| Awards | ||||
|
LABORATORIOS MICROSULES IS RECOGNIZED This prize was granted in recognition to Microsules effort after obtaining an international market for its products more and more important, on the basis of a constant business strategy consistent of multipurpose, innovating products elaboration and proven effectiveness, at competitive prices, adapted to the necessities of each market. EXPORT DEVELOPMENT Microsules sells to external market about 61% of total sales, positioning it as one of the Uruguayan companies with bigger exportation diversification, being constituted in a leader in the country and region. Trying to get to more export markets through the recognition of the quality of its products, it has made important investments that assure a differential characteristic with regard to the competition and that will allow it to continue demonstrating that in the Uruguay it is possible to innovate, produce and commercialize top-level. By this way, Microsules, for more than 20 years in local market and more than 10 years in international markets, is present in Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, México, Paraguay, Argentina, Bolivia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Panamá, Bolivia, Mauritania, Ethiopia, Mali, South Africa, Arab Emirates and Gulf region, among others. Laboratorios Microsules S.A. identifies opportunities of business at international level through a fluid dialogue with its clients and distribution companies that have knowledge of needs of agricultural sector in each country. Specialized technical personnel visit the clients with the aim to gather information about their needs. The knowledge over it and the Laboratorios Microsules capacity to adapt and develop a quick answer to them, allows it to enter in different markets with high quality products. The main obstacle that had faced in the different markets was the competition of products of low quality at smaller prices, originated from China, for example. These obstacles have been surpassed through the development of products designed to the size, of better quality, taking advantage of the product and lines of products diversity, and of the differentiation of packaging, among others characteristics. Laboratorios Microsules exports have experienced a growth of 89.5% between years 2004 and 2006, with presence in around 20 countries distributed in three continents, exporting almost U$S 9.000.000 in the last year. INNOVATION: Microsules had innovated in markets, products and processes. In the first case, in the last 5 years the amount of international markets had increased in 12.29%. About products, an indicator of innovation is the registering of 5 new agrochemicals, 20 products of complements area, mineral salts and 51 new veterinary medicines, that were registered in the last 5 years. Some of Laboratorios Microsules innovations in production processes are the following: * It has been marked as an objective the standardization, organizing and automating the processes (for example centralized pumping of excipients). * It has put on special emphasis in traceability, incorporating equipment for acquiring and registering of variables that intervenes in processes (for example monitoring through the red every variable that intervene in sterilization processes. * The traditional charging of raw material system has been transformed to pneumatic transport systems or by vacuum, that has produced an important reduction in time of manufacturing. * A manufacturing system of desionizada water and injectable quality water was implemented Some of the technological incorporations more important in the past few years were the following: * Every automated systems are based in programmable logic controllers that at the same time are being interconnected through the red forming a global control and monitoring system (SCADA). * It has been extended the use of internal red of communications (red of PC) to every system or automated equipment. * It has been implemented the installation of an aerosol packaging plant according to the actual regulation and approved by URSEA. This has permitted an important expansion of productive capacity and an increase of diversification of products. * It has been totally remodel the synthesis of raw material plant, giving it automatic systems and instrumentation for a better control of intervenient variables, obtaining a substantial improvement in productivity. At the moment it is being installed a new management system, that reaches the different areas of the company: administration, finances, logistics, commercial, human resources, etc. This system will allow an important improvement in optimization of production times (production just in time) and it is also adapted to GMP requirements. Between years 2004 and 2006 there has been registered 9 new trademarks, reaching to 48 trademarks registered, while in international markets it has registered 73 trademarks in 8 countries. The new market investigation is performed by Desk Research, making internet searching and e-mail contacts, also chatting. This has allowed Microsules to contact clients and potential clients of all around the world. Participation in specialized ferias, helps to contact raw material suppliers at international level. Visits of specialized technical personnel and also the High Direction of the company has demonstrated to the clients the interests of Laboratorios Microsules in growing jointly, providing products adapted to their needs. PRODUCTS AND HISTORY Microsules started elaborating oral, injectable, and external antiparasitic products. Afterwards it incorporated new products like antibiotics, vitamins, biological, and alimentary complements, also anti-inflammatories, equine line, diary, etc. Microsules has an important focus to investigation and development, that has contribute to develop, in his own experimental centre, molecules and procedures to comply with the necessities an animal health of each and every market to which it points Also a wide product range is investigated and developed in the area of agrochemicals, offering to the marked the treatment of crops, control of weeds and grain storing, offering a wide insecticide range, fungicide and herbicide, that had waked up interest at international markets. Microsules was the first company in developing to the synthesis of the veterinary