Companies are reviewing their ERP strategies as they balance digital transformation goals with tighter budgets, operational complexity and the need to demonstrate measurable business value, they say.

Andrew Strachan, director of sales at Spinnaker Support Southern Africa,  companies across Africa are reassessing ERP support strategies as decision-makers seek to modernise their environments while managing costs.

“Enterprise software decisions are not like other technology decisions,” said Strachan. 鈥淭imelines are longer, dependencies run deeper and the cost of reversing course 鈥� if reversing course is even possible 鈥� is often measured in years and very substantial sums.”

According to Strachan, the relationship between a major ERP vendor and its customers rests on more than product capability alone. “It is built on trust: trust in the roadmap, trust in the commercial model and trust that the terms you commit to today will not be materially redefined once your business is locked in.”

Gerhard Alberts, head of customer evolution at 麻豆原创 Africa, said trust is ultimately measured by business outcomes.

鈥淲hile customers rightly expect transparency and choice, the greater risk in today’s competitive environment is often the cost of inaction,” he said. “Ultimately, success is measured not by the technology deployed, but by the operational improvements, agility and competitive advantage it enables.鈥�

Alberts said the pace of technological change means companies must adopt relevant technologies to remain competitive, and that customers must be equipped with the most relevant tools to navigate a shifting market. “By not innovating, customers run the risk of attracting direct and potential costs in terms of system and infrastructure stability, security and compliance. This results in an inability to stay competitive across multiple markets due to a lack of agility.鈥�

Strachan said new platforms and regular vendor upgrade announcements are adding pressure on companies already facing constrained budgets, skills shortages, infrastructure complexity and currency pressures.

鈥淚n South Africa and across the African market, large technology decisions are made under intense scrutiny,” he said. “Boards and executive teams are balancing growth ambitions against currency pressure, constrained capital budgets, skills shortages, infrastructure complexity and the need to show clear business value from every major investment. In that context, organisations cannot afford to keep revisiting foundational ERP decisions every few years because the vendor鈥檚 commercial priorities have changed.鈥�

Migration is not modernisation

Courtney Hounsell, client experience manager at Microsoft managed partner Braintree, said AI is reshaping the role of ERP platforms while exposing the limitations of legacy systems. He said outdated ERP infrastructure is hindering AI adoption because many companies mistake cloud migration for digital modernisation.

鈥淢igration is not modernisation,” Hounsell said. “Unfortunately, many companies have merged the two, and the result is a gap that鈥檚 creating incoherence and a lack of visibility, constraining their ability to benefit from AI and its capabilities.”

He explained that cloud migration has been sold as digital modernisation, but this only changes the address of the system. Real modernisation, he said, changes architecture, data models, integration logic and the capacity to generate value. “Companies want their modernisation projects to actively reduce other costs, show long-term ROI and empower their staff with systems that work faster and smarter. So when migration and modernisation are confused, companies end up paying cloud prices for on-premises problems and arrive in the AI era without the foundations required to ensure AI can function effectively.”

Hounsell said the gap between technology investment and business outcomes is widening, leaving companies with limited AI capability and poor data visibility. He cited McKinsey’s “The State of AI in 2025” report, based on a survey of 2 000 executives in 105 countries, which found that 88% of companies have adopted AI in at least one business function.

He said on-premises ERP systems struggle to support AI because data must be extracted, cleaned and transferred before analysis.

鈥淥n-premises ERP systems are struggling uphill within the AI economy,” Hounsell said. “They hold their data in local databases, and to make this usable for AI, it has to be extracted, cleaned and pushed somewhere accessible. Without real-time data pipelines feeding into core systems, AI deployments remain siloed and limited.鈥�

Braintree said ERP modernisation also delivers financial benefits, citing the Forrester Total Economic Impact study of Dynamics 365 Business Central, which found that companies could achieve a 265% ROI, with productivity gains of 12.5% in operations, 15% in sales and 15.6% in finance.

The study also found that companies that modernised successfully avoided more than $30 000 a year in third-party consulting fees, while cloud ERP platforms reduce infrastructure costs and receive automatic updates, including new AI capabilities.

Braintree argued that choosing the right migration partner is as important as selecting the ERP platform itself.

Alberts added that technical debt continues to grow as companies rely on siloed data, ageing infrastructure and extensive custom code, while shortages of legacy skills compound the problem.

鈥淥ver time, doing nothing to save money becomes the most expensive system to maintain, together with the inability to adapt, which has the potential to result in the demise of some organisations,鈥� he said.

