Business decision-makers everywhere are addressing the current global economic situation by hunkering down and cutting costs. Sometimes, however, you need to spend a little to save a lot and make a move, while others stand pat in order to stay ahead of the competition. Software integration is one of those situations, as businesses increasingly become more intelligent and require the best technology to ensure they stay ahead of the game.
Martin van Wyk, MD of specialist systems integration house and SAP partner Westrocon, says integration is a familiar challenge for CIOs, but that while these implementations are understood to reduce costs and increase profit, many businesses have been disappointed by previous efforts and are now more reluctant to embark on much-needed projects.
"Making installed systems work with others, or those running somewhere else, is a business imperative. However, every company has its own specific needs, and many consulting companies and systems integrators have a one-size-fits-all approach, which does not fulfil all those needs," he explains. "It's true that 90% of all processes are the same for all companies, but how those processes are used, and how they fit into the business, differs."
This is why Westrocon begins every implementation by understanding the customer's business and approaches every project as a strategic partner and trusted advisor. Using the UFO (understand, fix and optimise) methodology, Westrocon ensures it gets every implementation right the first time. The company's particular area of expertise lies in the supply chain and manufacturing sectors, where being business process-centric is even more important.
Supply chain software tracks and predicts customer demand and, as a consequence, adjusts the flow of goods more precisely. When supply chain management software is optimally implemented, it cuts inventory levels, improves delivery schedules, and ensures supply meets demand. "You could call it the oxygen of the business," says Van Wyk. "This is why, over the past decade, companies have invested heavily in wiring their supply chains with software designed to manage information flows among their internal operations, suppliers, and customers."
This is also why Westrocon has become a SAP partner. In order to ensure it could offer its customers the complete and well-rounded supply chain expertise they have become accustomed to, the company obtained all the certifications necessary and has now embarked on the process to establish a SAP Partner Centre of Excellence. "With over 10 years' worth of SAP experience, we understand product and the journey our clients need to take to get the most out of it. The SAP accreditation was the next logical step," Van Wyk says. In addition, Westrocon is a GS1 accredited EDI Solution provider and one of the few SAP partners to provide both EDI and bar coding solutions.
"We take complex problems and make the solutions simple and affordable. In order to ensure that our customers get only the highest quality of service, we have not only invested in certifications and skills, but also in software and hardware. This has paid off in the success of our implementations, which are completed faster, without accelerators, than many companies can offer with accelerators. With a dedicated Human Capital Optimisation business unit, we are also continually growing our consultants to ensure that our skills pool remains not only extremely effective, but innovative. We leverage software rather than supporting it," Van Wyk concludes.
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