The importance of managing the flow of information between all business functions inside the boundaries of an organisation, especially one operating on a multinational scale, is a differentiating factor that sets operators apart from their competitors.
GSK Group is one such company that has embraced the advantages that a full-fledged enterprise resource planning (ERP) system can provide.
“We needed a system that is able to consolidate and standardise the company's monthly reporting structure, especially from a financial and budgeting perspective,” says Piet Engelbrecht, Financial Director at GSK Group of Companies.
GSK Group is a Djibouti-owned and run company that has grown to become one of the major players in the country, in a very short space of time. The group comprises 13 different companies that each specialises in specific disciplines. These include construction, multimedia, travel, shipping, surveying, ship chandling, logistics, manufacturing, general trading and courier services.
Sage ERP Accpac 500 was designed from the ground up to meet the demanding needs of diverse business environments, says Keith Fenner, Vice-President of Sales at Softline Accpac, part of Sage Group. “It provides unprecedented flexibility that comprises a robust suite of modules that provide comprehensive customisation and scalability. It also seamlessly integrates to provide a full set of end-to-end business management applications, that is ideally suited for a large-scale operation that needs to amalgamate its operations,” says Fenner.
GSK Group decided to go with Sage ERP Accpac 500 due to the product and company's impeccable track record and presence in Africa. “An in-depth analysis was done to establish the best fit and customisation that will be needed, which was presented to the client and subsequently accepted,” says Hemant Bhagwan, Managing Member of Antwan cc t/a iLink, a Proudly South African and Certified global software solutions provider that works in partnership with Softline Accpac.
“The new software will allow the CEO to view the status of GSK Group on a weekly basis, in addition to increasing the base of users that will allow all managers to track their debt collections and payments. The group will also be able to implement budget tracking against actual, which will open the door for monthly feedback meetings, largely improving efficiency,” explains Bhagwan.
“The installation process will entail a once-off set-up process that will consolidate GSK Group's processes, enabling them to link their yearly budget into their reporting process. The process was previously maintained in an Excel format, which will be directly loaded into Sage ERP Accpac 500, making the information derived current and relative,” says Bhagwan.
“The new system will provide the means for regular and accurate reporting that is an invaluable source of information in our line of business,” says Engelbrecht. “The overall result is a system that is professional and able to provide us with a comprehensive overview of where we are, that forms the foundation of future, informed decision-making,” concludes Engelbrecht.
Share