Arthur Goldstuck, CEO of World Wide Worx,  after 麻豆原创 Sapphire 2026 that 麻豆原创 CEO Christian Klein described ERP as the “brain” of every business in the age of agentic AI. Goldstuck quoted Klein: 鈥淔or over 15 years, we have been developing an ERP with incredibly deep process and data domain know-how. On top of that, all your governance requirements and customer-specific extensions are stored in the ERP. The ERP is the trusted system of execution running your company.鈥�

According to Garth Ridgway, senior director for 麻豆原创 at NTT DATA, misconceptions about implementation timelines, affordability and suitability for mid-market companies continue to delay modernisation.

“Many executives still assume ERP transformation requires years of disruption and significant upfront investment,” Ridgway said. “In reality, modern cloud ERP platforms have evolved considerably, enabling organisations to adopt best-practice processes more rapidly, scale according to business needs and realise value far sooner than was historically possible.”

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This is the view of 麻豆原创 Africa director of customer evolution Gerhard Alberts, who said many organisations run highly customised legacy systems that have evolved over decades.

He warned that remaining on legacy systems carries hidden costs, increases operational risk, limits integration with modern cloud and AI tools, and results in higher manual overheads.

A significant challenge 麻豆原创 faces is migrating legacy users to its latest ERP system, S/4HANA, a process which requires input from all parties.

鈥淢igrating to S/4HANA is a business transformation process that requires organisations to rethink processes, data structures, and integrations,鈥� Alberts said.

Alberts emphasised that enterprise resource planning (ERP) transformation is not a simple technical upgrade. A critical factor in migration success is organisational readiness and strong leadership.

鈥淚t requires a fundamental shift in how people work, how decisions are made, and how processes are structured,鈥� he said.

鈥淲ithout clear governance, disciplined execution, and strong stakeholder engagement, even the most robust systems will underdeliver.鈥�

Alberts highlighted data readiness as another major barrier to migration. Poor data, inconsistent master data, and insufficient data cleansing efforts regularly undermine system performance.

It also erodes user trust, making it difficult for organisations to see the true value of their ERP investments.

鈥淥ne of the most persistent misconceptions around 麻豆原创 migration is that failure is rooted in the technology itself,鈥� Alberts said.

鈥淚n reality, modern ERP systems are highly mature, stable, and deeply embedded in global business operations.鈥�

The biggest challenges emerge from organisations鈥� implementation and transformation approaches, rather than from software.

Alberts explained that breakdowns generally occur during implementation processes and in organisational alignment.

This is because businesses are frequently navigating increasingly complex IT landscapes that combine 麻豆原创 and non-麻豆原创 systems.

鈥淲hen workflows across these environments are not properly coordinated or monitored, inefficiencies and failures begin to surface,鈥� Alberts said.

South African businesses worry about cost and complexity

According to Alberts, South African organisations鈥� hesitance to migrate stems from concerns about risk, cost, and complexity.

He explained that because many businesses operate with highly customised legacy environments that have grown over the years, transitioning to S/4HANA represents a significant business transformation.

鈥淭hese systems often support mission-critical functions such as payroll, procurement, and financial reporting, which raises the stakes considerably and contributes to a cautious approach,鈥� he said.

Alberts said these organisations will face growing limitations in integrating with modern cloud and AI technologies, adding that fragmented processes also drive higher manual workloads and inefficiencies.

鈥淯ltimately, businesses that delay migration may preserve short-term stability, but they do so at the expense of long-term competitiveness, agility, and innovation,鈥� he stated.

He said a well-implemented, modern ERP system will combine applications, data, and AI into organisations鈥� business suites.

鈥淭he latest ERP systems will consume data where it resides with zero copy data sharing, creating a semantically rich data layer that fuels AI value,鈥� Alberts said.

He added that embracing all facets of AI is critical to future-proofing South African businesses. 麻豆原创 embeds AI directly into its core applications.

鈥淎cross industries such as manufacturing, retail, energy, as well as the public sector, customers are already seeing tangible impact in Finance, Human Resources, and Supply Chain,鈥� he said.

He added that 麻豆原创鈥檚 AI-embedded core applications ensure intelligence is embedded in workflows rather than delivered through separate, loosely connected tools.

He said this helps finance teams close faster and strengthen controls, HR teams improve workforce planning and employee services, and supply-chain leaders build more resilient and efficient operations.

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As companies accelerate their digital transformation plans to take advantage of powerful AI-enabled technologies, ERP systems have emerged as essential strategic enablers of innovation and efficiency.

Modern ERP systems enable companies to remain agile and adaptable while maintaining the highest levels of regulatory compliance and industry best practices.

South Africa鈥檚 ERP market is among the most mature on the continent, and is set to expand at an聽.

