Why ERP Partnerships are not like Marriage

Why ERP is like a Marriage

Business Relationships are like Marriages:

 

A business relationship is often likened to that of a marriage requiring a long-term commitment and compromises from both parties. However, the partnership between organisations and their enterprise resource planning (ERP) vendors are significantly more nuanced. Using the wedding analogy, It requires commitment and consideration from the entire family.
 

Unlike a marriage where what others think do not matter, ERP implementations need to be cognisant of the expectations of all business users. It is such a mission-critical element of the organisation that the sentiment of every stakeholder needs to be considered before embracing a new system or upgrading an existing one. In the past, ERP installations were driven by IT departments and others had to fall in line. Modern organisations require a different, more integrated approach that welcomes feedback from all users.
 

And while you are unlikely to share your significant other with someone else, business-critical systems benefit from working with partners who have relationships with other organisations. Just consider the experience they have addressing unique scenarios and being able to customise the ERP system accordingly. Chances are if you are having a specific challenge, such an experienced partner would know how to solve it. If you restrict your partner to an ‘exclusive’ relationship with just your business, you lose access to all that intellectual capital,
 

Embrace change:

 

The rewards of a healthy relationship are often intangible. But do you really want your business to not know the value derived from its ERP implementation? Measuring the success of the partnership should be done in the real-world terms, either in financial returns or other business benefits. If there is no real return on investment from your ERP vendor, then there really is no point in working with them.

 

Part of this is having the capacity to upgrade. While people can evolve and change, you cannot ‘plug’ new features in to them. However, with ERP systems your business should expect such continuous enhancements that reflect changing technology patterns. With digital transformation impacting on all aspects of the organisation, ERP must be able to adapt to more flexible approaches. Your service provider must be able to customise the implementation while you remain focused on your business strategy.

 

Some might think that, like marriage, your commitment to your ERP vendor should be made upfront and be a lifelong partnership. Realistically, very few business relationships last the distance. Instead, you should be able to work with the service provider at your own pace and in such a way that brings value according to your business priorities.
 

Transforming your Solution:

 

In many respects, this also means your ERP partner should be there to take care of your organisational needs. While our spouses cannot spend all their time looking after us, the vendor partnership is one that must be focused on pro-actively identifying issues and helping your business overcome them.
 

This brings us to the power of communication and accessibility. While we will not be able to maintain a successful marriage by only talking to one another remotely, with ERP this is critical. Being able to embrace mobile and cloud technologies will empower you to have access to the data you need and have conversations with your partner irrespective of physical location and time.
 

The digital world is all about personalisation. And while a successful marriage is not about correcting each other, the ERP partnership requires that. You should be able to have a customised offering that reflects your immediate needs with your partner able to enhance it as those needs evolve and the business market changes.
 

Partners in Growth

 

While personal relationships are exactly that, it will be advantageous for your business if your ERP provider works with other organisations. This provides your business with a partner that has a broader perspective of not only challenges specific to your industry but to others as well. Using this experience, the partner will better be able to deliver business value to your organisation.
 

Ultimately, sharing your ERP partner will only make for a stronger relationship. This can happen both external to the organisation as well as internal. Getting all stakeholders involved will result in improved employee supplier relationships but also better customer satisfaction.

Ethics and Relationships: You’re Invited to a Marriage!

Ethics and Relationships

Join Epic ERP: Exposing the Flaws in Traditional ERP Relationships:

Our MC, Gavin Sharples, is known for his non-traditional take on motivation and relationships.

Top psychologists will take on the task of comparing vendor relationships to those in a marriage: Ethics and ERP can co-exist!

GIBBS Doctoral Candidate will advise on how to tell when costs start outweighing benefits – it’s time to exit!

Some ERP implementations fail. How do you avoid making an epic mistake when choosing your vendor?
 

Event Date and Time:

  • Tuesday, 28 November 2017 13:00PM
  • La Toscana, Montecasino

 

Why Should YOU Attend?

  • This is the most innovative ERP event of the year! Never before attempted and first of it’s kind.
  • Additionally, as a guest, you will learn whether your relationship with your technology vendor is really working. Which, saves you and your company money!

