastructure. Therefore, tools such as reliable e-mail messaging were seen as an important part of its requirements.

With this in mind, Centwin decided to create an IT infrastructure that would meet its business requirements today and in the future.

Solution

Utilizing the IT expertise of Quadra Systems, a Microsoft® Gold Certified Partner and IT consultant, Centwin decided to create its networked IT infrastructure as a first step toward achieving higher business efficiencies.

Quadra Systems helped set up a local area network. The company also implemented Microsoft Windows® Small Business Server 2003, the Microsoft Windows Server™ 2003 operating system, Microsoft SQL Server™ 2000 database to manage its database applications, and Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 messaging and collaboration server to create the messaging infrastructure. Windows Small Business Server 2003, Windows Server 2003, SQL Server 2000, and Exchange Server 2003 are part of Microsoft Windows Server System™ integrated server software.

This networked infrastructure allowed users to view documents, as well as to share file and print services, and access e-mail messages through the Microsoft Office Outlook® 2003 messaging and collaboration client, all from their desktops.

Centwin also set up an intranet based on Microsoft Windows SharePoint® Services, a technology that is part of Windows Server 2003.

Following this, the company worked closely with local solution provider Axon Computers to implement an integrated accounting and documentation management solution built specifically to meet the requirements of export organizations.

This solution helps generate various documents required during the export process such as the cover note, customs invoices, packaging lists, insurance and bank documentation, transportation, and more.

Hands-on training for all employees familiarized them with the new Microsoft products and technologies.

Benefits

Centwin has been able to improve business operations by streamlining processes with the solution.

Streamlined Business Processes

One of the key benefits of implementing Windows Small Business Server 2003 has been the ability to streamline business processes.

By implementing Microsoft SQL Server 2000 in conjunction with the application, the organization has been able to create a central information bank, which can be used by all of its employees to generate reports and invoices. “This has helped us save significant amounts of time. Earlier, the export documentation was created manually, and it would often have errors which needed to be rectified,” explains Mohammed Rabi, Systems Manager, Centwin.

Access to Information from Anywhere, at Anytime

E-mail allows the organization to keep in touch internally as well as with its customers globally. Since many of its customers are geographically dispersed, it was important to give employees remote access to e-mail at anytime, because customers are based in different time zones. “During the final stages of shipment, often customers need to inquire about status or contact us through e-mail. With the flexibility of checking e-mail over the Internet, our employees can take care of such issues from home when needed,” adds P. Kumarasamy, Managing Director at Centwin.

Improved Team Performance

By implementing an end-to-end solution, Centwin is able to access relevant information in no time and take appropriate business decisions. This has improved the company's overall performance and employee morale within the organization.

"Using Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003 is so easy. Our employees have been using it after a basic training module, and it has been a problem-free experience to date,” concludes Mohammed Rabi.

Microsoft Windows Server System

Microsoft Windows Server System is a line of integrated and manageable server software designed to reduce the complexity and cost of IT. Windows Server System enables you to spend less time and budget on managing your systems so that you can focus your resources on other priorities for you and your business.

 

For more information about Windows Server System, go to:

windowsserversystem

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| |Software and Services

■ Products

− Microsoft Office Outlook 2003

− Microsoft Exchange Server 2003

− Microsoft SQL Server 2000

− Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003

− Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition

|Hardware

■ Intel Xeon 2.4 gigahertz

■ Intel PIII / PIV

Partner

■ Quadra Systems | |

© 2006 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY. Microsoft, Outlook, SharePoint, Windows, the Windows logo, Windows Server, and Windows Server System are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. !"+,9L

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Document published April 2004 | | |

For More Information

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For more information about Quadra Systems products and services, call +91-422-5389777 or visit the Web site at:

For more information about Centwin products and services, call +91 421 211 801 or visit the Web site at:

“This has helped us save significant amounts of time. Earlier, the export documentation was created manually, and it would often have errors which needed to be rectified.”

Mohammed Rabi, Systems Manager, Centwin

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