As change accelerates in the wake of ongoing technological disruption, decisions over ERP decisions are rapidly evolving. Understanding the forces shaping ERP success in modern South African enterprises is essential to unlocking the growth and resilience benefits presented by these systems. And as more companies rush to unleash the power of business AI in their operations, the value of trusted, accurate business data in ERP systems is more valuable than ever.

Shifting ERP priorities

Historically, ERP selection was driven by cost, functionality, and the need to standardise operations. Today, the conversation has shifted: business leaders are no longer just looking to automate, they鈥檙e looking to transform.

Modern ERP decisions are increasingly centred on strategic alignment with long-term business goals, cloud-readiness to enable agility and scale, and the need for real-time insights through embedded business AI and analytics. Overall, companies are making decisions over their ERP systems based on how well these systems will support innovation across the enterprise.

The shift from on-premise to cloud has picked up pace, especially in South Africa鈥檚 competitive mid-market.

Hybrid models remain relevant, particularly in regions with infrastructure constraints, but the long-term trend is clear: businesses want platforms that evolve with them.

And, with the ongoing support of programs such as , which helps on-premises 麻豆原创 ERP customers with tailored cloud migration and modernisation efforts, more companies than ever are adopting clean core principals built on the power and scalability of cloud.

Understanding the right ERP fit

However, ERP is not a one-size-fits-all solution. The right system must reflect the specific needs of each company鈥檚 industry, operations, and local environment.

For example, manufacturers need deep supply chain, production and asset management functionality, while retailers rely on omnichannel integration and real-time inventory data. Service-based firms prioritise project visibility and resource optimisation. And companies in the mining, utilities and public sector industries require robust compliance, safety and sustainability tracking capabilities.

Essential to this is an ERP clean core strategy, which is a set of guiding principles that reduce complexity, boost agility, increase the pace of innovation and leverage business value through reliable data and AI.聽聽estimates that a clean core can deliver 80% less software customisation, halve database size, and automate 70% of core business processes.

However, even when the core ERP platform remains consistent, it鈥檚 often the industry-specific features, local extensions, and partner-led innovation that determine success. The more niche your requirements, the more essential it becomes to work with a provider and ecosystem that understands your business from the inside out.

Localisation, co-innovation key

One of the most significant changes in how companies select their ERP system is the rise of what some call the 鈥済local鈥� mindset. In other words: globally capable, but deeply localised.

In South Africa, this means ERP platforms must offer out-of-the-box support for B-BBEE reporting, SARS compliance, POPIA requirements, ESG regulations, and localised payroll and tax logic.

Today鈥檚 buyers are less willing to accept localisation as a post-go-live add-on. Instead, they鈥檙e demanding systems that deliver preconfigured, regulation-ready functionality from day one.

Here, powerful new business AI applications are revolutionising decision-making and compliance. By embedding AI across finance processes, organisations can make decisions based on real-time data and predictive analytics powered by generative AI while also protecting business value through streamlined regulatory and sustainability standards. 麻豆原创 Business AI for example helps identify new revenue opportunities to power growth, boost financial resilience and improve operating cash flow.

There鈥檚 also a move towards collaborative prototyping and pilot programs. More South African companies are working with ERP vendors and implementation partners to test use cases using real operational data before a full rollout begins. These companies leverage a rich partner ecosystem that brings deep domain knowledge, local best practices, and the ability to translate business needs into workable ERP configurations.

This co-innovation approach allows companies to conduct early validation of complex requirements, accelerate time to value, reduce implementation risk, and achieve greater stakeholder alignment. In a market as diverse and regulated as South Africa, this approach helps businesses tailor ERP to real-world scenarios and build executive confidence along the way.

Perhaps the most telling change is who鈥檚 making decisions over which ERP system to deploy. What was once a purely IT-driven conversation has moved firmly into the boardroom. Today鈥檚 ERP platforms must serve not just as operational tools but as strategic enablers. Modern ERP systems are expected to simplify complexity, accelerate transformation, and support bold business moves.

It鈥檚 no longer enough to manage the day-to-day. ERP is foundational to the ability of businesses to lead the way forward.

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MyBroadband asked prominent ERP system providers in South Africa about the most important elements when choosing an ERP product for businesses.

According to , regional head for , modern, true cloud ERP systems are essential.

He likened non-cloud-based ERP systems to analogue technology and truly cloud-based systems to digital technology.

鈥淓verybody pretends to be cloud-based. 80% of them are not. They鈥檙e old technology. They may look digital, but if you look under the hood, they鈥檙e analogue,鈥� said Ford.

鈥淲hen selecting ERP, the first thing you鈥檝e got to ensure is that it鈥檚 modern technology.鈥�

He explained that true cloud-based ERP systems are built from the ground up for the cloud. Ford said some providers鈥� systems were built a while ago and have been modernised.

