Local turnkey solutions provider Dac Systems reports that it has, in partnership with enterprise information management solutions provider Intervate, integrated technology to boost the operational efficiency – as well as transform the inner workings – of the State’s 124-year-old security printing specialist, the Government Printing Works (GPW).

Dac Systems sales and marketing director Louis Laurie tells Engineering News that, as part of the project, the company implemented Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 and Microsoft SQL Server 2008 to enhance the GPW’s printing capabilities.

The Pretoria-based GPW serves as the printing company for a range of official documents that include passports, smart card identity documents, birth certificates, as well as tender bulletins and government gazettes.

“The GPW presently operates one of the most advanced passport manufacturing facilities in the world. It has also commissioned laser-imaging technology with the capacity to incorporate unique and high-value security features into documents economically.

“When we went in, the GPW was facing chal-lenges that included disconnected or non-interfaced systems and systems that did not meet the requirements of all business areas or functionality,” Laurie explains.

As a result, data transfer between systems had to be done manually and business processes were based on functionality of the systems and, therefore, did not allow for effective operations, he elaborates.

With the implementation and integration of these systems, the GPW has the resources and infrastructure to ensure that systems comply with government guidelines and policies.

Issues like overbilling and/or double-billing by vendors can be avoided, lengthy processes related to invoices are eliminated and financial penalties associated with missing prompt-payment discounts will be a thing of the past, states Dac Systems.

GPW financial services GM Rassie Barnard states that the Integrated Enterprise Resource Planning solution that Dac Systems has installed has removed manual interfaces between various modules.

“It is now easier to access data and informa-tion. All activities within the business process in AX are transparent, which adds significant value to our operations,” explains Barnard.

Microsoft R3 Offering
Last month Dac Systems announced that it offers global software giant Microsoft’s latest business software, the Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3, which was officially launched in April, to the Southern African business community.

“Dac Systems has established itself as a mainstay supplier of game-changing solutions designed to offer businesses the edge in project management and agility in overall operations, and this is just a step further in doing that.
“The Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3 solutions portfolio combines the advantages of previous software, such as the Microsoft Project Server 2013, Microsoft SharePoint 2013 for electronic document management and business intel-ligence and Nintex for workflow, as well as Dynamics AX for the back office, on-premise cloud and mobile,” explains Laurie.

He adds that Dac Systems’ offering includes advanced picking strategies that support increased pick route and handheld devices, as well as ‘put away’ functionality.

The technology also provides new transport-ation management functionality to manage shipments as they leave the warehouse, up to the customer’s site. This includes route management and transport cost management.

Other functionalities offered include inte-gration with online trading system eCommerce and social media. It also has the capability to plan budgets using Workflow and Excel and to import and consolidate cost centres into the corporate budget.