Arno Abeln, Managing Director at Agrimark (left) and Juane Peacock, Managing Director: Coastal & Digital Business Solutions at Datacentrix (right). (Image credit: Agrimark)
Datacentrix, which positions itself as a leading hybrid ICT systems integrator and digital transformation partner, has once again been recognised as Agrimark’s Supplier of the Year for Information Management (IM), marking the third consecutive time the company has received this prestigious accolade.
Agrimark, a subsidiary of the KAL Group, has established itself as a trusted one-stop shopping destination for a range of quality agricultural and lifestyle products, with more than 70 stores across South Africa. Its annual Supplier of the Year Awards, inaugurated in 2011, recognise partners that demonstrate exceptional performance and alignment with the organisation’s strategic objectives.
Suppliers are evaluated across four operational channels – agriculture, retail, fuel and services – ensuring a fair and contextually relevant assessment process.
Agrimark maintains a highly selective approach within its Information Management (IM) category, explains Charl Graham, Agrimark’s Group Manager: Information Management. This group encompasses approximately 30 suppliers, of which around 10, including Datacentrix, are considered as essential partners to the business.
“The Supplier of the Year Awards are based on a stringent, structured evaluation process. Each month, suppliers are assessed against defined performance criteria, with integrity and ethical conduct forming a non-negotiable foundation. Any deviation from these standards results in immediate disqualification,” he says.
“As one of our strategic IM partners, with direct business impact, Datacentrix has maintained an enterprise-focused, trusted advisor relationship with Agrimark for over 15 years, consistently delivering services to a very high standard. The company’s track record speaks for itself. We regard Datacentrix as an integral part of our IM team – not merely as a service provider, but as a true strategic partner.
“Datacentrix’s values and ethical conduct align strongly with those of Agrimark, underpinning the high level of trust we have built over the years,” Graham continues. “This alignment, combined with Datacentrix’s technical expertise, depth of capability across business units and consistent quality of service and support, has added sustained value to Agrimark’s operations.”
He adds that Datacentrix continues to play an instrumental and strategic role within Agrimark, contributing meaningfully to its business success. “I can confidently recommend Datacentrix as an excellent, customer-focused ICT integrator and service provider, without reservation,” Graham states. “When you have consistent delivery over time, it builds confidence. You get to a point where you don’t have to worry constantly, because you know the team will deliver. That reliability is key.”
Francois de Kock, Sales Manager: Boland Region at Datacentrix, notes that over the past year, Agrimark and Datacentrix have focused on continuous improvement, optimisation and innovation across the environment.
“At the same time, there’s been a strong emphasis on maintaining and improving proactive service standards across both the enterprise landscape and branch environments. We have looked at how things can be done better, more efficiently and how we can ultimately help Agrimark to reduce costs while still improving performance.
“From Datacentrix’s side, transparency is critical, particularly in today’s fast-changing environment, where global supply chains pressures make open communication even more important. That directness is something we value strongly in our relationship with Agrimark.
“To be recognised by Agrimark consistently, across all business units, is a very humbling achievement. I don’t think people always realise what it means for the teams behind the scenes – the individuals who work every day on service delivery, on projects, on doing the right thing. This acknowledgement is not something we take for granted and is genuinely appreciated, at all levels of the business,” De Kock concludes.