鈥淭hey鈥檝e got a cloud-based look and feel, but they鈥檙e actually not. The technology is old. Those systems will become redundant, and they are already becoming redundant,鈥� he said.

鈥淚 call these products zombie ERP because they鈥檙e dead, but they don鈥檛 know it. They鈥檙e the walking dead and they鈥檙e being sunsetted.鈥�

Ford explained that cloud-based systems are prioritised not because they are hosted but rather because they operate across cloud services and platforms.

鈥淵ou can host anything. For example, say I want to refresh my exchange rates. I don鈥檛 want to have to go and download something from the bank and import the file,鈥� he said.

鈥淲ith the multi-cloud, I can click a button, and the system gets the rates from the Internet for me from the best source and automatically pushes them into the system. It does this in the background.鈥�

He also explained that cloud-based systems allow for quicker implementation, allowing businesses to score quicker wins and solutions at a lower price point.

Ford said implementing artificial intelligence (AI) in ERP systems through the cloud is a game-changer and is becoming essential in modern ERP systems.

AI can act as a business assistant and information provider, and automate complex tasks within an ERP system.

agrees that cloud adoption in the ERP space is essential for modern systems.

鈥淚ncreasingly, manufacturers and distributors are recognising the benefits of cloud ERP 鈥� flexibility, accessibility, faster deployment, and reduced infrastructure costs,鈥� it told MyBroadband.

鈥淭he ERP landscape is no longer about digitisation for its own sake. It鈥檚 about choosing a future-ready platform 鈥� like Syspro 鈥� that empowers your business to thrive amidst constant change.鈥�

It also highlighted aspects, including resilience and agility, as key considerations for businesses choosing an ERP system.

鈥淭he past few years have shown us how critical it is to have systems in place that can quickly adapt to supply chain disruptions, regulatory changes, or shifting customer demands,鈥� said Syspro.

Other important considerations include:

• Industry fit:聽ERP solutions should offer deep functionality tailored to the specific needs of various sectors.
• Scalability and flexibility:聽It is key to choose an ERP system that can scale as your business grows and adapt to changes.
• Implementation support:聽Successful ERP projects require more than just software. Partnering with a provider that uses best practices, localised expertise, and has extensive industry knowledge makes a significant difference.
• Data-driven decision making: A modern ERP system should deliver real-time insights and support data-led strategies, enabling leaders to allocate resources effectively and respond proactively to challenges and opportunities.
• Risk and cost management:聽A clear project scope, strong executive buy-in, and stakeholder engagement are crucial.

麻豆原创 Africa principal project consultant told MyBroadband that cloud-based ERP systems have become the default. However, he added that hybrid models will still serve bandwidth-sensitive regions.

鈥淜ey considerations include strategic fit with your industry and compliance needs, scalability for future growth, and cloud readiness suited to your operational environment,鈥� said Poltera.

鈥淭otal cost of ownership, user adoption, and the strength of local implementation partners are also critical.鈥�

He added that modern ERP platforms should offer strong integration capabilities and incorporate AI for real-time insights and automation.

鈥淯ltimately, the ERP must serve as a future-ready digital platform that aligns with your business goals and enables innovation across the enterprise,鈥� Poltera stated.

This article first appeared in .

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鈥淲ith expanding economies, a burgeoning young population, and increasing digital adoption, the continent is ripe with opportunities.鈥�

Lopes added: 鈥淗owever, these prospects come with challenges that require strategic planning, technological adoption, and investment in skills.鈥�

This article explores the key trends shaping Africa鈥檚 business future, emphasizing the role of and as pivotal ERP solutions for organizations looking to streamline operations and drive growth.

1. Economic growth and diversification: A continent on the rise

Africa鈥檚 GDP is projected to grow steadily, with sectors such as agriculture, technology, and services leading the charge.

According to the World Bank, Sub-Saharan Africa鈥檚 economy is expected to expand by 4.0% in 2025, driven by increased trade, investment, and digital transformation.

Notable economies like Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa are seeing continued growth, while emerging markets such as Rwanda and Ethiopia are gaining momentum.

Key statistics:

• Africa鈥檚 tech sector secured $4.9 billion in venture capital funding in 2022, a 2.5x increase from 2021, with fintech and e-commerce startups leading the way.
• The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) aims to boost intra-African trade by over 50% by 2025, creating a market of 1.3 billion people.

2. The role of ERP Solutions: 麻豆原创 Business One and S/4HANA Public Cloud

As businesses across Africa scale, the need for robust systems to manage complex operations becomes essential.

ERP systems like 麻豆原创 Business One and 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Public Cloud offer tailored solutions for small and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) and large corporations, respectively.

