Looking back at SAPHILA 2012 I still get a wave of enthusiasm and excitement when pondering the countless possibilities that the not-so-far future holds! I would love to submerge myself in the exciting prospects when recollecting the various demonstrations, statistics and movement analytics in the various fields in which technological advancement will streamline and simplify not only working environment but also the merger between live and work. There is true integration of these fields and the distinctive line between work and ‘play’ as such, is quickly fading. Before I get carried away in a mad rumbling on about these, let us start at the very beginning.
What is SAPHILA you might ask? Well Saphila is the most essential business technology conference on the African continent and the largest SAP customer-run conference on SA soil.
SAPHILA, powered by SAP and hosted by AFSUG, bring together unparalleled insights and opportunities from premier business technology conferences all in one place. From customer-driven education and best practices to visionary technology and business strategies, the conference offers a unique platform for attendees to see their business from all angles providing invaluable knowledge sharing and networking opportunities for SAP customers, partners, business team members and industry experts.
It is truly a conference infused with the insights of great minds and visionaries and the enthused user looking at the possibilities with eager anticipation and a renewed positive outlook towards business and the industry as a whole.
The conference discussions and presentations were divided in 6 areas of interest namely:
- Turn on the Speed and Get Real-Real Time Insights (Database & Technology; Business Analytics; Mobility)
- Unleash Talent to Create Performance (Human Capital Management),
- Streamline Your Operations and Get Ready for the Future (SRM; SCM; PLM; Sustainability; Manufacturing /CRM; LOB Generic)
- Lead the Pack in Your Industry (Industries – Financial Services, Manufacturing, Oil & Gas and Mining; Utilities; Travel & Transport; Engineering & Construction; Telcos; Public Sector)
- Application Lifecycle Management and
- SAP® Jumpstart
Within these areas there were countless international and national subject matter experts and developers addressing the future prospects and direction in which the various areas are migrating towards. A very exciting place to be when trying to look into the crystal ball of the future! Often though, looking at what has already been achieved is a more vivid example of the giant leaps of progression that is happening in the market with specific reference to the South African climate.
Various South African SAP user success stories was shared bringing the been-there-done-that, tried and tested, a little closer to home.
Company Representatives such as Chanelle la Cante (Konica Minolta) Alex Daneel (Eskom) Ian Robert Kirkwood (City of Cape), Town, Rebatho Madiba and Ronnie Kanniah (Transet Rail Engineering) Dirk Nieuwoudt and Kobus Taljaard (Epi-USE and Sasol), Avish Sooful (Deloitte Consulting) Inri Moller(Business Connexion), Joy Hilton and Roscoe Nair (South African Breweries), Ashley Boag and Trevor Harding, (SAP AG and Rainbow Chicken), Ben Bredenkamp, (Mercedes-Benz SA) and Natie Venter (Telkom) were all taking the podium to share their successful growth stories and how they have overcome specific challenges they came across.
So much emphasis was placed on the predicted growth of the emerging markets and Africa as a whole had staggering growth forecasts. If there was ever the time for businesses and companies to get excited about the future development in SA it is now!
Okay so, with all these new frontiers and implementations and branching out and developing and expanding and growth, this is where we at Blue Ray CS get very VERY excited. You see this is our playing field! We love embracing the technological advances and making sure that everyone stays on the same dynamic page.
Implementing the structures and components that will lift your company to new heights are fantastic and thrilling however there is a key aspect which is often overlooked. A company invests precious resources in making sure new implementations in their business will suit their requirements and ensure growth, but as with all newly implemented or upgraded systems the understanding and managing thereof, following a successful implementation or migration, is just as important if not more important to ensure success. After all, a new system that allows major growth and production with unlimited potential is only as strong as the user’s understanding of it!
That is our forte. Training and guiding all users to optimize what the business structure and infrastructure has to offer. We deal with a variety of learning approaches like development of training material, E-courses, Manuals, training sessions and presentations to ensure that knowledge and understanding is common throughout your entire business structure. No business is the same even within the same or similar industries and that is why we believe in a customized approach to training material. So whether you are looking into rolling out a new or upgrading your system or just ensuring that you are making the most of your current infrastructure by implementing a successful training or self-training structure- keep us in mind.
The future is now, the moment is now and if you want to grow with the projected growth of the emerging markets you have to get on the band-wagon and ensure your company is ready to deal with the unprecedented growth that is about to take flight!!
South Africa is looking at a very exciting future when looking at technological development and the moment is now!