Johannesburg, 07 Oct 2010
Namakwa Diamonds, the integrated diamond resource group listed on the London Stock Exchange, has selected Softline Accpac's flagship ERP solution, Sage ERP X3, as its standardised system across the mining group, which operates in South Africa, Lesotho, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Botswana, Namibia and Israel.
Using newly appointed Softline Accpac solution provider Datacentrix and sub-contractor Cerrex, Namakwa Diamonds will go live in February 2011.
CIO of Namakwa Diamonds, Anton Jacobsz, says the decision was taken after an evaluation of three ERP systems. “We selected Sage ERP X3 not only because of its impressive functionality, but also because it is well established within the mining sector, with many impressive reference sites.”
He says Namakwa Diamonds currently operates on several disparate systems and as a result, was keen to reduce monthly and year-end reporting times. “Sage ERP X3 enables us to not only run one system across the entire mine, but we can also report via company, region and the overall group.”
According to Jacobsz, a major benefit of using Sage ERP X3 is the fact that it is a management solution centred on the Web. “We are able to access the system in real-time with a simple Internet browser internally and externally because Sage ERP X3 has a dynamic, intuitive Web 2.0 portal that provides easy access to the ERP and external application data. We are also able to integrate branches, subsidiaries and work with other business applications.”
The multi-ledger functionality also impressed Namakwa Diamonds. The mine is able to run several ledgers concurrently, which is a necessary requirement based on its global business. “We can run a group ledger, a country-specific one for government purposes as well as multi-currency ledger based on our transactions,” says Jacobsz. “We will also use the multi-language feature, which is a great benefit in DRC, for example, where we conduct business in French.”
In addition to manufacturing, distribution and accounting functions, Sage ERP X3 offers a set of core enterprise-wide workflow management software features that help transform a business into a real-time, on-demand organisation, responsive to the needs of customers.
Keith Fenner, vice-president, sales, Softline Accpac, says Sage ERP X3's workflow management software was a big draw-card for Namakwa Diamonds. “It enables customers to automate the flow of information within and outside a business based on company-specific work practices and procedures for handling important and exceptional events. Unlike traditional workflow automation software systems that come with pre-defined workflow processes, the extensive parameterisation available within Sage ERP X3 makes it possible for companies to define any business event and condition to initiate workflow messaging and/or trigger processing.”
Jacobsz says the fact that procurement is built into the workflow is a major advantage as it impacts the number of licences the mine has to purchase.
He says the support for Sage ERP X3 from Softline Accpac and its solution providers also impressed Namakwa Diamonds, and that the team working on the implementation is not only highly skilled but will also have significant local support directly from the vendor. “Datacentrix is an established ICT integrator with several years of implementation experience. I am very confident that they will work well with Softline Accpac and our Sage ERP X3 implementation will be a great success.”
Fenner says Namakwa Diamonds has made a sound decision. “According to an Ernst & Young 2009 survey, 80% of Sage customers consider Sage ERP X3 to be a significant improvement or even a competitive advantage. Namakwa Diamonds will not only benefit immediately from the implementation, but will also be well placed to compete effectively in the future.”
Share