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Blue Pencil in 2014

Ten years down the line and still a thriving, independently-owned SAP Services company.


Johannesburg, 06 Feb 2014

Blue Pencil was established in 2004 with a core focus on delivering specialist SAP services in SAP Solution Manager, Resourcing and Training. Ten years later, and still privately-owned, Blue Pencil is now a group of companies that offers a range of SAP-focused technology, mobility, education and change management services.

From a handful of exceptionally skilled employees in 2004, Blue Pencil now employs well over 100 consultants.

"One of our core strengths has always been our ability to develop and retain highly skilled and motivated staff. We invest heavily in ongoing training and achieve more SAP consultant certifications annually than many of our larger competitors. We keep abreast of new developments and toolsets within our areas of expertise and work closely with SAP locally as well as SAP AGS to ensure we are at the forefront of technology and services," says Steve Hobbs, Founder and Managing Director of Blue Pencil.

Blue Pencil services originally focused on training and resourcing, but the company was quick to identify a new area for potential growth in SAP Solution Manager. As one of the leading SAP partners in this area, Blue Pencil was awarded a global runner-up Pinnacle Award in this category in 2012. "We are the only local partner to offer the SAP AGS roadmap services for Solution Manager and we were recently requested by SAP AGS to be one of the first partners to offer hosted Solution Manager services under the SMaMS concept," says Graham Henderson, Director and head of Application Lifecycle Services at Blue Pencil.

Blue Pencil now offers a complete range of application life cycle services and has an extensive number of reference clients in this area, including Engen, Media24, Pick n Pay, Standard Bank, Air Liquide and City of Johannesburg, to name a few.

The company has also expanded its footprint in education services and now offers a complete one-stop shop for all SAP training - from occasional SAP users through to specialist consultants. Again, one of the core reasons for this success is close partnering with SAP and investment in SAP tools and technologies.

"Our consultants are trained and certified in the use of SPP and WPB (SAP's training development tools) and we work closely with SAP to deliver value to our clients through use of these tools as well as other training materials and content supplied by SAP," says Samantha Snyman, Head of Education Services at Blue Pencil.

In 2013, Blue Pencil also added a comprehensive mobility offering to its service line. Blue Pencil Mobility was established as a joint venture between Blue Pencil Consulting and Rapidtrade to embrace the boom of the global mobile revolution. With the growth of mobile device sales surpassing laptops and workstations, it was clear that providing mobile solutions would become the norm. Blue Pencil, which holds a lengthy history in SAP, quickly became the first SAP OEM partner in Africa. Rapidtrade too has a lengthy establishment in providing mobility solutions.

"We are proud to remain an independent firm with a strong culture of leadership, expertise and professionalism. Our size allows us to service customers of all sizes and complexity, and we are able to respond rapidly to changing marketing requirements and ongoing client needs. By focusing our energies, we have been able to retain a position of leadership and strength in these areas and we look forward to another 10 years of growth and success," says Hobbs.

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Blue Pencil

Blue Pencil was established in 2004 and provides specific SAP services with a focus on SAP Solution Manager, Training and Change Management, Resourcing, Support and Mobility. The company aims to enhance customers' productivity and profitability through consistent and unfailing support of their SAP investment, their people, and their organisational ability. Blue Pencil is a SAP partner and carries SAP certifications for Solution Manager and SAP Training. For more information, please contact Blue Pencil on 011 484 5364 or visit www.bluepencil.co.za.

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