Cortell SA, a TM1 distributor in South Africa, inaugurated its TM1 User Group in February with sponsorship from Applix, the developer of the TM1 solution, and overwhelming support from the South African TM1 user community.
The two-day event was held at Kievits Kroon in Pretoria, where 68 delegates were informed of the up and coming TM1 updates and releases by Applix technical partner manager Sean Corr; and taken through the 2006 Applix roadmap by Applix partner manager Geoff Cooper.
"Cortell chose to begin the TM1 User Group because the South African user base has increased substantially," says Greg Bogiages, director of Cortell SA. "With these greater numbers, there is now a need for improved communication among users; enabling clients to share their successes describe any problems experienced and explain how these can be avoided or overcome. The user group is the best way to get everyone together in the same room where they can gain value from past experiences."
Day one saw delegates being informed of the latest front-end design capabilities of TM1, including technical examples of its use at South African Express, Kiwi Bank and Southern Sun, where the solution is used for the hotel chain's Occupancy Diary.
They were also presented with case studies on how South African Airways (SAA) and Vector Logistics have applied TM1 to improve budgeting and costing activities in the businesses respectively.
"Success is the result of opportunity meeting preparation," Bogiages says. "Our TM1 User Group is designed to explore opportunities with our users and to encourage preparation so that success is the inevitable conclusion."
In his presentation on SAA's application of TM1, executive manager: management accounting Andre Burger explained the budgeting complexities that his organisation faces and how TM1 has improved this environment.
"A user group of this nature is invaluable in the software market where companies face challenges every day, experience new successes or fall flat on their faces," Burger says. "SAA used the opportunity to speak to other TM1 users to warn them of the dangers that lurk when change management is not properly addressed; and what financial damage such dangers can do. We learned the hard way and suffered because we did not address the buy-in requirements. We do not want other companies to suffer in the same way and then have it reflect badly on the software when TM1 is in fact outstanding."
Vector Logistics national product manager William Sears went into detail on the areas of the business that the Cortell/Applix solution has impacted, including how Vector scrutinises its costing to ensure that it is profitable while charging customers no more than is absolutely necessary.
"The user group was our opportunity to show other TM1 users to what extent the software can actually be used, the fine detail that can be reached, and how it benefits the Vector operation," Sears says. "We work our TM1 software hard and reap the rewards."
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