 

You will gain Expert Opinions in:

  • ERP and Ethical Relationships within the industry
  • Whether or not you’re in an abusive relationship
  • Due to those never-ending ERP costs, at what point should you divorce your ERP vendor?

 

Contact us For More Information:

Find out at the event! RSVP today or call: +27 11 367 0620
 
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ERP is Going Mobile

Mobile ERP

In an increasingly connected world, companies are embracing mobile as an effective platform to communicate, manage employees and reach customers or suppliers. This is seeing traditional enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions evolving to be more cognisant of an active user base that requires real-time information irrespective of their physical location.

 

In this environment, decision-makers must continuously evaluate how adaptable they are to utilising mobile to pull relevant data from a multitude of sources. In turn, this [data] is used to develop customised products and services catering for end-users that are expecting a bespoke approach. While there will always be a need for off-the-shelf solutions, the growth in accessibility to information means people want their solutions providers to use the information they have about them to produce more tailored offerings. This will help African entrepreneurs leapfrog traditional economies, as more innovative technology can be used from the start.

 

ERP Mobility:

It, therefore, makes sense that mobile ERP has been identified as a business imperative in the digital world. Being able to use ERP that is untethered to an office environment, provides the user with the ability to take advantage of more enhanced business capabilities than was previously available.

 

And while this leads to improved productivity, it also empowers employees to build deeper relationships with customers and their business environment. With mobile ERP, they have access to all the latest data and can resolve just about any customer query while meeting with them personally.

 

This also empowers the field worker to respond faster to everything from competitive quotes to changing market dynamics such as, changes in exchange rates or fuel price increases and the associated impact it will have on transport costs as an example.

 

Escalating Speed of Innovation:

Despite the advantages to be gained from mobile ERP, this segment of the business is traditionally slow-moving and resistant to change. While some of it might have to do with perceptions around virtualised and hosted solutions, a lot of the hesitation to adopt more mobile solutions can be ascribed to the level of integration required in the business.

 

ERP, like so many mission-critical systems, is not something that can be easily ripped and replaced. It might be possible for small to medium enterprises to innovate fast and change their approaches to ERP quickly, larger organisations need to take a more considered approach.

 

Whilst this puts CIOs responsible for looking after large organisations under immense pressure. To try and balance the need to be innovative with the business requirement of ‘keeping the lights on’. It provides greater opportunity for start-ups to embrace modern technology. The same can be said with those organisations who rushed into Cloud Computing without due consideration for the process change required, learnt these lessons the hard way.

 

Keeping it simple

For many of them, an incremental path to implement mobile ERP seems the one that makes the most business sense. Of course, this does not mean innovation cannot happen or that it will take too long to effect change. Instead, those areas in which mobile ERP are piloted and tested provide the business with the opportunity to experiment in a ‘safer’ environment than would have been possible if it was implemented on an enterprise-level.

 

Companies should also avoid the temptation of trying to be ‘too flashy’ with their mobile ERP installations. By starting off slowly and gradually bringing in more features, users can get used to the benefits of mobile ERP without being distracted from the business objectives.

 

It also provides the business with the opportunity to get valuable feedback from users and refine and enhance the mobile ERP offering based on growth requirements.

 

Irrespective of how it is implemented, mobile ERP is here to stay.

ERP bringing about behaviour change

Mobile ERP

Changing Behaviour from Enterprise Resource Planning:

Despite the focus on digital transformation, the value traditional approaches bring to the organisation cannot be underestimated. By having a solid foundation underpinned by proven business best practices, the organisation is in a much better position to roll out more innovative solutions. In this environment, enterprise resource planning (ERP) has become more critical than ever in managing all the elements effectively.

 

In many respects, the emergence of the cloud as a viable business platform has heralded in the digital era. This signalled the start of a behavioural change in IT departments. Whether you call it software-as-a-service, virtualisation, or hosted solutions, the shift between on-site and off-site solutions management has irrevocably transformed enterprise.

 

No longer required to fulfil an IT support and maintenance role, technology departments could now focus on bringing more innovation into the organisation by being able to develop more customised technology solutions. With cloud (whether it be in a private or hybrid model) simplifying the administrative hassle, organisations could focus more on product differentiation.

