All PC users receive technical support from Smurfit's centralized help desk. The help desk responds to more than 2,000 calls per month using the Remedy call center tool, which provides efficient call tracking, call handling, and escalation. The efficiency improvements are largely due to Remedy - though help desk staff rely on Microsoft SMS capabilities to aid in problem resolution. The company's facilities range in size from small sales offices to large paper mills with up to 600 employees. Paper is produced in 15 paper mills, and then goes to manufacturing facilities where it is cut, printed, folded, glued - and then shipped to customers.
Goods move in a continuous flow from plant to plant and then to customers.
Such operations depend on precise execution and constant communications all along the value chain. A new logistics application based on Windows NT is now helping Smurfit streamline customer orders, mill scheduling, and distribution of paper and finished products to trading partners or converting plants. In the coming months, Smurfit will begin implementing a new mill maintenance system that will support improved business processes in the mills and an enterprise view of inventory, purchasing, and suppliers. Other ERP applications may follow. In addition, Microsoft Exchange provides a fast, reliable e-mail communications system to keep Smurfit divisions in synch.