CS Education Solutions, a division of JSE-listed CS Holdings, and ERP software solution provider Syspro have formed a partnership to design and present empowerment workshops which use SAPICS (South African Production and Inventory Society) course material, to train the manufacturing community in supply chain management.
Syspro and CS Education Solutions have identified a need for increased knowledge of ERP (enterprise resource planning) and MRP II (manufacturing resource planning) and aim, through the Syspro-Tshumisano project, to skill up participants in the these fields, and ultimately award recognised SAPICS qualifications.
Tshumisano, the black empowerment partner of CS Education Solutions, will present the training. The training of trainers during the project provides the basis whereby this knowledge can filter down through to all those in the manufacturing community.
The workshops initiate the process of empowerment through knowledge and are sponsored so as to allow access to training for those who cannot afford the time and cost of full-time SAPICS courses. Syspro`s concomitant objective is to increase the theoretical knowledge of ERP for Impact users. Impact Encore is Syspro`s fully integrated, web-enabled business software solution that addresses all aspects of the manufacturing process.
Reuben Badana, MD of Tshumisano and a director of CS Education Solutions, explains that Tshumisano offers courses to empower people at all levels of the manufacturing industry with the knowledge necessary to succeed. "We aim to empower workers, both employed and unemployed, with computer skills and a theoretical background in ERP and MRP II. This education improves their chances of employment and promotion, and begins the process of spreading knowledge, including a better understanding of their place in the supply chain, and improved communication skills in the workplace."
The Syspro-Tshumisano project is aligned with the Gauteng Department of Education, and government`s standpoint that business should be taking steps to ensure that those from a disadvantaged background can access the training necessary to make them highly skilled in specialised areas. While it is important to concentrate on the provision of basics in education, the digital divide that is threatening to further advantage one racial group at the expense of another must not be entrenched.
Badana comments: "I am certain that the business value of this exercise will soon prove itself. However, with this type of offering the onus is also strongly on the individual to take action to empower themselves. We in business create the opportunity and lend a helping hand through sponsorship and taking the difficult personal circumstances of our trainees into account in the way we structure our offerings. But I believe you don`t have to wait for others to make decisions about learning for you. We have to encourage our people to embrace becoming part of the IT age and develop skills accordingly. The IT age has created a huge need for skilled and trained people. Although increased automation and technological advances have led to an increase in job losses in traditional categories of work, it has also created vast new job opportunities for re-skilled people and knowledge workers."
Syspro`s role in the project includes the Syspro Round Table, which consists of a discussion group formed by Syspro and the dealer channel. The Syspro Round Table will contribute input to the empowerment workshops and forms part of Syspro`s initiative to improve productivity and quality in 2001.
Two types of courses are offered in the Syspro-Tshumisano project: The first offers training in basic computer skills. It is directed at shop floor managers, stores or warehouse managers, and materials and production planners who would like to improve their level of computer literacy. The second is SAPICS courses are aimed at Impact users or those involved in any aspect of the manufacturing industry who need to increase their knowledge of ERP and MRP II.
On the completion of the diploma, delegates can progress to the internationally recognised APICS (American Production and Inventory Control Society) certificate: Certified Production and Inventory Management (CPIM). Once attendees have qualified they are able to set up their own in-house courses and train others in their company using the SAPICS course material.
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