 

Along for the Ride:

 

As cloud implementations grew in prominence across industry sectors, so too did the need to adopt more traditional business practices. Companies who did not effectively analyse the business impact of cloud on existing systems and processes were found to struggle while those that took a more considered approach reaped the rewards.

 

Under pressure to align more closely with the cloud approach, ERP as a traditional business approach required a more nuanced look at itself. Gone were the days where on-premise was the priority. Cloud computing pushed mobility as a growth pillar. In this dynamic segment, ERP had little choice but to find a way of pulling information from several hosted data sources. Mobile employees and customers meant ERP had to evolve to still deliver business value.

 

Fortunately, it has not been a case of ‘me too’ strategy when it comes to ERP and how it is incorporating digital transformation elements. Instead, ERP is providing executives with the best of both worlds (the traditional and the digital).

 

Shifting Processes:

Being such a mission-critical system, Legacy ERP is not an easy one to transform into a digital process. But thanks to the growing emergence of Modern ERP that are able to provide real-time data analysis, and agility where processes are being adapted on a continual basis. This leaves many organisations having to customise and tweak their legacy enterprise resources to be more in tune with digital requirements.

 

With the likes of predictive analytics, machine-learning, and the Internet of Things becoming part of the ERP puzzle, decision-makers are realising the need to grow into a more dynamic (technology-driven) environment.

 

This shift provides not only competitive benefits but also results in cost-efficiencies. Companies can more quickly adapt to external factors using a more fluid ERP system with their strategies (and, per implication their products and services) following suit.

 

Granted, there is still a long way to go to effectively transform this vital business system, but the signs are there that many are considering this new environment.

Epic ERP: Adapting to change

Company Culture

Despite change in the workplace being a common occurrence, the pace of it has escalated significantly in recent months given the importance of digital transformation in business. How then can employees successfully adapt to it while still maintaining focus on their daily responsibilities?

 

Virtualisation, cloud computing, artificial reality, machine-learning, and other terms have become all too common in organisations across industry sectors. With technology permeating virtually every facet of the corporate environment, decision-makers have no choice but to embrace it if their businesses are to remain relevant. Competitive (and bottom-line) pressures have become significant with many organisations feeling the pinch to optimise processes on an all too regular basis.

 

Amidst all of this, is the humble employee who must face an ongoing ‘sink or swim’ scenario. Uncertainty around job roles and responsibilities, team structures, and even business strategy result in a volatile environment where people do not know how to respond to ongoing changes.

 

Companies need to put People-first:

For many employees, the routine of their work is something they can find comfort in. Knowing what to expect from any given day (within certain parameters) mean they can prepare themselves mentally for the tasks at hand and plan their agendas accordingly.

 

Of course, there is an inevitable risk in becoming too routine and falling in to regular patterns. Innovation is one of the areas that suffer the most as is the potential to embrace new ways of doing things. The pressure to embrace digital transformation processes has changed this.

 

Companies can ill afford to ignore new technologies that promise better work efficiency, real-time data analysis, as well as a host of business intelligence and other features to increase profitability and stakeholder value. However, one of the biggest mistakes any organisation can make is to ignore the human element in this.

 

The temptation to implement the latest and greatest technology should not come at the cost of alienating employees or their positions inside the organisation. In fact, digital transformation is as much about technology change as it is about putting people first and becoming a more effective business.

 

Decision-makers therefore need to communicate to all levels of employees to ensure that when change is taking place, everybody has an awareness of what is happening inside the organisation and what the potential impact will be on their divisions, teams, and themselves.

 

Be Aware of a Cultural Shift:

While change is situational and transition becomes psychological, executives need to be more in tune with how employees are facing new technologies and different methodologies of performing their job functions.

 

This means adapting the organisational culture to be more reflective of one that is embracing technological change but doing so with employee benefits (such as becoming more efficient at doing their jobs) in mind. It is not a case of changing for its own sake but doing so in a manner that enhances the business strategy.

 

Part of the process of helping employees be more open to this change is to invest in their continuing education. Companies who invest in their people are the ones that will reap the rewards down the line. Employees should never feel that they have become surplus to requirements. Instead, they should see the business taking interest in giving them the skills needed to be successful in a business world.

