Johannesburg, 07 Feb 2003
IBM`s acquisition of PwC Consulting and resultant formation of its Business Consulting Services (BCS) division will directly benefit South African organisations looking for more flexible technology solutions in order to be able to provide on-demand services to customers.
So says Alfons Meyer, former head of PwC Consulting in South Africa, now head of BCS at IBM South Africa.
"We`ve seen more and more companies insist that their IT investment facilitate bottom line business performance and growth, rather than just automate traditional business processes.
"To achieve that requires strategic business consulting skills, expertise in specific industry issues, and an understanding of key solution areas such as customer relationship, supply chain and financial transaction management. PwC Consulting has been a recognised leader in those.
"But one also needs to combine those skills with large-scale implementation capabilities such as outsourcing, IT infrastructure skills, key technologies, and financing - where IBM leads.
"BCS is the means of combining the two capability sets. It understands how to relate technology solutions to real business problems - and can not only also build and manage those solutions, but leverage industry-leading research capabilities in building customised, ground-breaking ideas and solutions.
"So, we can move customers very quickly to what is rapidly becoming the new way of doing business - the on-demand model."
On-demand solutions embrace Internet and mobile technologies to enhance a business proposition. They allow organisations to respond to their customers, literally, whenever and wherever the customers demand them.
They are based on integrated business process systems that can anticipate changes, accommodate any number of business variables, and quickly adapt to those changes so as to improve efficiency and performance and lower costs.
Initiatives such as grid computing, autonomic computing, Linux and Web services are going to be the building blocks of these dynamic IT infrastructures.
But, these are new concepts and technologies, and Meyer believes that providers should be in the front line with their customers as the customers adopt them.
"IT decisions are no longer just procurement decisions, but increasingly critical business investments involving a wide range of IT and line-of-business decision-makers. And being able to trust a supplier becomes the pivot on which the success of a business strategy turns.
"Which is why we focus on building relationships. We believe in doing it with the client and not to the client.
"And, we will maintain our technology objectivity all the time. BCS is not about selling IBM boxes.
"Clearly IBM technology is superior. It is also pre-integrated and designed specifically for a future world of grid and autonomic computing. And it`s backed by the world`s best services organisation, IBM Global Services. So, it`ll often be a first option - because it can do what our clients will need it to do. But it`s not the only option.
"BCS will always keep its integrity intact by choosing the option that best serves the customer`s business interests."
The 250-strong PwC Consulting team in SA has been integrated with the IBM Business Innovation Services business unit of 50 people from 1 January 2003.
The South African PwC Consulting team has strong expertise across a number of industries including telecommunications and mining and, during 2002, doubled its practice in SAP. IBM in SA has a highly-honed specialisation in financial services.
Meyer says the integration and change management process will focus on preserving the skills in both companies. "That will put us in the ideal position of being able to supply customers with the most appropriate skills for their particular needs."
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