ApplyIT, the local IT specialist for the process manufacturing industry, has been appointed as a Navision Solution Centre for Microsoft Business Solutions` Axapta enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution. In terms of the appointment, ApplyIT, already a certified Microsoft partner, can market, distribute, implement and support Axapta.
Andrew Armstrong, Microsoft Business Solutions (MBS) country manager for Africa, says ApplyIT is one of the few companies in SA with the skills to deliver measurable enhancements to manufacturing concerns` supply chains.
"The ApplyIT team carries a wealth of knowledge in the manufacturing and supply chain arenas and there is a strong correlation between individual skills in the company and the attributes of the software," notes Armstrong. He adds that there is "huge pent-up demand" for a product such as Axapta in the SME manufacturing sector, a key vertical MBS is targeting. "ApplyIT will have an enormous impact in this market."
MBS has a strict partnership certification programme which sets minimum requirements in terms of people, skills and qualifications and extensive ERP experience. ApplyIT`s depth of skills and respected position in the market has easily surpassed these requirements, says Herman van Staden, Axapta business manager at ApplyIT.
Van Staden notes that ApplyIT`s people are skilled in the business realities of the market, not just the technological and functional product capabilities. "ApplyIT`s in-depth experience in production, sales and financial management enables us to provide a complete solution to customers, and not merely the sale of a software product."
Van Staden says Axapta is perfectly designed for South African manufacturers, which comprise a mixture of small, medium and large companies.
"Axapta`s scalability and modularity allow us cost-effectively to address the requirements of any business from 10 to thousands of users," Van Staden says. "The software`s architecture makes it an affordable solution as it can be implemented in modules, each section of the application implemented as and when a company requires or can afford it. What`s more, no matter which modules are installed or in what order, the system remains an integrated unit.
"Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) could previously only cost-justify ERP if they were part of a bigger corporate conglomerate. While there are a number of existing local accounting packages available that address the needs of smaller companies, these packages often cannot grow with the business as companies restructure, consolidate and expand beyond the country`s borders. With Axapta, not only does ERP become affordable to SMEs, but the same technologies that were available to higher-end companies can now be used with great effect on SMEs` competitive strategies."
Axapta is differentiated from other offerings by its integrated e-business and supply chain functionality, and its Web-based architecture, allowing customers, suppliers and employees to be configured in one central solution to satisfy differing requirements. Van Staden says Axapta is the only ERP solution that has integrated CRM capabilities, as opposed to plug-ins or add-ons.
Microsoft gained Axapta when it acquired ERP leader Navision in August last year. Accounting Software Advisor recently rated Axapta as the top Tier-1 ERP solution out of 62. Van Staden believes that with Microsoft`s backing, Axapta is well positioned to become a standard. "We anticipate a steep adoption curve, which ApplyIT is well positioned to support. Axapta is a strategically sound choice for any company now looking for an ERP solution."
ApplyIT, headquartered in Durban, with an office in Pretoria, provides a combination of niche software products and IT-related services. The company is an IT innovator, developer, and systems integrator of vertical software solutions focused on the needs of the manufacturing and related sectors. Its products improve the operational effectiveness of businesses by combining technology excellence with industry best practices into a simple, well-structured solution suite.
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