excipient Formal Glycerol that is used in injectable formulations of an extensive range of veterinary specialties, it is synthesized in its own plant for exported production and to several countries, reaching to levels of U$S 500,000 in exports of this product. On the other hand Laboratorios Microsules has installed a plan of aerosol production, which is very well valued by international clients like Schering Plough of Argentina. Microsules has an important strength as far as the capacity an agility in innovation and of adaptation to the changes in the market and the necessities of each client. It has installed capacity that allows to innovate and to develop new products, with the possibility of making tests on his own animals, counting with the suitable personnel to do those tests. The products developed by Microsules can have different market destinies , having the capacity to diversify the presentations and to take advantage of the different channels of sales that it has developed around the world. Laboratorios Microsules is certificated by ISO 9001-2000 since 2004, being the first veterinary product laboratory in obtaining this certification. An important way ahead to open even more doors at international market is GMP certification, already being working in it and hoping to get it in 2007. This has implied an important investment in technology and processes, qualification of the staff, applied to each one of the stages of the productive process. On the other hand, the important growing of the company is reflected in a 30% increase of employees in the last 3 years. Microsules identify the necessities and expectations of its clients through the contact with distributors and final users in the national and international market, after that they are transmitted to the technical department, that overturns those in requirements to its Department of Investigation and Development in charge of the product innovation and the formulation of such products according to high standards of quality. At the end of this process takes place the measurement and monitoring of the client satisfaction, as a base for continuous improvement, using annual surveys, registering the reclamations and suggestions of the clients. From the other end of the productive chain, Microsules looks for the integration of subcontractors and suppliers to the management of quality company system, interacting strongly with them through the Department of Purchases, Management and Control of Quality, which transmit the specifications and requirements of raw materials, inputs and services, controlling and evaluating continuously the quality of such and offering a feedback to the suppliers on their performance, respect to the expectations of Laboratorios Microsules. On the other hand, Microsules takes ahead actions directed towards the social responsibility, working in the following areas:: * Collaboration with lunchrooms, offering donations of powder milk * Veterinary medicine provision to institution that offers medical aid for equine therapy * Provision of computers to schools * Attention with veterinary medicines for the equines that works as locomotion for needed people in the around zone As far as environment preoccupation, Microsules uses Norm ISO 14001:2004 to standardize procedures that allow: * Potential contamination prevention that could occur because of its activities, processes and products. * To fulfill legal requirements established by national and municipal authorities * Produce veterinary medicine under controlled conditions that have as result the animal health and the well being * Assure the respect for environment to benefit the surrounding community * Integrate environmental management with quality and occupational health and security The most important technique applied by Microsules, has been the development of products in accordance to the necessities of each client and market. It has implied an important competitive advantage and a differentiation from competition at international level, that accompanied by products of excellent quality has allowed opening very different markets anywhere in the world. Packaging and marketing and promotion policies accompany the company’s policy as far as differentiation and adaptation to each market or client. Microsules counts with a specialized department, exclusively dedicated to sales at international market. This department is divided by regions and clients, contacting them directly and practically daily. The direct contact of Microsules highest level personnel, as well as the visits of specialized technicians, offers to the client greater confidence in products and associated services. Microsules promotes the personnel involvement through integration in the different stages of productive chain by recreational activities organized also with clients, granting great importance and space for the qualification of staff, investing time and money to allow their personnel growth within the company. In this sense a Abilities Management System is applied, consisting in developing profiles of labor competition, evaluation for each job and personnel cards, identifying the formation needs, to soon design the plan of annual and monthly qualification. In example in 2006, were made 1159 hours of qualification, including different areas of the company (direction, administration, marketing, production, quality control, etc.). Laboratorios Microsules has impelled a program of Security and Occupational Health Management, with the objective of prevention of incidents or accidents, qualify its staff in this program, identify and fulfill legal requirements established by national and municipal authorities, integrate security and occupational health management with quality and environmental management. In conclusion Laboratorios Microsules is an Uruguayan company that has developed an important and successful exporting profile, perceivable through the presence of its products in three continents. The company is investing to extend even more its commercial expansion towards more demanding and protective territories like the European Union and the United States. Its success in exports is due mainly to its capacity to adapt to each client and market’s necessities, with innovating proposals and specialized direct attention, allowed by the development of products according to its clients needs. |
