B.I.C. builds IT system for UK materials firm


6 May 2004

B.I.C. Systems, one of Ireland’s largest indigenous technology providers, has just completed a major financial automation project for one of the largest building materials suppliers in the UK, RMC.

The project was aimed at supporting the automation of the financial trading processes of RMC UK to ensure an improved and enhanced communication of financial documents such as invoices and credit notes between the internal business of RMC and trading partners and service providers.

Having implemented SAP, RMC needed to employ electronic trading to further reduce costs and improve customer service. Based on Microsoft technology using BizTalk server and the Microsoft .NET framework, B.I.C. Systems deployed a solution which has significantly enhanced RMC’s ability to e-trade with multiple partners.

The solution also involves ongoing, round the clock technical support from B.I.C. Systems and is required to handle large invoicing outputs – of more than 30,000 documents – once per week.

The cornerstone of the solution implemented by B.I.C. Systems is Microsoft BizTalk Server, designed to help customers to more effectively integrate applications and systems from a variety of sources, along with employees and trading partners, with a view to increasing productivity and efficiency.

B.I.C. Systems, which was founded in 1984, employs 160 people between Dublin and Belfast and during the past financial year reported a €42m turnover.

RMC UK employs 7,000 people across 590 locations and contributes £1.1bn sterling to the £4.9bn annual turnover of the RMC Group Plc.

“As we continue to expand across all of our business sectors, it has become critically important for us to integrate and streamline our IT-based financial management systems,” commented Denis Sharp, information technology director at RMC.

By John Kennedy