The JD Group Cash Trading Division has awarded an infrastructure outsourcing deal to the Integr8 Group. The deal includes the delivery of field support services to all the Incredible Connection and Hi-Fi Corporation branches throughout Southern Africa.
Hi-Fi Corporation remains one of the largest audio and visual category specialist retailers in the southern hemisphere. Similarly, Incredible Connection is one of southern Africa's leading and largest specialist technology retailers.
Together, operations include in excess of 90 locations in high traffic metropolitan-based shopping malls and areas, including Windhoek and Gaborone.
The JD Group Cash Trading Division's tender process was extensive and thorough, involving in-depth, face-to-face meetings with many of Integr8's current clients.
Lance Fanaroff, Integr8 Group's joint CEO, believes it was Integr8's proven ability to offer a complete national ICT solution, using innovative technology and ITIL processes that delivered perfectly on specific, stringent operational requirements, that secured the deal.
Furthermore, the flexibility that was offered by Integr8 to structure a flexible and scalable offering around the cash division's expansion plans was advantageous.
“I think the fact that both companies are looking at very similar expansion paths saw a fair amount of synchronicity in the partnership. Of course our willingness to provide a healthy balance of on-site support, coupled with our unique Nerve Centre delivery capability throughout South Africa and Africa, as well as the good cultural fit between technical teams, enhanced our appeal,” Fanaroff explains.
The solution devised by Integr8 was entirely outcome and delivery-based, rather than the risk associated for a client when using a yesteryear people-based contract used previously - still being used by many ICT providers, and indeed at many South African companies currently.
This means Integr8 has mitigated any form of risk whatsoever for JD Group. The company is paying for undertakes to provide a required service at a set cost, no matter how many man-hours it requires, and assessed only on its success for the JD Group.
“Integr8 believes in delivering according to what a business needs, not in just selling technology. We have almost 10 years of proven delivery capability and national and international delivery capability that ensures the right skills and the right technical solutions. When we commit to services or if we say we can do something, we will be able to do it. Risk is something the service provider should harbour, not the client,” Fanaroff states.
Another solution committed was Integr8's ability to hold spares throughout its national warehousing network, which means seamless swap-outs no matter where the outlet might be. Fanaroff says this service will expand and grow with the JD Group Cash Trading Division's requirements.
“I see this as the beginning of a long-term partnership between the groups. We have a similar culture and we are both in a considered but healthy growth phase. I expect to be commenting on our successes with the JD Group Cash Trading Division for many years to come,” Fanaroff concludes.
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