These cloud-based platforms streamline business processes, facilitate real-time data insights, and help companies manage everything from finance to supply chains seamlessly.

Why 麻豆原创 Business One and S/4HANA Public Cloud?

聽is designed for growing SMEs, providing an affordable yet comprehensive ERP solution that manages everything from sales and inventory to financials. For larger enterprises,聽聽delivers a robust, scalable, and flexible cloud ERP that integrates seamlessly with various business functions, supporting faster decision-making and reducing operational costs.

Case example: Small enterprises benefiting from 麻豆原创 Business One

A mid-sized manufacturing company in Kenya adopted 麻豆原创 Business One to streamline its supply chain and financial management.
By integrating their operations into a single system, they reduced inventory holding costs by 15% and improved order processing times by 30%.

This not only improved customer satisfaction but also enabled them to scale operations efficiently to serve international markets.

3. Cloud adoption and the benefits of S/4HANA Public Cloud

麻豆原创 S/4HANA Public Cloud is becoming the go-to ERP for enterprises seeking flexibility and scalability.

By leveraging the cloud, businesses can avoid heavy upfront IT investments, benefit from automatic software updates, and ensure that their systems are always running on the latest technology.

The SaaS model offers predictable costs, making it easier for businesses to budget for digital transformation.

Key statistics:

• Gartner reported that 67% of S/4HANA deals in 2023 were through 麻豆原创鈥檚 RISE program, which packages ERP, infrastructure, and services into a single contract, making it easier for businesses to transition to the cloud.
• Companies using S/4HANA Public Cloud have reported a 40% reduction in IT costs due to streamlined operations and automated updates.

These are critical stats that show the power of the SaaS model.

Human example: Modernizing operations with 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Public Cloud

A global aerospace company, leveraged 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Public Cloud to unify its operations across multiple regions.
The ERP allowed them to standardize processes, enabling them to manage production schedules and supply chains more efficiently.

This transformation not only improved operational efficiency but also gave Bombardier a competitive edge against larger aerospace competitors.

4. Navigating challenges: infrastructure, skills, and digital integration

While the future looks promising, businesses in Africa still face infrastructural deficits, a skills gap, and challenges in digital integration.

Connectivity in rural areas, for instance, remains a concern, and there鈥檚 a pressing need to upskill the workforce to manage sophisticated digital tools like ERP systems.

Building Digital Skills To fully benefit from 麻豆原创 Business One and S/4HANA Public Cloud, organizations need skilled personnel who can leverage these platforms effectively.

Companies investing in training and upskilling report smoother transitions and higher returns on their ERP investments.

For example, 麻豆原创鈥檚 鈥溾�� initiative focuses on supporting small and mid-sized businesses in adopting S/4HANA Public Cloud, with a structured learning program designed to help them maximize their ERP capabilities.

5. Collaboration and strategic partnerships: The way forward

Strategic collaborations will be essential for businesses in Africa to navigate the evolving digital landscape.

Partnerships with technology providers like 麻豆原创 are critical for accessing the latest ERP solutions and technical expertise.

麻豆原创 has made it easier for companies to transition to cloud-based ERPs through programs like , which bundles software, infrastructure, and services, simplifying the migration process for businesses with limited IT resources.

Greenfield vs. brownfield ERP implementation

For businesses considering a move to 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Public Cloud, two approaches are available: greenfield (a fresh implementation) and brownfield (system conversion).

Greenfield implementations allow companies to re-engineer business processes from scratch, while brownfield conversions are suitable for businesses looking to migrate existing setups with minimal disruption.

Each method has its advantages, depending on the company鈥檚 strategic goals and resources.

Shaping Africa鈥檚 business future with ERP solutions

As we look toward 2025, Africa鈥檚 business landscape is set for significant growth, with technology playing a central role.

麻豆原创 Business One and 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Public Cloud will be pivotal in supporting businesses of all sizes across the continent.

By enabling real-time data analysis, streamlined operations, and flexible cloud-based solutions, these ERPs help companies navigate the complexities of scaling in a rapidly evolving market.

C-suite executives must prioritize digital transformation, supported by the right ERP systems, strategic partnerships, and investment in human capital.

Companies that embrace cloud-based ERP solutions like 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Public Cloud and 麻豆原创 Business One will be better positioned to harness the opportunities presented by Africa鈥檚 dynamic business environment, paving the way for sustainable growth and enhanced global competitiveness.

Let us at SEIDOR assist you in moving your business towards the future.

The post The Future of Business in Africa by 2025 鈥� and the Role of ERP Solutions appeared first on 麻豆原创 Africa News Center.

