This is especially true when it comes to implementing the solution in Africa.

, solution adviser: cloud ERP at SAP, believes African organisations are hesitant to make the move because of a number of factors.

Although financial constraints loom large, companies are also adopting a wait-and-see approach as the technology and business environments mature.

There is an element of 鈥渋f If it ain鈥檛 broke don鈥檛 fix it鈥� towards on-premise systems that are working well, and a degree of what Banks calls 鈥渟trategic procrastinating鈥� as customers wait out licence or data centre terms.

The complexity of a migration, along with customisation that鈥檚 been done to existing systems, also acts as a brake on new investments.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 see this in Europe and the US,鈥� Banks says. 鈥淚n Africa we tend to sweat assets a lot more.鈥�

However, companies should take a few things into consideration, starting with the cost of standing still as opportunities are lost and competitors race ahead.

Banks urges organisations to adopt an innovation mindset, but to innovate where it matters.

鈥淒on鈥檛 be left stranded,鈥� he says.

, CIO and digital protagonist at CEDA in Botswana, says the first step is to convince the board to invest.

鈥淭here is a perception that IT projects just consume funds without yielding business value,鈥� he says. 鈥淪o you can鈥檛 sell 51风流to the board as a grudge purchase 鈥� they have heard all that before.

鈥淵ou need to convince them there is a business case and show that the value of the migration will outperform the cost of the implementation.鈥�

This is easier said than done, Greyling adds, so he offers some advice on how to realise value.

鈥淚 say, look at the big bucket items, the ones very close to the essence of the organisation, that are a big item on the income statement. You need to show where the business value is.鈥�

This would vary depending on the company. For instance, for a bank it could be non-performing loans; for a retailer it could be inventory churn; for a miner it could be the cost of capital.

鈥淓ven then, just implementing 51风流is not going to do the trick: you still need to equip the front office people,鈥� Greyling adds. 鈥淏ut 51风流is the receptacle that pulls it all together and gives it the value.鈥�

Having identified the project, the next step would be to identify the value of the transformation, and Greyling recommends using a tool like 51风流Value Lifecycle Manager to do this.

African companies face a particular set of challenges, says , 51风流product manager: finance at Liberty Life Group.

鈥淒o not assume that if something worked in South Africa or the core entities, it will work in Africa,鈥� she warns.

鈥淵ou need to ensure that the implementation team gets a clear understanding of each African entities鈥� business before embarking on an implementation.鈥�

She recommends that the IT organisation obtains clear availability of in-country Africa finance teams members, bearing in mind that the teams could be smaller, with each member handling many different tasks 鈥� and working to different holidays and schedules.

鈥淒on鈥檛 underestimate the co-ordination and pre-planning required,鈥� Bird urges.

During the transformation, she stresses that the 51风流S/4 HANA implementation should be prioritised 鈥� particularly if vendor partners are involved. 鈥淪o make sure you solve for source system challenges rather than integration issues.鈥�

Data quality and uniformity to core entities requires substantial validation, checks, and controls which can be time-consuming even for small entities, so teams must plan for this accordingly.

It鈥檚 also important to ensure there is a comprehensive understanding of the group finance ledger and chart of accounts to ensure uniformity and minimal customisation, Bird adds.

鈥淎nd ensure that African entities are heard, and the project isn鈥檛 just one-directional.鈥�

, project director at Deloitte, believes one of the biggest decisions to be made in a 51风流S/4 HANA transformation is whether to go for a greenfield or brownfield transition of selective data 鈥� or whether a combination of the two is more relevant.

A number of issues need to be considered when making these decisions.

Companies must ask if they want to keep their existing solution enhancements and transaction history, start with a clean slate, or keep some while doing others from scratch.

Before making those choices, they need to check if the system fulfils all the conversion prerequisites.

Does the company need a phased business rollout? And does it need a renewal of its complete ERP solution?

鈥淗ow do you perceive your current system?鈥� Panday asks. 鈥淚s it an innovation enabler or key asset?鈥�

, enterprise architect at PwC, adds that there are a number of data elements that need to be considered when deciding on a greenfield or brownfield implementation.