 

Finally, companies must learn to analyse performance and provide insightful feedback in much clearer ways than in the past. People inside the business need to understand what exactly is expected of them, how they will be measured, and what they can do to get the recognition they deserve.

 

With the only constant being change, how best a company manages that in a digitally-rich world becomes the difference between longevity and simply surviving.

Embracing a Mobile ERP World:

Mobile ERP

Stuart Scanlon Speaks on Mobile ERP:

 

The popular IT vernacular of last year – cloud computing, big data, and virtualisation – has been replaced with the likes of mobility and digital transformation. And yet, the building blocks of enterprise resource planning (ERP) remain integral to the success of the business. How then is the new dynamic impacting on such a fundamental technological component?

 

Given the imminent arrival of new multi-national data centres in South Africa, much attention has turned to the feasibility of going the cloud route (likely still a hybrid approach) for local businesses. Certainly, while companies across different sectors have started to embrace virtualised solutions, many analysts expect a significantly more mainstream adoption once those new data centres open in 2018.

 

Becoming Mobile First:

Apart from addressing concerns that exist around potential bandwidth limitations of accessing data hosted thousands of kilometres away on other continents, the new local data centres will see faster (and more reliable) connectivity between corporate users and their mission-critical information. Already, we are seeing businesses embrace mobile enterprise solutions to gain real-time insights while out in the field.

 

Of course, a further advantage of going the local route is the fact that any potential compliance and regulatory concerns are taken care of by keeping data within the borders of the country. This is contributing to Africa being a mobile-first continent. Even South African businesses are becoming less focused on rolling out traditional solutions and more geared towards being mobile-friendly.

 

Impact of Mobile on ERP:

This push towards mobile is driving the need for easier and faster ways to access data while away from the office. It stands to reason that accessing systems on a smartphone or tablet is becoming a corporate priority.

 

For this to work effectively, ERP needs to transform as well. In fact, mobile ERP is one of the biggest growth areas for vendors in the months (and potentially years) to come. By creating an enabling environment for mobile ERP systems, business users will be able to access everything from reports and job processes to financial data and other components while working remotely.

 

Granted, several solutions already exist in this space to help drive mobile ERP, but there is still significant opportunity for refinement. Effectively integrating with the back-end database wherever it is located becomes a priority. All the user-friendliness and design engagement mean very little if the right information is not accessible quickly and reliably.

 

A ERP Solution for All:

Significantly, these mobile ERP solutions can cater for organisations of all sizes. Even small to medium enterprises can benefit from this mobile approach with ERP becoming more affordable. Despite the hype around the cloud and virtualization, the business benefits they bring to the digital transformation initiatives of businesses cannot be ignored.

 

So, while mobile ERP might still be considered a relatively niche field amidst all the excitement of other digital initiatives, it will be a vital element of any business strategy. How decision-makers will implement it and integrate with the rest of their data-driven solutions will be an ongoing part of the process.

 

Irrespective the way forward, companies who have been ignoring the mobile route need to start re-examining their approaches before it is too late. Digital waits for no one.

Epicor expands South African footprint

Astria Technologies

Epicor Appoints Astraia Technology:

ERP Suite of Business Solutions:

Western Cape technology consulting firm Astraia Technology has been appointed as an Epicor Value Added Reseller (VAR) through South African distributor Epic ERP. This sees companies in the region benefitting from strong local support for the global enterprise resource planning (ERP) suite of business solutions.

 

“We are extremely excited to have Astraia on board. They have a solid reputation in the Western Cape and is the business partner of choice for many organisations across industry sectors. Epicor is strongly positioned in South Africa and we have seen companies embrace its cloud-centric approach to meet the requirements of the digital age. Astraia will further cement this thinking with its customers as it provides specialist consulting services that align with the Epicor strategic objectives,” says Stuart Scanlon, managing director of epic ERP.

 

David Bryant, CEO of Astraia, says this appointment is not just about the technology solutions available through epic ERP but is also a reflection of the shared values of both organisations.

 

“For us, it is about the power of relationship. Like us, Epic ERP believes in honesty, integrity, and excellence. Add to this the extent at which Epicor meets business requirements, and you have room for almost infinite possibilities,” believes Bryant.

