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A Trade Association Gets a 145,000-Document File-Sharing System

Client: International Copper Association Ltd. (ICA), a trade association that promotes the use of copper worldwide. The organization has 175 employees in 25 offices on six continents. Problem: Every year the organization was producing thousands of documents containing data about copper. However, it had no efficient way of sharing such material among its 25 offices. In many cases, the staff in one office wasn’t aware of the information available in other offices. Solution: Proximo created a centralized file-sharing database. Employees in ICA’s various offices now upload documents to the secure system via the Internet. The system then indexes the files, making them completely searchable (Google-style). With this system, an employee in Shanghai can search the database for “copper recycling” and instantly view dozens of relevant documents created by colleagues in distant offices including Singapore, New York, Santiago and Brussels. Result: The file-sharing system, which now contains over 145,000 documents, has enabled ICA to overcome a major communications problem resulting from its geographic disparity. The organization can now fulfill its mission more cost-effectively.