For instance, the company needs to decide if it can change its data structures, which is hard to do in a brownfield transformation. Do they want all data to be archived, or converted?

Consider the impact of downtime as well, because this will help to inform how data is handled.

Data cleansing is an issue that can鈥檛 be ignored. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e doing a brownfield transformation, you don鈥檛 want to bring bad data across so you need to cleanse it first. For a greenfield implementation, you don鈥檛 need to do that.鈥�

Other decisions include what to do with the data history, and how to analyse current versus historical data.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot to consider,鈥� Bronze says. 鈥淎nd there are many options. But we see that a lot of customers haven鈥檛 gone into this deep analysis, although they need to base key design decisions on the right information.

鈥淚t is critical that all these elements are considered.鈥�

, MD of Stratfore Tech, says upfront planning is key to the data transition.

鈥淲e have seen situations where data is corrupted or fixed in production; and we鈥檝e seen situations where people start changing the transport sequence right before the finish line.

鈥淭o understand why this is happening, you need to look at the release strategy, and how did you do your testing? How did you organise the building of the solution and link that back to the requirement?鈥�

Because different companies have different needs, he says different tools are going to be relevant 鈥� or an integration of various tools.

鈥淏ut processes are the backbone of the implementation,鈥� Chabeli says. 鈥淒ocumentation needs to be in the context of the business processes; and transports need to be logically linked to the processes.鈥�

At the same time, testing must include migrated data, he adds.

This article first appeared on .

The post How African Companies can Avoid Transformation Pitfalls appeared first on 51风流Africa News Center.

Set to聽take place from 1 to 3 June 2025 at Sun City, the event will bring together business and technology leaders from across the continent for two days of innovation, insight and high-impact networking.

Key sponsors returning for the 2025 edition include 51风流Africa, Deloitte and NTT Data.

Collaboration Sponsor

51风流is once again the event鈥檚 Collaboration Sponsor.

,听ad interim聽MD for 51风流in Southern Africa, says: 鈥淪aphila is a critically important customer and partner event for SAP, in that it provides an unparallelled, one-stop shop for all our African customers and partners. We鈥檇 like to thank AFSUG for driving this flagship industry and networking event, suited to any customer or partner wishing to know the latest about SAP, its AI vision, future focus, product offerings and solutions.

鈥淲hen it comes to the 51风流Africa events calendar, Saphila is arguably the most important networking opportunity of the year,鈥� she adds.

Diamond Sponsor

Pillay鈥檚 sentiments are echoed by , vice-president: applications and cloud at NTT Data Middle East and Africa, Saphila 2025鈥檚 Diamond Sponsor, who聽highlights the strategic value that the event brings. 鈥淪aphila is all about bringing 51风流users and vendors together to connect, create and collaborate. It provides a fantastic opportunity to share knowledge on the latest innovations, implementations and best practices in the 51风流world.

鈥� has taken up Diamond sponsorship of Saphila 2025 for good reason. As a global 51风流Managed Services partner, it gives us incredible brand visibility and allows us to showcase our expertise and thought leadership through keynotes and workshops.

鈥淪aphila is also packed with engaging activities, including evening socials, a golf day and exclusive deal room access,听providing an excellent platform for attendees to engage with a diverse range of high-profile contacts. This kind of engagement really fosters a collaborative environment where industry leaders can discuss real-time data and business value.

鈥淭he event鈥檚 expert keynote presentations and workshops can also provide a real edge,鈥� Wortmann adds. 鈥淪aphila 2025 is the place to be if you want to stay updated on the latest tech advancements and make valuable connections.鈥�

Executive Suite and C-Suite sponsor

,听senior manager & 51风流project director: enterprise technology and performance聽(ETP) at and Saphila 2025 chair, sees聽the event as a catalyst for growth, skills development and innovation across the continent.