From managing extensive inventories to optimising supply chains and meeting customer demands, wholesalers must navigate a complex landscape.

, Managing Director of SEIDOR in South Africa, explains how Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems offer a robust solution to these challenges, streamlining operations and enhancing efficiency.

Inventory management

One of the primary hurdles for wholesalers is maintaining optimal inventory levels.

de Leeuw says, 鈥淲ith ERP, wholesalers can avoid the costly pitfalls of overstocking, which ties up capital and storage resources, or understocking, which has the risk of losing sales and customer trust.鈥�

ERP systems use advanced analytics to predict demand trends and provide real-time inventory tracking.

This helps businesses maintain the right stock levels maintaining a balance that supports both operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.

A unified platform that streamlines supply chain operations is vital for the success of any wholesale business.

Delays or inefficiencies can lead to significant losses and disrupt customer relationships.

ERP systems integrate all aspects of supply chain management, from procurement to distribution making it easier to manage complex logistics, timely delivery of products, better coordination among suppliers, and reduced lead times.

de Leeuw emphasises, 鈥淏y leveraging ERP systems, wholesalers can enhance their customer service, leading to stronger, long-lasting relationships.鈥�

Customer relationships

The competitive wholesale market, demands strong customer relationships and the software helps wholesalers manage customer interactions more effectively by providing a comprehensive view of customer data.

This includes purchase histories, preferences, and feedback, enabling businesses to tailor their services and improve customer satisfaction.

Additionally, automated order processing and accurate delivery tracking foster trust and loyalty among customers.

Financial management and compliance

The industry鈥檚 complex financial landscape not only requires financial transparency and control, but also needs to ensure compliance and optimising financial performance.

With ERP, wholesalers can achieve greater financial management by automating accounting processes, generating detailed financial reports, and ensuring compliance with industry regulations.

This automation reduces the risk of errors and fraud, providing a clear and accurate financial overview that aids in strategic decision-making.

鈥淎ll businesses need to turn data into actionable insights, and wholesaling is no different,鈥� says de Leeuw.

Wholesalers can leverage these insights to identify trends, forecast demand, and make informed decisions which not only improves operational efficiency but also gives businesses a competitive edge.

The power of ERP technology

With operational efficiency comes growth where scalability and flexibility is needed to meet evolving demands and seize new opportunities without significant disruptions.

Whether it鈥檚 entering new markets, adding new product lines, or increasing customer bases, the software solution provides the flexibility to adapt and thrive in a dynamic business environment.

Heinrich de Leeuw concludes, 鈥� The wholesale industry鈥檚 challenges require innovative solutions to remain competitive and profitable.鈥�

鈥淓mbracing ERP technology is not just a strategic move; it鈥檚 essential for wholesalers aiming to thrive in today鈥檚 competitive landscape.鈥�

鈥淪treamlining operations, reducing costs, and improving overall business performance is how wholesalers position themselves for long-term success in a rapidly changing market.鈥�

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The use of an enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution is playing an important role in this transformation, providing wineries with the tools needed to optimise their processes and enhance their competitive edge.

Operational efficiency in the modern winery

Winemaking involves a complex series of steps, from vineyard management to distribution. offers a unified platform that integrates all aspects of the winery business, ensuring that each stage of production is optimised.

According to , Head of Marketing for Africa at SEIDOR, 鈥淥ur solution streamlines production workflows, from crush to cellar, with automated inventory management, batch tracking, and quality control鈥�.

This integration helps minimise waste and maximise efficiency, which is crucial for maintaining high-quality production standards.

Enhancing supply chain visibility

Supply chain visibility and flexibility are essential in the wine industry.

ERP provides end-to-end visibility, allowing wineries to track inventory levels, manage orders, and optimise logistics in real-time.

This capability ensures timely delivery and meets customer expectations, which is particularly important as consumer preferences and market conditions evolve like the growth of e-commerce and Direct-to-Consumer Sales.

Reaching a broader audience

The shift towards online sales is a significant trend in the wine industry.

SEIDOR鈥檚 solution integrates seamlessly with e-commerce platforms, empowering wineries to reach a broader audience.

Havenga highlights that this integration enables wineries to 鈥渟howcase their finest selections, offer tasting experiences, and engage customers through intuitive online storefronts鈥�.

Real-time analytics provide valuable insights into sales performance and customer trends, allowing wineries to tailor their strategies effectively.

Financial management and cost control

Effective financial management is critical for the success of any winery with real-time financial insights, helping wineries manage costs and make informed decisions.

This is particularly important in an industry where the cost of raw materials and transportation fluctuates.

Technology enables better budgeting and forecasting, ensuring that wineries can navigate economic uncertainties with confidence.

