Rasasi Perfumes Industry, a regional perfume manufacturer based in Dubai’s Jebel Ali Free Zone, has announced the implementation of a technology platform that supports all aspects of its internal and external communications.

The new IBM Lotus Domino system allows the company to bring new products to market at a shorter period of time, reduce its communication costs and increase employee efficiency through enhanced collaboration.
The company deals with a number of suppliers across the world, including designers, plastic component manufacturers, bottle manufacturers and concentrate suppliers, among others.
Catering to both the GCC and expatriate clientele, Rasasi assembles more than 100 perfume brands at its factory in Jebel Ali and operates under a complex network of distributors and retailers in the Middle East, East African, Asian and Eastern European region.
“The success of our business depends entirely on perfection and in-depth research, with the average lead time for new perfume launches taking anywhere from 12 to 18 months from the time of product conception to actual production. Quality is also a very important factor-we make sure that we test our products at every stage of production. This is a very time-consuming and elaborate process where effective communication and confidentiality are vital,” said Saleem Kalsekar, managing director, Rasasi Perfumes Industry.
The implementation was carried out by Information Systems Design (ISD), a longstanding IBM business partner in the Middle East with a specialisation on integrating systems using IBM Lotus software products, after an extensive evaluation process by Rasasi between IBM’s Lotus Domino platform and Microsoft Exchange.
The company decided on the Lotus Domino environment because of its advanced security, tracking and mobility features that addressed Rasasi’s specific communication needs.
“We developed a customised solution for Rasasi that also incorporates a Paperless Fax Management System (PFMS) which automates all incoming and outgoing fax documents. With the number of faxes that go back and forth between the company managers and suppliers and the necessity to track all this correspondence, it was important to have an automated system that allows the user to make comments, amendments and approvals while keeping track of all these changes and ensuring that the right document is sent to the right person at the right time,” said Abdul Caffoor, managing director of ISD. “The new system also ensures Rasasi that all internal or external communication documents are shared directly and only with the parties concerned.”
The e-mail system provided by ISD has also been tailored to Rasasi’s security requirements. All incoming and outgoing mails go through the company mail server, which filters them through and sends them across to the respective e-mail addresses. If, for example, the subject box of the e-mail message reads blank, then the user won’t be able to send or receive the mail.