 

According to Bryant, companies in the Western Cape are committed to capitalising on opportunities as the area has become one of the fastest-growing in the country. Astraia clients range from financial services to mining and manufacturing. The company focuses on the process of ERP and will look at integrating all its solutions to bring value through the Epicor suite.

 

“Companies are more open to ERP than in the past as it has become more affordable and accessible because of the benefits that cloud computing provide. This partnership with epic ERP provides us with the opportunity to offer our customers the best in technology solutions built upon the foundation of our strong relationship with them and epic ERP,” he concludes.

Site Report – EpicERP(central cloud)

CompanyLogo

epic ERP teams up with CentralCloud to roll out cloud-based ERP solution to the African market

JOHANNESBURG – May 11, 2017 – epic ERP, a value added Epicor enterprise resource planning (ERP) software reseller, has joined forces with CentralCloud to bring clients within Sub-Saharan Africa the flexibility and scalability of an end-to-end, feature rich cloud-based ERP solution.

 

CentralCloud is associated with Alviva Holdings, one of Africa’s largest providers of information and communication technology products and services.

 

“While Epicor cloud-deployed ERP has brought customer success to hundreds of companies globally, epic ERP is the first value added Epicor reseller to provide this functionality within Sub-Saharan Africa,” explains Stuart Scanlon, managing director and founder of epic ERP. “As an innovative technology that needs advanced infrastructure in place from an on-premise point of view, epic ERP is now able to provide the same solution within the cloud, not only with a zero hardware footprint but also within a highly secure, available environment.

 

“The upshot here is that African clients no longer have to make an additional hardware investment to derive value from their ERP software.”

 

A key element of the epic ERP/ CentralCloud solution is the fact that clients can easily flex or shrink services consumed according to their changing needs. They are also able to manage their own cloud environment via a self-service portal and can switch between the cloud and on-premise offerings as required.

 

According to Scanlon, Epicor’s sizable, high-profile client base has exacting requirements when it comes to a cloud system. “Not only do they want an environment with depth, they also want one that is simple to operate, and available 24/7 of course. Certain local clients are seeing an exponential growth of 20 to 30 percent year-on-year, and it is critical that we are able to keep up with these developments. The combined epic ERP/CentralCloud solution is able to tick all of these boxes.”

 

As the very heart and lifeblood of the company, the implication of ERP system downtime is almost unthinkable, Scanlon continues, as clients stand to lose millions of Rands. “It stands to reason then that our top requirement for a cloud computing specialist partner was exceptional reliability,” he explains.

 

epic ERP and CentralCloud have partnered for the past six months, and it is within this relationship, that epic ERP has found the flexibility, scalability, and reliability it sought in a cloud partner.

 

“With a trusted partner like CentralCloud on board, epic ERP is able to confidently offer a flexible, scalable software-as-a-service (SaaS) subscription model to the African market. We can now effortlessly provide backups and upgrade client environments within hours if not minutes.

 

“CentralCloud operates as a corporate concern, but one with an agile setup and entrepreneurial mindset. It also provides the professional yet personalised touch that was a non-negotiable requirement for our partnership. The CentralCloud team has provided seamless setup, guidance and training around the cloud offering, as well as being extremely responsive, delivering a quick and painless resolution to any challenges,” adds Scanlon.

 

Joubert de Lange, sales specialist at CentralCloud explains that the CentralCloud offering provides medium-sized businesses with an enterprise-ready infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) solution that is both secure and affordable. “In the case of epic ERP, African Epicor clients now have access to world-class infrastructure that is available 24/7, meets the desired 99.9 percent availability requirements of today’s businesses and can be scaled up and down quickly as needed via an easy to use the self-service portal.

 

“Not only is there no minimum financial investment requirement, but clients are also not tied into long-term contracts. As a locally-based cloud partner, CentralCloud is also able to deliver faster response times and greater accessibility, at a lower cost and with less latency than a global partner using international bandwidth,” says De Lange.

