Samoussas TAÏLOU was using an off-the-shelf business software similar to QuickBooks. However, much of their workflows and data did not fit into the processes and templates provided by the software, and it could not be customized. Consequently, they supplemented it with many Excel spreadsheets to manage operations. Their IT setup consisted of desktop PCs and mainstream hardware on which they did manual data backups. Additionally, Internet is slow and unreliable on their premises, something outside of their control, and it caused frequent system disruptions.

Despite being excellent at their job, the team wasted a lot of time due to standard software tools inadequate for their unique way of doing business. They had to implement manual workarounds for missing functionalities. They could not restrict user access and prevent certain employees from seeing confidential data or using certain functionalities. Unintuitive user interfaces led to human errors that managers had to check and correct, making it difficult to delegate efficiently. They could not generate automatically recurring reports with the exact information they needed, and instead had to prepare them manually. And more.

• Increase efficiency and reduce errors in order to do more with existing resources.
• Have immediate access to information needed for decision making (instant custom report generation).
• Ensure business continuity under disruptions, including Internet outages.
• Strengthen security and mitigate potential cyber risks.

Their custom system is built on the BLU SPHINX® open-source business platform. It integrates all of their core business processes in one place, replacing the previous off-the-shelf software and spreadsheets. All data schema, workflows, and user interfaces were customized to fit exactly their specific needs and ways of doing business, making it very easy to use. Data is only entered once in the system and automatically propagates where it is needed.

There are customized automatic checks in place to prevent most data entry errors and inconsistencies, as well as fine-grained user access controls to restrict what each user can see and do in the system. As a result, managers delegate more tasks to employees and factory supervisors without having to constantly check their work.

They have fast and easy access to key information, organized, consistent, and up-to-date. They can generate instantly the custom reports and dashboard views they need.

Additionally, because the BLU SPHINX® open-source business platform runs on any operating system, they were able to switch their computers to Linux and Mac to save on licensing costs and increase security. The custom system runs on a local server and is therefore fully functional even when there are Internet outages. At the same time, it can be used remotely (with Internet). The system also synchronizes with an external Cloud to perform automatic backups regularly. It requires minimal ongoing maintenance.

This new custom system, including its new IT setup, has robust cyber security and complies with most of the NIST 800-171 norms.

With this new custom system, they were able to serve growing demand with less employees during the COVID-19 pandemic.