Altaïr Group to Deploy Infor M3 for International Growth

French chemical group to modernise IT infrastructure, centralize information and facilitate exchanges with subsidiaries to support continued global growth

PARIS – May 18, 2020 – Infor, a global leader in business cloud software specialized by industry, today announced that Altaïr Group, a French chemical group composed of six leading companies in the field of cleaning products, fabric softeners, insecticides and repair pastes and putties, has decided to deploy Infor M3. The enterprise resource planning (ERP) application, which is specifically dedicated for chemical industries, will become the standard system for managing processes and sharing information between the group's various entities.

Founded in 1946 under the name Brunel Frères SARL, the family-owned company has continued to grow through a series of strategic acquisitions over the past 15 years. In 2019, Altaïr Group achieved a turnover of 100 million euros and today employs nearly 400 people in France, Spain, Belgium and Poland. The group has some 3,000 products associated with five leading brands (Starwax, Oro, Mistol, Sinto and Kapo), which it sells in more than 40 countries.

The group's ambitions for growth are the origins of the Infor M3 deployment decision. "We could no longer evolve with our ERP under AS400 in a multi-company and increasingly international context," said Sylvain Berdin, Altaïr Group ERP project manager. "We decided to focus on the most relevant way to reduce the time spent by our teams to develop specific functionalities for the existing system, as this methodology was no longer adapted to the needs of the Altaïr Group."

Accompanied by the consulting firm Adix, Altaïr Group chose to trust Infor after surveying other vendors including SAP, IFS, Sage and Microsoft. "The reasons for our choice are very simple," Berdin said. "Firstly, Infor was able to put us in contact with an impressive number of companies in our sector that are equipped with the solution, and that have all given us positive feedback, specifically addressing issues faced by the chemical industries and those associated with supply chain. Also, we liked Infor M3's ability to manage and support international development ambitions, and its functionalities dedicated specifically to our industries. Overall, we were impressed by the functional richness, relevance and scalability, which allow us to envisage our ambitions for Industry 4.0."

Altaïr Group has entrusted Infor to support the deployment of the M3 solution and outsourcing the IT servers and setting up a data centre in Lille, France, to serve the various entities of the group. This will help centralize information, improve communication between subsidiaries and share best practices. Infor M3 will help manage operations related to purchases/sales, production (manufacturing of chemical formulas and packaging), logistics, quality control and finance.

"Infor has once again proven its ability to respond to industry-specific issues, with a dedicated solution that scales to the size of the company and its international ambitions," said Laurent Jacquemain, Infor SVP & GM southern Europe. "Infor M3 was chosen for its industry-specific qualities, its functional richness, its constant and relevant developments, and for the quality of our daily support. Furthermore, our industry and product experts are actively involved throughout the project to address specific questions raised by each user."

About Group Altaïr

Based in Wasquehal near Lille, France, Altaïr Group is a major player in the manufacturing and distribution of home care, cleaning products and insecticides in Europe. Altaïr achieves 56% of its turnover abroad. The group’s offer, which counts more than 3,500 SKUs for a turnover exceeding 110 million euros, is built around five brands leader in their segments:

• Starwax: household care
• Kapo: insecticides
• Sinto: wood care
• Oro: insecticides, cleaning and household care
• Mistol: leading brand in the Spanish dishwashing liquids market

Altaïr products are primarily sold in DIY chains but also in independent stores, professional channels (materials wholesalers and professional hardware stores), garden centers and LISAs (agricultural products self-service stores) as well as online.

The group has three production sites: Noyelles-lès-Seclin near Lille and Aubagne in France, and Valencia in Spain.

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For more information:
Richard Moore
Infor PR manager, EMEA
Richard.moore@infor.com
+44 7976 111 243