DLK Consulting is rapidly establishing new bases from which to extend its winning brand of specialised IT solutions development and project management.
On the geographic front its Gauteng operations, headed by Barry Hendricks, has gained a firm foothold and, on the IT solutions front, a greater emphasis is being placed on Geographic Information Systems` (GIS) activities.
In Cape Town DLK has absorbed the Cape Town staff of arivia.kom`s GIS operation, Computer Foundation, as the first major step in consolidating a niche for itself in the development and support for all tiers of government.
DLK CEO Leon Hendricks says taking over Computer Foundation`s staff boosts the skills base of his firm, which recently successfully completed comprehensive research into the GIS systems infrastructure requirements for the Directorate of Public Works and Transport in the Provincial Administration of the Western Cape.
The agreement with arivia.kom will enable DLK to support the Computer Foundation`s Western Cape client base, which includes local governments in Drakenstein, Oostenberg, Swartland, George and Blaauwberg.
The agreement also extends into Gauteng where DLK will share its experience in working with local and provincial government to support Computer Foundation GIS assignments within its client base.
DLK`s expertise in the GIS space was amply demonstrated in a project completed late last year for the Provincial Administration of the Western Cape. Comprehensive research was done to identify the most cost-effective solution to pool the IT resources needed to plan and manage structural and transport developments within Western Cape government`s GIS.
This is research is expected to be the groundwork for the development and roll-out of policies, standards and procedures to all municipal, provincial and national departments working with spatial information.
DLK`s exhaustive research pinpointed key issues needing to be addressed and set out a strategy for the application of spatial information.
These include the need to define and adopt hardware and software standards for all users of spatial information, determine which GIS application best serves the needs of the specialists, develop policies and procedures for managing and maintaining spatial data, and the need to determine the needs of GIS professionals within the public service, such as training and career planning, to ensure their continued service.
DLK Consulting was appointed to research the Provincial Administration of the Western Cape`s GIS needs and develop a strategy for the application of spatial information within the Department of Public Works and Transport which was frustrated by the inefficiencies of having to work with disparate systems and technologies, which made sharing information difficult.
Workshops and in-depth interviews were held with a core team of about 30 people representing the needs of employees working with spatial information across the department`s business units in Cape Town, Paarl, Beaufort West and Elsenburg.
Hendricks says the research was complex as restructuring of departments was underway within PAWC. "Apart from the expected complexity of assessing what IT was in place in various business units and determining people`s needs we needed to be sensitive to personal issues that affect people whose work environment is being restructured. Our professional and impartial approach cut to the core issues and delivered a report which gives the administration a firm foundation to move forward."
The report should help plan the steps needed to achieve the administration`s vision of a "map on every desktop".
"We believe our proposals have the staying power within a very fluid and fast-changing environment and, taking pending legislation on spatial information into account, form the groundwork for systems which will help government planners easily make well-informed decisions."
During the past year DLK has consolidated its relationships with a number of software vendors and service providers to support its philosophy that teamwork delivers the best in customer-focused solutions.
"We work closely with industry leaders to ensure that the optimum mix of experience, skills and software excellence is deployed to address and support client solutions," says Hendricks. "To this end, strategic alliances have been formed with Accenture, arivia.kom, Xerox, AST, SAS Institute, B2B Africa and SAP SA."
DLK leverages its skills and experience in information and communications technology to analyse, design, develop and maintain customised solutions to support clients` business strategies.
The combination of DLK`s project management experience and technical expertise with selected software tools to deliver solutions that meet exacting and innovative criteria, on time and within budget.
DLK`s core strength is the 40 years of accumulated IT experience invested in its team of project managers, software analysts and developers, programmers and technical support people. The company is 100% black-owned and has an established base of clients in local and provincial government, legal firms and commercial enterprises.
Its reputation has been built on the delivery of solutions that enhance business performance and cost-efficiency. These solutions range from initial business process audit through to development, training, implementation and post-implementation support.
Hendricks believes that true empowerment comes through education, experience and sharing of opportunities. In turn, DLK ensures that it sub-contracts to emerging empowered firms in a spirit of sharing opportunities for skills and business growth.
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