Sticking to the basics: information technology at the glue factory

INTRODUCTION M.K. Mikels and Company is a manufacturer that serves mainly as a supplier for the building industry in Israel. The company makes glues and related products used to construct buildings. To begin with, several factors have contributed to the current high price of housing in Israel, including waves of immigration from Russia and Ethiopia during the 1990s, demand created by young couples for housing, and heavy population density in the main cities. These factors particularly accelerated demand for construction of new apartments in this decade, giving rise to an increase in activity for the Israeli construction industry and its suppliers, including M.K. Mikels. The firm’s principal activities are the design, development, production, and marketing of glue products. This company, which is located in the industrial zone of Rishon-Lezion, is housed in three manufacturing facilities and two other buildings used for administration and management. It has 300 employees, most of whom are employed in manufacturing. Mikels is among the largest companies in Israel serving the market for glue products. It has two key competitors who (along with Mikels) import raw materials from abroad and use a state-run central distribution center (and local agencies) to market their products.