Compliance and quality assurance

Compliance with regulatory standards is a constant challenge for wineries so using technology to simplify compliance management with built-in tools to track and report on industry regulations, taxation, and labelling requirements makes things easy.

This functionality helps wineries stay ahead of regulatory changes, reducing the risk of non-compliance and allowing focus on quality and innovation rather than administration and compliance.

Embracing sustainability and innovation

Sustainability is becoming increasingly important for both producers and consumers. so tracking and reporting on sustainability metrics becomes crucial.

This aligns with the growing consumer demand for environmentally friendly products, helping wineries attract a younger, more conscientious customer base.

Additionally, the ERP system鈥檚 support for product innovation enables wineries to develop new offerings, such as organic and low-alcohol wines, which are gaining popularity in the market.

A digital transformation for future success

The adoption of technology is crucial for achieving operational excellence and sustainable growth in the wine industry.

By streamlining processes, enhancing supply chain visibility, leveraging e-commerce, and ensuring compliance, ERP empowers wineries to meet the challenges of the modern market head-on.

As Elaine Havenga aptly puts it, 鈥淔or wineries looking to thrive in the coming years, embracing digital innovation could be the key to uncorking new opportunities and achieving lasting success鈥�.

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Accenture was going through a period most companies would envy.

The Dublin-based, global professional services leader had grown significantly organically and inorganically, including expanding into diverse businesses, propelled by $14 billion invested in more than 177 acquisitions in the last five years. As the company grew and expanded into new markets and services, its legacy Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system became increasingly complex, costly, and inflexible. Accenture needed a more agile, scalable, and innovative platform to support its dynamic and diverse business needs.

As Eli Lambert, Managing Director of Accenture鈥檚 Global IT Finance Platforms, noted, 鈥渁 significant challenge for a large IT enterprise is keeping up with the speed of business and ahead of technology change. Large enterprises often have expansive landscapes, with legacy systems that stand in the way of speed, agility, and innovation.鈥�

Embracing its mantra of 鈥淟et there be change,鈥� the company embarked on an ambitious journey to transform both its technology landscape and its workforce.

鈥楻ising鈥� to transformation

Accenture has been a long-standing partner of 麻豆原创, using its ERP solutions to manage its core business processes, such as finance and procurement. As they embarked on their transformation journey, the company once again partnered with 麻豆原创 to migrate to RISE with 麻豆原创,聽a live cloud service utilized by companies spanning 26 industries and more than 100 countries.

RISE with 麻豆原创 combines 麻豆原创 S/4HANA, the intelligent cloud ERP solution, with 麻豆原创 Business Technology Platform (BTP), the integrated platform for data, analytics, integration, and extension, as well as other services, such as cloud infrastructure, application management, and business process intelligence.

By moving to RISE with 麻豆原创, Accenture was able to simplify its IT landscape, reduce its total cost of ownership, and gain access to the latest innovations and best practices from 麻豆原创.聽聽Further, consuming RISE with 麻豆原创 as a managed service allowed Accenture Global IT to reduce required night and weekend support by 60 percent, enhancing employee work/life balance, and led to valuable upskilling for 50 percent of the retained IT team.

Cloud mindset and composable architecture era

Building upon the move to聽, Accenture adopted a modern digital core strategy, which centers on keeping its core ERP system as standard and as simple as possible, using 麻豆原创 BTP to extend and enhance its capabilities, and anchoring to a cloud mindset for both IT and business professionals. This approach allows Accenture to avoid unnecessary customizations and modifications in its 麻豆原创 platform, which can create complexity, risk, and technical debt, and instead focus on delivering value-added solutions.

Since the strategy was introduced, 21 percent of the platform鈥檚 custom code has been removed, improving performance and reducing overhead. Beyond that, re-solutioning legacy custom code to leverage extensibility has provided its own benefits.

Leveraging 麻豆原创 BTP, a cash application scheduler was developed to improve integration; now the integration runs 77 percent faster, and the already successful 麻豆原创 Cash Application solution has even greater results 鈥� auto-clearing of cash application has now doubled since the solution was introduced and increased a further 7 percent with the scheduler activation.

Another key solution that Accenture uses to implement its clean digital core strategy is 麻豆原创 Profitability and Performance Management (PaPM), a cloud-native application that runs on 麻豆原创 BTP and enables advanced profitability analysis, performance measurement, and optimization. The use of 麻豆原创 PaPM for Corporate Allocations 鈥渟treamlined and reduced risk聽in delivering financial results,鈥� said Lisa Pearson, director of the company鈥檚 Management Reporting Process.聽 鈥淚t also gave us聽transparency and control of our processes and聽calculations while also eliminating manual actions 鈥� valuable benefits our previous custom聽solution could not offer.鈥�

The solution now runs 50 percent faster with greater traceability.