 

For more information on CentralCloud’s secure, convenient offerings, please visit www.centralcloud.co.za

 

CONTACTS:

icomm, Nicola Read, 083 269 2227, nicola@pr.co.za

 

Mustek Selects Epicor ERP

Mustek

Mustek Selects Epicor ERP to Support Ongoing Business Growth in South Africa

South African ICT Supplier to Bring Efficiencies and Improved Collaboration across the Business
Epicor Software Corporation, a global provider of industry specific software to promote business growth, announced today that Mustek Limited, has chosen the next-generation enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution, Epicor ERP, to support its growth goals in South Africa. The solution will be implemented by epic ERP, an experienced local Epicor partner, to replace the company’s operational systems across the Group, enable advanced mobility, cloud adoption, and improve the integration of information and productivity.

 

Mustek is a South Africa-based assembler and distributor of personal computers and complementary ICT products, servicing a wide range of technology and end-user needs across the country. Its goal is to become the local ICT supplier of choice through the delivery of configuration and customisation, competitive pricing, as well as tried and trusted industry best practices.

 

A desire for stronger ownership of systems and the ability to rapidly adapt to ever changing market needs, led Mustek to re-evaluate its current ERP solution. The company looked at how the system should work with its current business model, while supporting and adapting alongside its growth strategy to introduce new processes and technologies seamlessly, as required. The business identified gaps in usability and functionality requirements—specifically project management, mobility, and cloud enablement—that led to a competitive search for a modern ERP solution, supported by epic ERP, a value-added reseller for Epicor ERP in sub-Saharan Africa.

 

“Our existing ERP solution was custom-built for Mustek’s business, but the continued advancement in standard functionality that is embedded within a modern system architecture such as Epicor ERP, made us re-consider our desire to continue this investment into what was not core business. We needed an ERP solution that would deliver strong supply chain support, with project management and mobility functionality, alongside the ability to automate processes. We also wanted ease of reporting and an increased understanding and integration of information between departments and branches,” said Olga-Lee Levey, CFO of Mustek Limited.

 

Levey continued, “When it came to comparing Epicor ERP with the competition it really stood out for offering the best product functionality, low cost of ownership with strong domestic support available in South Africa, as well as specific industry expertise. We are confident that Epicor and epic ERP will prove to be real assets to Mustek as we continue to grow.”

 

Stuart Scanlon, managing director of epic ERP, said, “From working closely with Mustek, it was immediately clear that Epicor ERP could provide benefits to its business. We have enjoyed a strong relationship with Mustek up to this point, and look forward to helping the company reach its goal of becoming the preferred ICT supplier of choice in the region. It’s always satisfying to see a business grow with the help of Epicor ERP.”

 

Sabby Gill, executive vice president for Epicor International, continued, “With the partnership between Epicor and epic ERP we have been able to bring some great benefits to organisations in sub-Saharan Africa.  By working collaboratively with Mustek we will be able to deliver tangible results to improve the company’s operational processes and support their growth strategy.  We look forward to continuing to develop our strong relationship with epic ERP and to further support Mustek’s continued growth and success.”

 

About Epicor Software Corporation

 

Epicor Software Corporation drives business growth. We provide flexible, industry-specific software designed around the needs of our manufacturing, distribution, retail, and service industry customers. More than 40 years of experience with our customers’ unique business processes and operational requirements are built into every solution―in the cloud, hosted, or on premises. With this deep understanding of your industry, Epicor solutions manage complexity, increase efficiency, and free up resources so you can focus on growth. For more information, connect with Epicor or visit www.epicor.com.

 

Epicor and the Epicor logo are trademarks of Epicor Software Corporation, registered in the United States and other countries. Other trademarks referenced are the property of their respective owners. The product and service offerings depicted in this document are produced by Epicor Software Corporation.

 

Contact:

Charlotte Hanson

Epicor Software

+44 (0)1344 468212

charlotte.hanson@epicor.com

 

TEKCO selects Epicor ERP to support ongoing international growth

Tekcopac

Epicor Software Corporation, a global leader in business software solutions for manufacturing, distribution, retail and services organisations, today announced that TEKCO has chosen the next-generation enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution, Epicor ERP, to upgrade its manufacturing processes and improve system integration to support its goals for continued growth. The solution has been implemented by epic ERP, an experienced local Epicor partner.

 

Founded in 2005 by two brothers in the Western Cape, TEKCO is a packaging business that was initially set up to service its clients in the wine industry by sourcing and trading packaging products. The company soon began to produce and convert its own packaging products and is scheduled to complete its own manufacturing plant, warehouse and offices in 2017.

