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Our performance:
Examples of key projects we have started and/or completed.
Following the recruitment of an R&D Manager last year, our main objective for this year is to accelerate our product development process. Given the fast-paced evolution of construction products and materials, it is important for us to stay abreast of innovations, identify new trends and convert them into opportunities.
INTRODUCTION ABOUT US MANAGEMENT APPROACH
INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL
The Group’s digital transformation (Efficiency and resilience)
For the past two years, we have increasingly been using the cloud and subscribing to software-as-a-service to access business applications. As a result, it became necessary to migrate from our traditional network based on conventional routers to a better system that can send traffic directly over the internet to our cloud-based applications while maintaining compliance with security mandates.
This was achieved by switching to SD-WAN Technology. Doing so has allowed the Group to benefit from higher bandwidth capacity, centralised management, network visibility and an overall gain in efficiency in terms of business processes whilst achieving significant cost savings.
Bolster innovation
(Continuity and transformation)
Premix: Post acquisition integration team to manage the transition from LafargeHolcim to UBP
(Continuity and transformation)
Upon the acquisition of Premix in October 2021, UBP took on the challenge of leading and managing the transition from LafargeHolcim (LH) to UBP Group. The transition involved a change in management and operating structure, a re- alignment of strategy for Premix and a build-up of know-how and expertise for the Group.
• So far, Premix’s management and administration were handled by LH’s international teams, while the operations were managed by the local Premix teams. The transition involved a complete transfer of the management responsibilities to Premix. The team leading the transition did an outstanding job in facilitating this process and successfully shifted the management structure and systems to those of UBP Group within only two months.
• System changeover and the migration to a new system at Premix proved to be challenging in many ways. We had no inventory of the existing local infrastructure and time was a major constraint on the project. Nonetheless, all systems, including the ERP, accounting, payroll and production systems, were successfully migrated to new systems on time and with no disruption to the business. A holistic programme was set up to train employees in the use of the new technologies to minimise associated risks, thereby guaranteeing uninterrupted product supply for our customers.
• With the integration of Premix, the Group has captured unique talents and know-how in the field of concrete manufacturing. In addition to the industrial equipment and assets purchased, Premix’s laboratory specialises in the formulation of ready-mixed concrete that meets specific requirements adapted to tropical environments. This attribute has allowed us to create a unique database of recipes and mixes.
Overall, while the Group promotes synergies within its companies, it also taps into each company’s specificities. This ensures self-sufficiency and creates a distinctive value and culture for each company. Consequently, although the use of LH brands had to be discontinued no later than six months after the acquisition, it has proved to be an opportunity to rationalise the product line and further develop and strengthen Premix’s portfolio of local brands. By categorising our offer, we can provide greater visibility and cover the needs of different market segments.
Drymix: The path to excellence through certification (Synergy and self-sufficiency)
Our laboratory, the first in Mauritius and in the region to have been ISO/IEC 17025 certified, is accredited for tile adhesive testing since 2021; our range of tile adhesives has been certified MAURICERT by the Mauritius Standards Bureau, attesting to its compliance with the MS EN 12004-1:2017 standard.
Additionally, our factory was ISO 9001:2015 certified in 2021.
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UBP INTEGRATED REPORT 2022