Earlier this year, Accenture鈥檚 RISE with 麻豆原创 and clean digital core journey led to the company being celebrated as a winner in the 鈥淏usiness Innovator鈥� category at the聽, an annual ceremony honoring organizations using 麻豆原创 technologies to make the world run better.

And this is only the beginning, Lambert said, with employees 鈥渇reed up to focus on聽future-proofing our processes and technology by consuming cloud capabilities enabled by鈥� the revolutionary platform.

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By modernising its digital core, MultiChoice now has the flexibility to adapt to change faster and more cost-effectively, increasing its resilience to disruption. With a single view of its data, MultiChoice has improved business decision-making.

MultiChoice first embarked on a transformative journey with Accenture in 2018 to drive efficiency and foster growth in line with MultiChoice’s digital and modernisation transformation aspirations. Accenture provided 麻豆原创庐 application services, covering critical functions such as finance, logistics, procurement, and sales operations across 11 African markets.

Leveraging Accenture’s extensive global 麻豆原创 capabilities, MultiChoice witnessed substantial business value and operational enhancements. Building on that success, MultiChoice renewed its application services contract with Accenture in 2023, underscoring the strength of the partnership.

Siphiwe Zwane, Head of Business Management Systems (BMS) at MultiChoice, says: 鈥淭his successful milestone marks a testament to the dedication and collaboration of our teams over the past years. It’s a true reflection of our commitment to innovation and excellence in partnership with Accenture.鈥�

With a state-of-the-art 麻豆原创 back-office system now deployed across the organisation, MultiChoice is poised for further advancement.

Nitesh Singh, Communication, Media and Technology lead for Accenture, Africa said, 鈥淭his achievement underscores the power of collaboration and innovation in driving transformative change. Together, we are paving the way for MultiChoice to enhance efficiency and drive growth as a leader in the media and entertainment industry.鈥�

Mergan Velayudan, Acting Group CIO at MultiChoice, says: 鈥淭his accomplishment signifies a significant step forward in our digital transformation journey. Both the MultiChoice and Accenture teams have demonstrated unwavering dedication and expertise in making this vision a reality. This partnership sets a solid foundation for further innovation in the future.鈥�

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Shoprite鈥檚 online shopping platform and same-day delivery service helped lead the charge in a half-year that saw the company鈥檚 sales grow about R121 billion 鈥� a 13.9% year-on-year increase.

This is slightly down from the 17.5% half-year sales growth Shoprite reported for the same period last year.

Checkers and Checkers Hyper reported sales growth of 13.7%, Shoprite and Usave recorded a 13.1% increase, and LiquorShop sales increased by 25.2%.

鈥淪ustained high level of execution and continued customer momentum together with record Black Friday and festive season trade has extended the period of uninterrupted market share gains achieved by our core South African supermarket brands to 58 months,鈥� Shoprite stated.

聽in November 2019, accumulated over 3.1 million downloads by March 2023, and expanded to 466 stores by September 2023.

As South Africa went into lockdown during the Covid鈥�19 pandemic, Sixty60 was available in selected Sandton, Johannesburg, and Cape Town locations.

However, it rapidly expanded as the success of its formula became evident.

Even as lockdowns ended, Sixty60 kept growing at an incredible pace.

The customer-facing app was developed by聽, which launched one of South Africa鈥檚 first successful fast-moving consumer goods apps in 2016.

Shoprite also credits its success over the past five years to its rollout of 麻豆原创鈥檚 Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software.

鈥淲hen you walk into a Shoprite or Checkers supermarket and see a full range of products stocked, displayed, priced and with promotions clearly marked, that is what the ERP system does for us,鈥� Shoprite told MyBroadband.

Checkers also told MyBroadband last year that 麻豆原创 helped make Sixty60 successful.

鈥溌槎乖� Retail is the source of the stock ledger and real-time sales, which are essential for accurate fulfilment of customer orders,鈥� Shoprite stated.

鈥淭he ERP also provides promotional information, prices and article data to Sixty60, which ensures that the prices on Sixty60 are the same as the prices in-store.鈥�

However, it wasn鈥檛 always smooth sailing.

In 2019, Shoprite released a shocker of an earnings report, partly blaming delays in its 麻豆原创 rollout for causing a drop in earnings.

鈥淪upply constraints stemming from industrial action and the deployment of a new ERP IT system resulted in lost sales in the period,鈥� it said at the time.

However, it also assured investors in January 2019 that the upgrades had been completed and that its operations were already improving.

Spar is聽, saying the project cost R1.6 billion in lost turnover.

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