LABEL PRINTING
BULHOSAS, a Portuguese company with more than 80 years of experience, operates in the label printing sector, offering its more than 500 customers commitment and reliable service. They currently export 40 per cent of their production to leading countries. To reach this goal, they have developed innovative solutions with a number of partners that allow them to achieve excellent product quality.
In line with its strategy of assuring maximum product quality and service to its customers, BULHOSAS has implemented Sistrade software. An MIS|ERP solution with a wide range of functionalities that enables control and visibility throughout its entire workflow, from order management, technical and detailed product definition through Technical Data Sheets, production planning and many other features.
INTERVIEW WITH ALBERTO BULHOSA FOR DO PAPEL MAGAZINE
«Above all, we needed integration»
Celebrating 90 years of activity, Bulhosas is much more than a printing company specializing in the production of labels and packaging. Operating in São João da Madeira, it retains the spirit of a family business with history, while strategically investing in innovation, differentiation, and digital transformation. The adoption of SISTRADE’s ERP represents a decisive step in this evolution.
Alberto Bulhosa, one of the administrators and one of the brothers responsible for Bulhosas (Irmãos), S.A., shares the slow but necessary journey to reach the starting point of what would become a radical transformation of daily operations in the factory. “It was a slow process of analysis and diagnosis. In the end, we chose SISTRADE’s ERP over other software available on the market, including the one already implemented in our company,” he recalls. “We decided to make a radical change.” Bulhosas’ goal was not merely to modernize, but to rethink the entire way information flows internally. With departments operating independently, but often dependent on parallel data and processes, the priority was clear: achieving true integration. Alberto Bulhosa says: “Above all, we needed integration of the various modules, particularly the production module.” SISTRADE’s solution allowed all phases of operations to be coordinated in a unified system—from budgeting to production orders, from production to the commercial area, from logistics to invoicing, and more recently, to accounting. This effort also meets the demands of certifications, essential for companies operating in markets where the entire supply chain carries extra responsibility, such as the food industry. “We are trying to integrate other parts, due to requirements, for example, related to FSC certification, which needs a lot of information originating from accounting. So, we also have the accounting module integrated, which makes management more agile and based on more reliable information,” explains Alberto Bulhosa.
The gradual elimination of Excel is symptomatic of a deeper change: moving to a management model where integrated information allows measurement, optimization, and decision-making with greater precision. “Using Excel is very tiring, and there’s no doubt that some information is lost, which could be crucial,” he acknowledges. “With integrated information, we have more connected management, which is what truly makes a difference.” This technological decision aligns with the company’s path, which combines the tradition of printing with the demands of safety and traceability. Over the past 90 years, Bulhosas has developed high-profile security and innovation projects, such as labels with integrated DNA, laser authentication systems, and chemical detection strips, now used in many international airports. However, it is in the ability to adapt—to the customer, to raw materials, to time, and to technology—that Bulhosas truly stands out.
he states. “If we can combine all of this, we have all the tools to achieve medium- and long-term success.”“What we advocated 30 years ago continues to be a priority, which is that the sector needs—and most other sectors too—cooperation between companies, information management, and training,”
The connection with SISTRADE thus appears as part of a broader journey. It is not just about implementing technology, but about strengthening the company’s positioning as a value-added partner, capable of integrating information, responding with agility, and making the ambition of surpassing 100 years of activity a reality. Ten years from achieving this milestone, and at a celebratory time for the consulting and custom software solutions provider, Alberto Bulhosa wishes “above all, that they succeed, because their success will certainly also be our success.” [PDF VERSION]
Website: www.bulhosas.com
