Technikon Witwatersrand`s Faculty of Business Management has been using SSA`s BPCS ERP software, distributed and supported locally by Labat Software Solutions, since October 2002, with 250 students graduating its programme since then.
The donation is worth about $9 million and has been used primarily for MBA students in a programme called eCommerce and ERP Applications. The programme has been extended to include logistics, production and operation management, accounting and soon HR students.
"SSA`s reputation in this industry for speed of implementation and the flexible and robust nature of the BPCS product made the decision to migrate a simple one," says Roy Ramphal, quality assurance manager at Technikon Witwatersrand.
"In addition, the IT industry is crying out for employees trained on specific solutions within the field of business applications. Our decision to train on BPCS not only provided the way for our students to gain the best possible grounding on the subject of ERP and business processes, but also opens up more avenues for them when applying for employment."
Technikon Witwatersrand tried for 12 months to implement a different ERP platform prior to deploying BPCS but the technology partner could not successfully complete the project.
BPCS has been implemented at the Auckland Park campus and the technikon is discussing adoption with other educational institutions. It offers this training in the following courses:
* B Tech: Quality Management;
* MBA;
* National Diploma: Production and Operations Management;
* B Tech: Accounting; and
* B Tech: Information Technology.
The technikon presents education in four modules:
* Basic concepts and applications;
* Multi-mode manufacturing;
* Supply chain management; and
* Configurable enterprise financials.
"We are continuing development of the course material," says Ramphal, "as we have all the BPCS modules but because of the difference between training and education we are changing the presentation of all the information in the manual."
Students spend one week with the basic concepts and applications module and two weeks studying each of the rest.
"ERP is modern software but the market does not have business leaders skilled in managing it because their knowledge of ERP still needs to grow. In that sense, ERP is a competitive advantage to Technikon Witwatersrand because we have the facilities and can offer the courses to students that they cannot currently have anywhere else," says Ramphal.
"The biggest problem that we have in SA is recruiting ERP-skilled business staff because they lack an understanding of the fundamentals of ERP. The applications that Technikon Witwatersrand students use also include the hospitality modules," says Mark Alexander, MD of Labat Software Solutions.
"This is one of the biggest campuses in southern Africa and with the number of students coming through the programme, we are building a base of qualified ERP users that businesses can draw from. We have also created an opportunity for students to feel comfortable using our product," says Alexander.
SSA BPCS provides manufacturers with fully integrated business processes and solutions tailored to specific requirements of the pharmaceutical, chemical, consumer packaged goods, food and beverage and automotive industries. It improves planning and customer service, controls costs, enhances overall efficiencies and productivity and makes it easier to manage the complexities of manufacturing and distribution in the global economy, where meeting local regulatory and legal reporting requirements is essential.
Components include product data management, manufacturing, planning, quality management, supply chain management, financials and extensions.
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