SPI, the African distributor for utility software products and services to the open systems segment of the IT industry and the southern African reseller for Esker, a leader in document process automation solutions, today announced that Food Logistics, the only publication exclusively dedicated to covering the movement of product through the global cold food supply chain, has named Esker, a global cloud platform and leader in AI-driven process automation solutions for finance and customer service functions, to its 2021 Top Software & Technology Providers award, which honours software and technology providers that ensure a safe, efficient and reliable global cold food and beverage supply chain.
“Software developments and emerging technologies are what make the world go ‘round. They’re what make supply chains move, even when the world stops. They’re what keeps people, products and plants safe. They provide traceability, visibility, efficiency and credibility. And the winners from this year’s award prove that there are no limitations to what software and technology can do in the supply chain space,” commented Marina Mayer, Editor-in-Chief of Food Logistics and Supply & Demand Chain Executive.
From bottlenecks at the ports to suppliers shutting down for COVID protocol, cold food and beverage companies across the supply chain responded with agility and deeper collaboration to overcome numerous challenges in 2021. These trials further show that a company is only as strong as its business ecosystem. Maintaining strong supplier relationships is crucial to customer satisfaction and the company’s bottom line.
“We are delighted to be recognised as a top technology provider for the sixth consecutive year,” added Steve Smith, US COO at Esker. “Esker strives to strengthen relationships between companies, their suppliers, customers and employees to enable future growth for all.”
Esker proudly provides document process automation across procure-to-pay (P2P) and invoice-to-cash (I2C) functions to reduce errors and free employees from tedious tasks. Employees then have more time to interact frequently and accurately with suppliers in Esker’s P2P suite thanks to its 360-degree view of supplier information. From the supplier’s perspective, the portal’s simple registration process and self-service features makes it easier to repeatedly conduct business.
Contracts, the cornerstone of any business, are no longer siloed and inefficient with Esker solutions. Its automation allows for contract life cycle management, tracking of spend and notification of renewal dates in the dashboard analytics. Other benefits of Esker P2P automation include invoice processing efficiency, rapid accessibility to documents, enhanced visibility into key accounts payable (AP) metrics and more effective management of staff.
A main barrier to supply chain collaboration is ERP misalignment. In Esker’s 2021 State of Finance Report, 96% of respondents say that ERP misalignment is a barrier to their company’s growth, with nearly half (47%) identifying it as a significant barrier. Esker’s solutions are ERP-agnostic and integrate with existing environments. Customers and suppliers can maintain their ERP independence without having to change the way they work.
For further information, please contact Chris Anderson at tel. (+27) 11 234 1560; fax (+27) 11 234 1387; e-mail chris@spi.co.za.
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Food Logistics
Food Logistics reaches more than 26 000 supply chain executives in the global food and beverage industries, including executives in the food sector (growers, producers, manufacturers, wholesalers and grocers) and the logistics section (transportation, warehousing, distribution, software and technology) who share a mutual interest in the operations and business aspects of the global cold food supply chain. Food Logistic and sister publication Supply & Demand Chain Executive are also home to L.I.N.K. and L.I.N.K. Educate podcast channels, L.I.N.K. Live, SCN Summit, SupplyChainLearningCenter.com etc
Esker
Esker is a worldwide leader in AI-driven process automation software, helping financial and customer service departments digitally transform their purchase-to-pay (P2P) and order-to-cash (O2C) cycles. Used by more than 6,000 companies worldwide, Esker’s solutions incorporate technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) to drive increased productivity, enhanced visibility, reduced fraud risk, and improved collaboration with customers, suppliers and internally.
SPI
SPI is a company that provides utility software products and services to the Open Systems segment of the IT industry. It is the sub-Saharan Africa distributor for USA-based Innovative Routines; USA-based Help/Systems; USA-based Linoma Software; France-based Esker; and; UK-based OpusVL (ex Xi Software). SPI also develops some of its own software utilities to complement the overseas products that it distributes.
SPI has a wide and varied customer base and includes organisations such as Aspen Pharmacare, Johannesburg Municipality, University of Johannesburg, MMI Holdings, Nampak, National Brands, Stellenbosch University and UNISA