https://www.engineeringnews.co.za

The ‘third platform’ could revolutionise MEA’s economies

30th April 2015

  

Font size: - +

This article has been supplied as a media statement and is not written by Creamer Media. It may be available only for a limited time on this website.

By Anish Kanaran, Channel Director for Epicor in the Middle East, Africa & India

There are a new generation of technologies emerging in business that promise greater levels of responsiveness and agility than ever before. Each of them has the potential to provide companies with the tools to offer a better customer experience and the promise of adapting more quickly to clients’ changing needs. They are called the ‘third platform’ technologies.

The ‘first platform’ was the mainframe computer – a single machine used by large organisations for critical tasks via terminals. The ‘second platform’ was the development of servers and PCs. The ‘third platform’, according to analyst firm International Data Corporation (IDC) , comprises mobile computing, social networking, cloud services, and Big Data analytics technologies.

The Middle East and Africa region (MEA) is at the forefront of the third platform’s rise. In fact, analysts suggest ICT spending  on these technologies in MEA will reach USD 270 billion in 2015, making the region the second fastest growing market in the world, with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar leading the market surge.

But while the third platform offers huge opportunities – especially in sectors such as manufacturing where it affords access to data about machines, partners, customers and suppliers alike – it also presents new challenges. Organisations will need to manage an increasingly overwhelming volume of data that needs to be converted into actionable intelligence. Unless they can achieve this, third platform technologies could be a huge headache.

The question, therefore, is how can these technologies be harnessed by organisations – and the wider economy – to revolutionise how they operate? The answer lies in a new generation of enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions.

However, ERP software needs to break ranks with the past. Rather than being back-office systems that provide transactional support, they need to bring information afforded by the third platform to those who need it, at the moment they need it, in a form that they can use, and in a way that they can act, regardless of where they are located.

ERP applications with social, cloud, mobility and analytics capabilities can help unlock the future potential of a business. Given the increasing number of connected devices that churn out a large amount of data, cutting-edge ERP solutions sort, filter and organize information in a manner that allows real-time access and interpretation. They work by putting relevant information to the fore through integrated functions designed to highlight the most critical data. 

Businesses can leverage the strategically filtered and organized information to make accurate decisions. It also affords new insights, strategies, plans, optimal business operations, new market opportunities, and the ability to act with confidence.  

Having easy access to relevant information will assist in a company’s operations and help develop clear goals. It promotes faster reaction to customer inquiries and enables better tracking of order status and forecasts as well as inventory levels. Additionally, ERP solutions with enhanced mobile access capabilities promote profit growth by allowing employees who are always on the go to access information - anywhere, at any time and on any device – while protecting data security and confidentiality.

The third platform, in short, is essential for accessibility, and ERP solutions with such capability gives companies greater flexibility and agility to effectively keep up with fast-changing conditions, without losing the benefits of standardization and process integration .  

Aside from enhancing business processes, sophisticated ERP software brings customer interaction and partner integration to the next level. Branches, customers, suppliers and partners can be effectively and efficiently connected regardless of locations. This seamless interaction is essential to attain end-to-end visibility especially in multi-site operations.   

When integrated and used properly, the third platform supports the collaborative operational aspects of manufacturing and other sectors through ERP solutions that allow colleagues, business partners, and customers to communicate in real-time. Their information exchanges are tracked and stored as part of the ERP system.

Turning to next-generation ERP solutions helps organizations across industries to improve their productivity and operate more efficiently. Looking at the bigger picture, a strong industry with a high productivity rate bolsters economic growth. This bodes well especially for the MEA economy as it continues to methodically respond to the emergence of third platform technologies.

New Era Solutions, an Epicor value added reseller in South Africa for over 10 years, specializes in integrated and customizable IT solutions in partnership with global specialists in ERP, warehouse management systems (WMS), customer relationship management (CRM) and mobility, offering a single-source solution where customers benefit from one seamless working relationship that has all the right connections. www.newerasol.co.za

Edited by Creamer Media Reporter

Comments

Showroom

Booyco Electronics
Booyco Electronics

Booyco Electronics, South African pioneer of Proximity Detection Systems, offers safety solutions for underground and surface mining, quarrying,...

VISIT SHOWROOM 
Weir Minerals Africa and Middle East
Weir Minerals Africa and Middle East

Weir Minerals Europe, Middle East and Africa is a global supplier of excellent minerals solutions, including pumps, valves, hydrocyclones,...

VISIT SHOWROOM 

Latest Multimedia

sponsored by

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION







sq:0.098 0.159s - 158pq - 2rq
Subscribe Now