Discover the major dates in the Group's history | UbiPharm 01 | 02
A history
characterized by boldness
Founding the company thirty years ago required a bold approach. We believed that pharmacists in Africa and Overseas France could become real players across the entire pharmaceutical supply chain. This was an entirely new model. By holding a share of their subsidiary’s capital in the countries where we were growing our presence, they could become masters of their own destiny, as both shareholders and customers at the same time.
Boldness is still needed today to continue our development and continuously innovate, to strengthen our ties with our partners and attract new ones; to succeed with the Group’s digital transformation; to export our unique model and open new subsidiaries; and to expand our international presence. We must also strengthen our resilience amid a global health crisis that has affected everyone.
Boldness will still be required in the coming years to stay one step ahead, and to attract and train new talent while respecting their diversity. We plan to affirm our status as a pioneering company by leading the way in helping communities while protecting the environment. We will help our partners to grow alongside us and share new opportunities with them and will contribute to the economic influence and social development of the countries in which we operate.
For thirty years, UbiPharm’s history has been shaped by strong values and ambitious objectives. Our teams and partners are ready to rise to the many challenges that lie ahead.
Discover the major dates in the Group's history | UbiPharm 02 | 02
The key stages
in our history
Creation of the Pharmafinance group in Côte dIvoire, so that pharmacists in Africa and Overseas France could own a stake in their professional business, thus defining its strategy and benefitting from the results. This project was launched in Côte dIvoire, thanks to the determination of pharmacist Gérard Mangoua, with the support of 168 African pharmacists.
Their objective was simple: to expand beyond the pharmacy business and become masters of their own destiny. How do we achieve this? By investing in the entire medicine distribution chain to become owners of their supply chain. With what aim? To gain more control and ensure greater security of the supply chain. The Abidjan offices in Laborex, where it all began, became the site of the Groups very first company.
In order to gain credibility and establish a trusted reputation among pharmaceutical companies, it was essential to increase the amount of goods processed by finding new market opportunities. A new subsidiary was therefore created to support this project: Pharmaci, which a few years later became UbiPharm.
The strength of this unconventional business strategy was its unique pharmacist-shareholder model, which upholds the values of solidarity and sharing.
Establishment of the Group's first central purchasing office in Rouen under the name of BAA (Bureau Afrique Antilles), which would become PlanetPharma several years later. At that time, the space was barely 40 m2, with no storage warehouse. It served as an administrative centre and point of liaison between the European laboratories and the Ivorian wholesaler.
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Following several trips to Senegal, Gérard Mangoua met Mrs Deccuper, a pharmaceutical pioneer in Senegal. She immediately embraced the UbiPharm concept. Together, they managed to bring a hundred Senegalese pharmacists on board with their project. As a result, the second UbiPharm subsidiary in Senegal was established.
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Every two years or so, a new subsidiary was created, with a total of 17 wholesale companies. 1991 : Côte d'Ivoire.
1992 : Senegal.
1993 : Burkina Faso and Congo.
1994 : Togo.
1995 : Guyana.
1996 : Gabon.
1997 : Niger et Mali.
2001 : Cameroon.
2005 : Guadeloupe.
2010 : Martinique.
2014 : Benin.
2015 : Madagascar.
2018 : The Republic of Guinea.
2019 : Rwanda and Mayotte. 2021: Sierra Leone
Creation of PlanetPharma, centralising all of the Group's distribution and logistics activities in France.
Creation of the company D.T.Pharma which manages the logistics for Overseas France.
Major investment with the installation of an ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) software package. During this same period, the decision was made to host all applications shared by the Group and its subsidiaries in an external data centre with enhanced security.
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The UbiPharm Board of Directors made the decision to align the names of the Groups companies with that of the holding company. From then on, all the Group's wholesalers were to be called UbiPharm followed by the name of the country.
The first version of the extranet was launched that same year. The tool would allow pharmacists to place their orders directly and more quickly, while also limiting the risk of error. The Group also launched its generic medicine brand, UbiGen.
The UbiPharm Foundation was established to help the most disadvantaged communities. At the same time, subsidiaries were equipped with digital terminals for order preparation. This represented a major change in terms of performance.
First automated branch in Côte d'Ivoire. One year later, the first order preparation machine was installed. That year, PlanetPharma obtained the status of Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) from French customs.
Implementation of an MPLS network connecting the Groups companies in order to facilitate and secure the exchange of data and information.
Establishment of the holding company UbiPharm Development, so that a third-party legal entity, an investment fund, could own shares of its capital, with a view to building its operational capacities in new markets.
Formalisation of the Group's SPICE values (satisfaction of customers, partnership, innovation, confidence, engagement in society). Roll-out of a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system to improve customer relations.
UbiPharm Côte dIvoire became the first wholesaler-distributor company to be ISO 9001 certified in the Group?s areas of operation.
Introduction of the stacker crane at PlanetPharma in France with the deployment of a fully automated warehouse holding 11,500 pallets. In the same year, delivery drivers were equipped with mobile terminals, improving the real-time traceability of their delivery schedules.
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Le nouveau transtockeur de PlanetPharma est opérationnel. La même année, publication de la Déclaration de Performance Extra Financière (DPEF) UbiPharm. Elle est le reflet des innovations en matière de ressources humaines du Groupe.
Launch of the business intelligence project for data aggregation and analysis (big data). New logo, new brand signature, new website... the UbiPharm group unveils its new identity.