With constant advances in Internet user experience and the substantial volume of information that is available to users with one click, the expectations from most people on what to expect from their online encounter has dramatically changed. Added to this is the rise of social media behemoths like Twitter and Facebook that have introduced a new level of user-centric interface. As a result, the expectation from software applications has morphed with users expecting the same slick experience from their business software as they do from their general day-to-day online usage.
A new study entitled “The South African Social Media Landscape 2011”, released in October by World Wide Worx and Fuseware, suggests that there are 1.1 million Twitter users in South Africa, a 20-fold increase in just over a year, and 4.2 million South African Facebook users.
“The uptake of social networking is dramatic and the growth is across all age and demographic groups,” says Jane Thomson, Managing Director of Softworx. “When users log off their social networking site and then log on to their ERP software, it's hard not to notice the often 'clunky' interface that exists in these business systems.”
Interestingly, some business software giants are taking note of the changing expectations, and products now do exist offering much slicker systems and processes. Infor, the third-largest enterprise systems vendor in the world, recently launched Infor10, boasting a completely new interface and new and improved functionality.
“The new product has been termed the 'ERP game changer' and I would have to agree,” continued Thomson. Softworx, the official Infor reseller for sub-Saharan Africa, will bring Infor10 to South Africa. “The interface now has a Facebook-styled appearance more in-line with a Web 2.0 experience, and that, combined with improved functionality, makes this offering unequalled.”
Infor10 features ION middleware, which basically forms the foundation for connecting and integrating Infor and non-Infor applications, enabling-information sharing in a common format.
The product is also available as a tailored option for specialised industry offerings for Infor's core 14 vertical industries, including automotive, fashion, hospitality, general manufacturing, food and beverage.
Infor asserts that the generic “one-size-fits-all” software requires time-consuming configuration and customisation to give industry-required functionality and that it doesn't address the specific needs of an industry, hence Infor's focus is on delivering complete industry suite offerings.
Similar to desktop social networking applications like Tweetdeck, Infor10 presents all relevant information on one screen, including role-based workflows, task and alerts, in-context business intelligence, event management, consumer-like search capabilities and business activity streams. In essence, users are able to search and select the feeds they would like to see on their workspace.
In addition to the full enterprise systems offerings, Infor10 is integrated with Buzzient, a social media engine that delivers relevant information captured on blogs, Web sites and discussion forums. The tool monitors data about a certain customer or product, and, through a sentiment analysis, is able to assess the impact on performance.
“We are very impressed with the features and performance of Infor10 and it is notable to see the level at which this product operates compared to other similar products in the market. It certainly is a game changer,” concludes Thomson.
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