Aptronics, a local fully integrated corporate IT solutions and service provider, does not believe in the current tendency to over-sell to customers, which is negatively impacting the IT supply chain - and the real needs of end-user customers.
"The attitude that customers will be impressed and persuaded by sophisticated product or solution specifications - which may be way too complex for their needs - stems from the fact that some IT service providers are not really in touch with their clients or indeed, with the market out there."
This is the view of Aptronics` managing director Appie Pema.
"Added to this alarming tendency, is the fact that IT solutions providers need to recognise that the South African market is far more mature and discerning than it was in the past," Pema points out.
"In other words, customers today know what it is they want and they also have a good idea as to the level of technical sophistication they actually require. For example, today many CEOs are fully IT-literate - which five or ten years ago they were not," he maintains.
Furthermore, he says, many customers are working directly with the wide variety of vendors present in today`s market, seeking a new method of delivery without working via resellers at all.
"However, there is still an important place for the IT solutions and service provider which has its finger on the pulse of market needs and delivers accurately and without wastage, over-selling or hype," Pema emphasises.
According to Pema, these are companies which genuinely have the customers` interests at heart and place them in the driving seat when it comes to purchasing decisions.
"As a company that is and always has been vendor-agnostic, we work hard to maintain excellent relationships; as well as to add the substantial value of our extensive skills-base and market understanding - throughout the supply chain, from vendor to distributor to end-user customer," he advises.
"We are able to do this, because we are well-positioned as an industry facilitator, having worked closely and very successfully with vendors, distributors and end-user customers, and having a rich skills base to draw on, be it in the hardware or software arena," Pema explains.
He points out that the many industry awards Aptronics has won over the past few years from vendors and distributors alike, bear testimony to this fact.
"From the customers` perspective, we are able to manage - and deliver -a holistic customer experience, from dealing with vendors and resellers to managing product implementations and maintaining optimal service level agreements (SLAs)."
IT solutions and service providers can play a valuable role in ensuring that maximum value may be extracted from each link in the supply chain, with the right attitude to doing business," Pema concludes.
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Aptronics is one of SA`s few truly black-empowered corporate IT service providers.
We are committed to delivering integrated, innovative IT solutions that respond to the challenge of today`s evolving and dynamic market, and which increase our customers` competitive-edge through the addition of operational value.
Aptronics is a close-knit team of highly skilled, certified professionals providing products, service and skilled support to numerous corporate clients. We have in addition established strategic business partnerships with world-renowned vendors.
Our total solution area does not only encompass the provision of hardware platforms and software applications, but also initial consulting and customer need analysis through to liaison with customer staff members and installations.
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