The South African Post Office has invested R2.6 million to develop and install a tailor-made management information system designed to track mail volumes, assist with future volume forecasts and resource scheduling and to support mail centre managers in their daily task of managing mail operations. The information system went live in 26 mail centres around the country in March 2002.
"The system will assist us in accurately predicting future mail volumes to be processed and with the scheduling of human and other resources required to process the mail without carryovers. This is not only cost-effective, but also ensures that we meet the agreed upon service delivery standards", says Post Office Project Manager, Wayne Coetzee.
According to the IT Project Manager for the development of the system, Peter Peach of Comparex Africa, the South African Post Office has made a strategic investment in a critical business solution that will boost control, increase visibility and enhance management capability in terms of enterprise spending. "This will make the South African Post Office more competitive as it enforces effective management of resources."
There will be approximately 420 users on the system initially, covering 26 mail processing hubs throughout SA. Development of the unique system was preceded by user requirement sessions with all the relevant role-players, especially the mail centre managers.
"Initially we investigated the possibility of purchasing a system developed by the New Zealand Post Office," says Coetzee. A GAP-analysis indicated an 85% fit to SAPO requirements. However, the cost of almost R6 million excluding source code, was an inhibiting factor.
The upgrade is long overdue: a Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet system installed during 1993 was later converted into a database format. The previous Mail Centre Management Information System was a batch processing system - Operational data was captured on the system from Daily Process Control forms completed by Supervisors the previous day - and reports generated would then reflect yesterday`s performance.
A drastic improvement in process planning and resource management can be expected from the new system: performances and operational requirements are reflected on an hourly basis, in real-time. Network-based terminals were installed in all relevant work centres, accompanied by all the necessary computer literacy training and system training.
The optimisation of the system went hand in hand with the standardisation of all processes, naming conventions of work centres, mail items, terms and definitions used in mail centres.
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Comparex Africa is the leading integrator of ICT-based business solutions that make its clients more successful. Based on a strong customer-centric approach, Comparex Africa delivers technology-business solutions from the full range of competencies within its group that align its clients` strategic and operational business needs. Comparex Africa`s client-centric structure stems from its Systems Integration Model, a methodology that allows for flexibility and close client relationships. Offering business solutions that address all areas of its clients business, Comparex Africa services organisations within the corporate and large enterprise, government and parastatal markets as well as within the medium enterprise sector in all vertical markets.
As an organisation with its roots firmly embedded in Africa, Comparex Africa reflects a cultural diversity, relying on the unique contribution of each of its skilled employees to succeed. Transformation is an overriding business imperative for Comparex Africa and as such it has dedicated resources from across the organisation to drive employment equity, economic empowerment and social investment programmes.
For more information on Comparex Africa, visit www.comparexafrica.co.za.
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