Royal Bafokeng Nation selects Bytes, Microsoft as ERP technology partners

The Royal Bafokeng Nation (RBN) has today announced that it has awarded technology partners Bytes Systems Integration and Microsoft, the ERP component of its Royal Bafokeng Administration's (RBA) ICT and knowledge management project.

The Nation has made several announcements in recent months with regards to its plans to transform itself from a resource dependent entity to a knowledge-based one, and critical to its success is the investment into technologies which can facilitate this process.

Starting with its administration department, the RBA will be kitted out with a new ERP solution which would tie all of the Nation's existing systems into a single platform, in order to better manage and track business processes as a whole.

Says Rabelani Dagada, Manager of ICT and Knowledge Management for RBN: "The signing of this contract marks a new era for the RBN, as we believe technology to be the key enabler, which will see us being able to consolidate the administration of all of our services to our people. We view the use of technology as the glue which binds our organisation together, enabling us to share information and make more effective use of the resources at our disposal."

After a stringent tender process where all of the global ERP vendors were represented, RBN has selected Microsoft Dynamics AX 4.0 as its business management technology of choice. The ERP solution will be rolled out across the entire administration department of the RBN, which intends to make use of all of the existing AX modules, including but not limited to: project accounting, human resources, billing, CRM, supply chain management and financials. The aim of which is to streamline all service delivery efforts of the RBA and provide more effective use of exiting information across the entire department.

"We are ecstatic that the RBN has been able to see the potential of Microsoft Dynamics AX as an enterprise wide platform and are looking forward to kicking off the project," says Ankeb'e Jansen van Vuuren, Divisional Manager of Microsoft Dynamics at Bytes Systems Integration. "We won this tender against steep competition which is testimony to our experience and knowledge in this area."

According to Dagada, the RBN is looking forward to being able to eliminate errors in the business, currently being fuelled by manual processes and human error. Bytes has been called on as the implementation and change management partner for the system.

Tracey Newman, Business Group Executive for Microsoft Dynamics in South Africa, says: "This is a great win for Microsoft, and we are very excited about working with business partner Bytes on the roll-out of this project. Microsoft Dynamics delivers easy to use business software that not only helps people work more effectively within their unique role in their business, but also more effectively with others within and outside their organisation. Through Microsoft Dynamics' RoleTailored strategy, we are merging the worlds of business process automation (MBS - business management solutions) with the world of productivity software (Office) and delivering solutions that "completes" the job that people do within their business role. We believe that the RBA is going to join an elite group of global customers who benefit greatly from the use of this technology."

The RBN has made several announcements with regards to its technology initiatives in recent months and while the ERP component is a large chunk of its ICT and knowledge management project, the project also includes document and contract management systems.

Ends Dagada: "We want to shape or own future as we steer towards a new course for the Bafokeng people, where they can take advantage of knowledge as power and no longer merely rely on the resource riches of their land."