 

TEKCO’s existing, custom-made ERP solution had not kept pace with the business’ growth rate or its move into manufacturing. In preparation to grow geographically, manufacture products and take on customers in new industries such as agriculture and retail, TEKCO required an upgraded ERP system to move forward with a more streamlined approach.

 

“We are now able to follow the complete delivery process of an order for a customer from our first contact, all in one seamless system. Total visibility of why a sale was or wasn’t possible, proper records of each order and data insight into the production timings and wastage of each order is ensuring optimum efficiency and quality.” Chris Botha CEO, TEKCO.

 

“Our existing ERP system was initially designed when we were simply processing orders, as we solely traded products, but as we developed into manufacturing our own products it became apparent we required a system that could be more agile and responsive as our business changed. We needed an ERP solution that was effective across all our departments, as we were often duplicating work and couldn’t access all the data we needed easily, which led to limited reporting and hindered our ability to make informed decisions,” said Chris Botha, CEO of TEKCO.

 

With the help of epic ERP, the value-added reseller for Epicor ERP in sub-Saharan Africa, Epicor ERP was selected for not only the solution’s international capability, but also the domestic support available in South Africa, and the system’s functionality in manufacturing, order processing and finance.

 

Botha continued: “We are now able to follow the complete delivery process of an order for a customer from our first contact, all in one seamless system. Total visibility of why a sale was or was not possible, proper records of each order, and data insight into the production timings and wastage of each order, is ensuring optimum efficiency and quality. From our first dealings with epic ERP and Epicor we were confident they were the best fit for our company and its goals, and we have not been disappointed.”

 

Stuart Scanlon, founder of epic ERP said, “By working closely with TEKCO it was immediately clear how Epicor ERP could provide huge benefits to its business. We were able to demonstrate how the software could align itself with its business strategy and assist with the company’s plans for an international presence. We’re excited to see first-hand how its business is strengthened by Epicor ERP.”

 

Sabby Gill, executive vice president for Epicor International explained, “With Epicor ERP, we are able to help TEKCO improve its systems and infrastructure. This enables the team to gain greater visibility into exactly what’s happening at each stage of the production process and provide an agile system that will help support whatever goals the company sets as it moves forward.”

The cloud is here cont.: 3 more things you need to know

blog_blanner-design_oct

In our previous post we uncovered a few fast facts that anyone should know about the cloud. The most important, is the fact that you have been using it in your personal capacity for a few years now. However, there is still more to be revealed, especially if you are seeking to start up, or are a young start up.

 

  1. Growth

 

Time Magazine has always pointed out the profoundly obvious, especially when it comes to accepting new process adaptations. For new businesses today not needing to be tied down to a physical premises mitigates the necessity to layout high operational and capital costs. All critical systems and data storage can be facilitated and accessed by the internet, so all you really need is a reliable and quick connection. Think of this principle as “Why buy? Rent!” which is particularly useful for companies experiencing moderate to exponential growth rates because it eliminates physical boundaries.

 

  1. Flexibility

 

Perhaps the most natural train-of-thought from the cloud’s ability to facilitate growth is its flexibility. No longer do you need to buy new hardware to support temporary requirements on large scale projects. Headache gone! And the best news? The reverse is possible as well, should you need to shut down a division or a branch, there will be no hardware lying around to pester you. If that doesn’t convince you, let’s remember Moore’s Law has shown us that investing in hardware, offers very little long term benefit because it becomes obsolete in a matter of months. So why would you want to spend valuable capital on depreciating assets.

 

  1. Reliability

 

For many of us, we don’t consider disaster management as a priority. However, what happens if your building is broken into and your equipment is stolen? What about floods, fires and earthquakes? Many organisations underestimate the consequences of downright bad luck and how long it will take them to get back on their feet. Typically, only large blue chip companies are lucky enough to have an executive resource like a Chief Information Officer (CIO), to worry about these eventualities. But now with cloud services, the right managed service provider, will partner with you and act as your very own CIO. A good partner asks the difficult questions to get to the meat of a working solution. Whether you need operational ERP systems, critical data backups and system optimisation, a good service provider determine what you need when moving to the cloud.

