Are you struggling to decide between cloud ERP and a legacy, on-premises ERP system from a cost, agility and connectedness perspective?
ITWeb Events spoke to Bernard Ford, CEO, One Channel, a local cloud specialist who is well-positioned to present insight and opinion on the role technology, and specifically cloud, will continue to play in improving customer access to new and complex business models such as cloud ERP.
ITWeb Events: Tell us more about One Channel, what solution do you bring to the market and what challenge you are reacting to?
Ford: One Channel has many years' experience in the mi-tier ERP space and came to the realisation four years ago that the current legacy ERP product offering would not fit the post-modern cloud and 4th Industrial technical ecosystem that was coming.
We did a lot of research and identified two major cloud-ready ERP products that we immediately signed up to offer to the African market: Acumatica ERP and Interact HRCM.
We understand that the challenges faced by all mid-sized to large organisations are similar: how to best digitise the organisation; how to derive cost savings through cloud deployment; how to take advantage of the digital convergence of 4IR technologies and trends such as AI, robotics, IOT, multi-cloud, mobility, voice controlled interfaces, digital twinning, blockchain and human/machine meshing and the need to rapidly deploy these with a low cost of implementation and low annual total cost of ownership.
ITWeb Events: What industry would you say is your main target and why is this your focus?
Ford: Our main target market is medium to large companies that are striving to modernise and digitise. This is partly due to the massive scalability offered by true cloud solutions.
From a more functional perspective, we target various industry sectors including manufacturing, distribution, retail, property, financial services, mining, construction and NGO/non-profits.
ITWeb Events: Can you tell us about some of the clients you work with and their experiences of your solution?
Ford: We have clients in many sectors most of whom are reference sites and they include Maxtec, IT and high-tech; ATS Agrochemicals, chemical distribution; Ecsponent, financial services; Aqua Services Engineering, water engineering and manufacturing; Devils Peak Brewing, manufacturing, wholesale and distribution; Bluespec Group, automotive and Seacom, high-tech.
ITWeb Events: What is the focus of the Webinar and why do you feel it was necessary and the topic is of interest/value?
Ford: We want to expose prospective clients to the benefits of true-cloud applications and show them first-hand what is available out of the box.
ITWeb Events: What challenges are your clients currently experiencing; why does this need addressing and how can they improve? Is there a one-stop solution etc?
Ford: Legacy ERP software has many challenges for organisations as they head into the 21st century. These include: lack of connectivity to the new technologies; device and platform dependence; scalability; expensive on-premises platform costs; no multi-cloud benefits; lack of pure mobile app platforms; expensive, long and tedious implementation, upgrade or customisation processes.
ITWeb Events: According to your opinion what will be the future of ERP, and more specifically cloud ERP, in the next three to five years?
Ford: The main developments will be around increasing use of AI and new technologies which we are already seeing: the use of robotics and IOT integrated with ERP; AI inside of the ERP - already being used; new friendly user interfaces - we already have voice with Amazon's Echo device; digital meshing with machines and input devices; extensive multi-cloud functionality - already we use direct connections to: blockchain for security, bitcoin as payment type, docusign cloud-based document signing and security, survey monkey and Google and Bing on demand translate a list that is growing exponentially.
Ford closes by warning organisations that they can no longer operate in isolation in the convergence era? or the 4th Industrial Revolution. "We stand on the brink of a technological revolution that will fundamentally alter the way we live, work, and relate to one another." He explains that "the possibilities of billions of people connected by mobile devices, with unprecedented processing power, storage capacity, and access to knowledge, are unlimited. And these possibilities will be multiplied by emerging technology breakthroughs in fields such as artificial intelligence, robotics, the Internet of things, 3-D printing, nanotechnology, autonomous vehicles and quantum computing".
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