Johannesburg, 10 Sep 2009
Bluekey Software Solutions (Bluekey), a South Africa-based technology company that specialises in the implementation of SAP Business One, has been awarded the contract to implement the solution at the 12 African subsidiaries of explosives producer, AEL Mining Services, an international leader and innovator in commercial explosives and blasting solutions.
Bluekey, which was recently named SAP Partner of the Year for the fourth consecutive year, will provide the blueprint for the project and handle the implementation from South Africa. The team, which has successfully concluded over 100 SAP Business One implementations, will also provide full training and support to the 93 users who are dispersed across the African continent and in Indonesia.
The project kicked off in July, with the launch of the pilot in Zambia. The system is expected to go live in Zambia in mid-November, and roll-out to the rest of the African subsidiaries will follow. The entire project is scheduled for completion by end 2010.
“It's a challenging project, but one for which we are suitably positioned. We have completed a number of implementations in other African countries and we are well-versed and prepared for the complexities of working across borders. Bluekey also has the capability to provide ongoing support remotely once the system is up and running,” says Paul Marketos, Bluekey's Managing Director.
He says SAP Business One is the right fit for AEL.
“Being a light manufacturing and distribution company, AEL is a good match with SAP Business One. The solution is very strong in dual base currency handling and it is also easily integrated with mySAP Business Suite, which is used by AEL's head office in South Africa.
“The organisation's IT architecture is currently decentralised, but the aim is to eventually consolidate to a centralised architecture. Because of the SAP licensing structure, the company only pays per user so there will be no additional cost implications when the company moves to a centralised environment.
“SAP Business One is also user-friendly and easily customisable. Once the system is up and running and users have been trained, the subsidiaries will be able to stand on their own two feet. They will also be able to do further customisations and create reports without incurring the costs of developers and consultants,” says Marketos.
He concludes: “We are delighted to be working with AEL, and we are confident that its subsidiaries will derive considerable benefit from utilising SAP Business One.
“Our vision is to become the top SAP partner in the region. There is huge room for growth for Bluekey in Africa, and we will continue to build on our existing relationships, as well as establish new ones, as we expand our footprint in the region. We also firmly believe that SAP Business One can be the number one ERP tool for small businesses in Africa.”
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