Revamped Software Systems Results in Substantial Savings
In a rapidly changing, increasingly technological world, companies are finding it more important to change the way they invest their man-hours and expand their facilities. Bollinger Shipyards has aggressively expanded its physical facilities over the past few years, but realized expansion of the facilities without a thorough revamp of its internal communications systems would be foolish and costly, in the long run. The company employs 1,800 and is comprised of eight shipyards in Southern Louisiana. The most distant offices are still within 120 miles of each other. Until recently, the shipyards were using several different software systems to produce financial and operational information.
Bowsher Named Newport News Board Member
Newport News Shipbuilding Inc. named Charles Bowsher as a member of its board of directors. Bowsher served as the comptroller general of the United States from 1981 until October 1996. Prior to this appointment, Bowsher was a partner with accounting and auditing firm Arthur Andersen LLP.
Bollinger opts for Oracle
In tying its eight diverse facilities together with a state-of-the-art information system, Bollinger Shipyards plans to recoup monetary and efficiency rewards far exceeding the $2.5 million investment. Bollinger Shipyards has aggressively pursued a course of expansion of physical facilities over the past few years, though not to the point of over-extension whereby down markets would cause a serious financial crisis. But while the shipyard has steadily added to its capabilities, it realized that expansion of facilities without a thorough revamp of its own internal communications and processes would be foolhardy, as well as very costly. Enter Arthur Andersen and Oracle.