The cloud is here: 3 things you need to know

epic-erp

The mysterious cloud looms ever closer with its slew of promises and improved services. However, there are a few critical elements companies need to consider so the right decision is made for your business.

 

  1. Security

 

It is said that fortune favours the bold, and while this is true, some believe that fortune favours the prepared. It is no secret that cloud based services have scores of the most talented security engineers dedicated to the protection of sensitive data. Not to mention their secure environment benefits from the economies of scale, only the best hardware, software and services are permitted. But that’s them. What does your company have in comparison? According to a recent article on InformationWeek, insider incidents cost companies $4.3 million a year on average. Why would any business leave the protection of private information in the hands of an internal IT team with limited security experience and a potential axe to grind?

 

  1. Focus

 

Does the financial manager of your company also handle all the sales and marketing activities? No? Good, their primary function is to make sure the money is turning as it should, not fretting over a golf day or wine tasting for your next customer event. This same logic should be applied to your business. Whether you sell doughnuts or are a law firm, your business should not comprise its primary focus. Inside IT staff should be supporting the day to day running of the business, thus facilitating the delivery of profitable services and sales. Not worrying about backups, security and tracking warranties.

 

  1. You are already there

 

Do you use any of the following services in your personal life: online banking, UBER, Facebook, LinkedIn, iTunes, iCloud, Dropbox, Google Play etc.? Well if you answered yes to any one of these, congratulations on adopting the cloud. How ironic. Change is always a major consideration for any organisation, but once you see that the change has already happened in so many unrealised aspects, it is less intimidating. So why buy, manage and maintain expensive hardware when you have already let go of this cluttering sprawl in your own life?

 

Keep reading next week for more great tips on cloud adoption and why it should be considered!

Epicor signs new partner in SA

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IT Reseller Pros Software Forms ERP-Division, epic ERP, to Meet Market Demand for Manufacturing-Specific ERP Solutions

 

Epicor Software Corporation, a global provider of industry-specific enterprise software to promote business growth, announced today it has signed epic ERP as a new value-added reseller in South Africa. epic ERP is the only Epicor reseller within sub-Saharan Africa to specialise in manufacturing.

 

epic ERP is an ICT company owned by South African Pros Software, along with three industry veterans. The division was formed to meet market demands for strong expertise in delivering enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions.

 

The company is backed by a team of 33 professionals, and aims to innovate and add value to customers by offering three service areas: ERP solution advisory, full life cycle ERP implementations, and custom development.

 

Selecting any new business software solution or making modifications to existing applications is a big consideration. The ERP advisory division is headed up by an industry veteran, and the team uses an evaluation methodology that has been developed over 20 years of hands-on practical experience.

 

epic ERP aims to help customers interpret their business needs and map that against the right solutions.

 

epic ERP has the ability to understand all facets of its customers’ business, based on many years of experience in successfully delivering operational solutions in South Africa and the international markets that its customers grow into. The team offers professional implementations that are aligned to well-understood business objectives and practices.

 

Finally, the team offers custom development solutions, with much experience in this field primarily through the use of Microsoft architecture and technology. With Epicor ERP being built on a services-oriented architecture that has been fully optimised for Microsoft Windows Server and Microsoft SQL Server, this allows epic ERP to deliver world-class enhancements using the Epicor ERP development framework.

 

“We have worked with Epicor for many years, so we know that we are working with a safe and trusted investment partner. Having evaluated and monitored many ERP vendors over time, we are certain that Epicor’s strategy, history of innovation, and Microsoft-led products provide a compelling offering for any organisation in the industry,” commented Danéel van Eck, managing director of Pros Software.

 

epic ERP also cited the partner ethos within the Epicor community as a key reason for building the division around the strengths of the Epicor solutions.

 

“We are delighted to be delivering innovative, ground-breaking solutions such as Epicor ERP to companies which can achieve their growth goals through its agility and deep industry understanding,” added Stuart Scanlon, founder of epic ERP. “We know we will be able to offer multinational organisations ERP solutions on a truly global scale, but at a fraction of the cost and effort.”

 

“We are excited to announce the addition of epic ERP to our team of global partners, and look forward to assisting them grow their business, as we aim to do for all our partners,” added Johani Marais, channel manager for Epicor South Africa.