Making positive strides to establish itself in the public sector, Adapt IT is assisting in the implementation of a full-fledged Sage ERP X3 and Softline VIP Premier HR system for Agribusiness Development Agency (ADA) in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).
“We need to put a system in place that will comprehensively assist in the management of the business,” says Warren Chavda, Adapt IT Business Development Manager.
ADA had been formed as a special-purpose vehicle by the KwaZulu-Natal government to provide support for emerging black commercial farmers in an effort to rescue the land reform projects from collapse.
The agency had secured R239 million from the government with the directive to create 1 099 permanent jobs and 2 538 seasonal jobs in the agri-business sector, which will also assist in sustaining and growing 1 045 entrant black commercial farmers.
Bongani Ntimba of the Agribusiness Development Agency in KZN said the agency had only been in existence a few months, and did not have any systems in place to assist in the management of the business. “A decision was made to implement an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system to cater for our immediate financial and supply chain management requirements. We wanted to utilise an ERP solution that had a proven track record and we wanted to partner with a locally-based service provider that is intimately acquainted with ERP consulting and familiar with the nuances of dealing with the public sector. Adapt IT fit the bill and is in the process of providing the perfect solution in the form of Sage ERP X3 and Softline VIP Premier HR,” says Ntimba.
The fact that the ADA is a relatively new operation provides a clean slate for Adapt IT to work from. “Our implementation approach for ADA was to use the best-of-breed pre-existing templates available in the system as far as possible, which were then customised to fit the client's unique needs. Sage ERP X3 is a highly adaptable and versatile product that is easy to configure, which has greatly assisted us in the implementation process by providing functional components that we can demonstrate to the client. Change management has been identified as a key factor to the success of ADA and the Adapt IT team is assisting the client throughout the process to ensure that the implementation proceeds smoothly,” says Chavda.
Ntimba says Sage ERP X3 positions ADA for future growth. “The extensibility of the solution to cater for future requirements such as customer relationship management, advanced project management and accounting are some of the functionalities that we will need in the near future. The architecture of the system supports the use of one solution platform to deliver on all our needs and that is exactly what we set out to achieve,” concludes Ntimba.
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Adapt IT
The Adapt IT group has 260 staff throughout SA, and conducts business through three subsidiaries: Adapt IT Solutions, Apply IT and ITS Holdings. Adapt IT has customers across SA, East Africa, Australasia and Europe. Its subsidiary companies provide a range of specialised IT solutions and services to customers in sectors, including manufacturing, mining, education, financial services and the public sector.
Softline Accpac is a provider of business management solutions, including financial, distribution, service management, retail, warehouse management, manufacturing and CRM to the mid-range market. Accpac solutions are delivered to 130 countries exclusively through a global network of solution providers, including over 150 throughout Africa. Softline Accpac's product line includes: Accpac ERP, Accpac CRM, Accpac RMS, Service Manager and Accpac Insight. Softline Accpac also distributes Sage SalesLogix, Sage Geode and Sage ERP X3, a full-service enterprise management software system for mid-to-large businesses. With a choice of languages, currencies, enterprises, locations and legislations, Sage ERP X3 offers an efficient, multi-company solution.
Softline is a leading provider of accounting, payroll, CRM and ERP software solutions to small, medium and large sized companies. Founded in 1988 by Ivan Epstein, Alan Osrin and Steven Cohen, Softline was established during the formative years of the software industry and listed on the JSE Securities Exchange South Africa in February 1997. Softline expanded to establish a strong position within its area of focus in South Africa and Australia. Focused on the development of accounting, payroll, CRM and ERP software solutions, Softline has a 20-year track record as a market leader. The group has a broad range of products offering users a variety of software solutions to run their businesses efficiently. Softline's leading brands include Softline Accpac, Softline Pastel (Accounting and Payroll) and Softline VIP. The combination of the group's product offerings provides Softline customers with comprehensive, well-branded accounting, payroll, CRM and ERP software solutions. In November 2003, Softline was acquired by the Sage Group, a FTSE 100 company. The software group includes market-leading businesses throughout the United Kingdom, Europe, North America, South Africa and Australia, supplying business software to the small, medium and large sized business community. Softline has a solid track record of profitability and cash generation. The group delivers quality accounting, payroll, CRM and ERP software solutions that improve the efficiencies of businesses around the world.
The Sage Group
The Sage Group is a leading global supplier of business management software and related products and services, principally for small to medium-sized enterprises. Formed in 1981, Sage was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1989. Sage has 6.3 million customers and 13 400 employees worldwide. It operates in over 24 countries covering the UK, Europe, North America, South Africa, Australia, India and China. For further information, please visit http://www.sage.com.
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