Digital technologies have proven to be an important element in driving growth and sustainability of businesses by reducing costs and driving growth.
The COVID-19 pandemic has created a unique crisis in the world, with businesses being the most affected. Businesses have had to shift operations to suit the situation which includes reducing human human interaction and material handling as well as the need for remote working. The pandemic has created a perfect case study for the use of digital platforms to drive businesses in various verticals such as warehouse, production, HR, and even internal communication.
SYSPRO Africa, a company that provides ERP software for manufacturers, opines that a lot of companies are now seeking digital solutions that will be able to drive their businesses during these COVID-19 times and beyond. This bring forth the question of how businesses can be able to do this cost effectively and with maximum effect.
SYSPRO recently hosted a webinar to specifically answer those questions and to help companies imagine what a future with digital transformation looks like. The company has extensive knowledge in using digital technologies having sold ERP solutions to manufacturers in Africa, including Kenya, for quite some time. The company also conducted a study among manufacturers in Kenya that showed that most of them were using technology and were willing to further explore the use of digital strategies to grow their businesses.
At the webinar, Syspro Africa’s Head of Engineering Deirdre Fryer, stressed the need for companies to explore their options properly before embarking on a digital journey. According to her, digital is not a quick fix and one strategy that is working for one business cannot work for another.
South Africa journalist Arthur Goldstuck, in his presentation, on the other hand showcased how businesses that were digital ready have benefited during this period. These businesses already had digital strategies in place and were in a better place to react when COVID-19 hit. He emphasized the need for businesses to have systems in place to enable their employees to work from anywhere therefore reducing the reliance on working from the office during such a crisis.
Mark Walker of IDC, on his part, talked about the trend of companies who are yet to adopt digital technologies in their business. This means they are losing out on various benefits that include increased collaboration between employees and third parties such as customers and suppliers which always leads to more productivity and cost saving. He also laid out various benefits of digital transformation that includes expanded revenue streams, customer loyalty, cost efficiencies and an improvement in business processes.
As you can see, digital transformation is an advantage and should be a priority for businesses and not just around this crisis. Digital strategies, if deployed well, can help the company survive even during such difficult times and also lead to improved revenue due to improved productivity and cost saving.
SYSPRO Africa is planning to host three more webinars on digital transformation for businesses on 2nd September, 16th September and 30th September. Register here to attend za.syspro.com/product/business-digitization
You can also watch the first webinar below: