When the decision arose to implement a new Business Management System (BMS) nationwide at Q DataConsulting (QDC), the choice was Sage CS/3. As one of Sage International's premier business partners in southern Africa, the company has expert insight into the rich functionality of Sage CS/3 having successfully implemented the software suite at many leading local organisations.
Today, the company has a dedicated team of consultants focused on Sage products and is the official Sage product training institute for the region.
Theuns Basson, general manager finance at QDC Western Cape, says the decision to upgrade came about largely as a result of enormous growth within the organisation, the need for better systems integration and e-commerce functionality.
"Essentially, we outgrew our system. The heterogeneous nature of our business and related applications means we have to maintain a fully-integrated BMS - one which provides comprehensive real-time information," he says.
Basson says that the old system required multiple system entries, a laborious process exacerbated by the need for manual intervention to ensure accurate up-to-date information and reporting.
"Sage CS/3 eliminates all these problems: it cuts down on inputs; seamlessly integrates all the various business management modules such as general ledger, creditors and purchasing; and produces real-time reports - critical to an organisation the size of QDC.
"In addition, business intelligence tools are easily integrated into the system allowing us to extract executive summaries 'on the fly'. This proactive management approach has not only seen system processes being streamlined, it has bolstered decision-making throughout the entire organisation. The result is a significant reduction in overheads and cost savings."
Basson and his team are also addressing the pressing issues of e-commerce and remote access to further hone the operation.
"Sage is far advanced where e-commerce integration is concerned. For over eighteen months, modules have been available for business-to-business and business-to-consumer transactions. The inclusion of these into our BMS gives us full e-commerce capabilities and we are able to embrace the capabilities of the Web in our dealings with suppliers, contractors and customers. Internally this feature has enormous value in that we can access important information remotely thereby enhancing our decision making and market responsiveness."
A major advantage was the quick and smooth implementation. "The decision to go with Sage CS/3 was made end of January 1999 and we went live on 1 June 1999," notes Basson.
Ashley Ellington, divisional manager at Sage International: Africa, concurs: "The objective of Sage's e-Business strategy is to extend the enterprise from the supplier's suppliers to the customer's customers. It uses the Internet as the vehicle and the Sage e-commerce API, IOTA (Internet Order Taking Application) and Web Client as the solution.
"The focus is to achieve real time sharing of information deploying IOTA and/or Web Client as the interface between customers, suppliers and the organisation as a whole. This removes information barriers thus leading to efficient stock levels and better service."
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