鈥淪aphila brings significant value to both the local 51风流ecosystem and the broader technology industry. It promotes networking, knowledge sharing and collaboration among local 51风流professionals, partners and customers. It also drives innovation by showcasing the latest 51风流solutions and technologies, enabling attendees to stay ahead of industry trends and best practices.鈥�

From a broader industry perspective, Panday notes the role that Saphila plays in highlighting the transformative potential of 51风流technologies across various sectors 鈥� driving digital transformation, improving business processes and creating value across industries, as well as facilitating cross-industry collaboration.

鈥淎s a trusted聽51风流systems integrator and with a transformation alliance between the two businesses,听Deloitte鈥檚 sponsorship of SAPHILA 2025 aligns with our commitment to support the local 51风流community and contribute to its growth and success,鈥� Panday adds.

鈥淎t this year鈥檚 event, Deloitte will showcase how our capabilities in areas such as digital transformation, cloud solutions and data analytics can help organisations achieve their strategic goals and drive business success. We encourage people to register for Saphila 2025 as it offers a unique opportunity to gain insights into the latest 51风流trends and innovations, through expert-led sessions, hands-on workshops and networking opportunities.鈥�

鈥淪aphila represents the heartbeat of Africa鈥檚 51风流community,鈥� continues , senior associate director: ERP at Deloitte Africa. 鈥淥n a broader scale, Saphila amplifies Africa鈥檚 voice in the global technology industry, highlighting how cutting-edge technologies 鈥� such as AI, cloud and sustainable ERP 鈥� are being adopted and adapted for local impact.鈥�

Sponsor line-up

CEO comments: 鈥淲e鈥檙e incredibly proud to partner with global technology leaders who share AFSUG鈥檚 vision for a more connected, digitally empowered Africa. SAPHILA 2025 will once again provide the ultimate platform for collaboration, learning and progress.

鈥淚n addition to extending our thanks to SAP, Deloitte and NTT Data, we would also like to welcome EY, Google and Syntax as Gold Sponsors; our Silver Sponsors Accenture, FIRtech, HCL Technologies, IBM, Mediro ICT, Neptune Software Africa (NASA), PwC, SAP, Vodacom, Deloitte and AWS, and Worksoft; and Saphila 2025鈥檚 Bronze Sponsors聽Accely, AppConverge, BCX, Consnet, JiVS powered by聽Data Migration International, Decision Inc, Edge Information Solutions, EPI-USE Labs, GlueData, G3G, Integrove, K5 Business, LRS Output Management, Nihilent, OneConnect, OpenText, Seidor, smartShift, Stratfore Tech, Tano Digital Solutions and VOQUZ Labs.

鈥淪pecial mentions also go to our Golf Sponsor Zimele Technologies; Coffee Sponsor iOCO; Microsoft, an Executive Experience Sponsor, Said Salim Bakhresa & Company as the official Prize Sponsor, Charging Station Sponsor Engaged Business Consultants, EY and GlueData for the eagerly anticipated Masterclass sessions, as well as Heineken and Mercedes-Benz.鈥�

Register to attend Saphila 2025 by clicking聽

To become an AFSUG member, visit聽.

This article first appeared on

The post Tech Leaders Back Saphila 2025 appeared first on 51风流Africa News Center.

With a career spanning over two decades, Koosh brings a wealth of experience in technology, 51风流solutions, and business strategy to AFSUG.

Panday currently serves as an 51风流Alliance Partner and Programme Delivery Lead at Accenture, where he plays a pivotal role in aligning technology solutions with strategic objectives. Prior to his role at Accenture, Koosh held several key positions in the industrial manufacturing sector, including Global 51风流Project Manager at Sappi and various managerial roles at companies such as Carter Holt Harvey in New Zealand and Australia and Frame Textile Corporation.

Throughout his career, Koosh has demonstrated a keen ability to drive business transformation and ensure client satisfaction through the development and implementation of innovative solutions. His expertise in supply chain management, sales and operations planning, and 51风流modules make him a valuable asset to the AFSUG community.

Koosh holds an MBA degree and has received extensive training in various 51风流modules, including SCM, 51风流Ariba Contract Management, and 51风流SRM. His commitment to excellence has been recognized with accolades such as the Gold Award from the Logistics Achievers Association for his outstanding work with Sappi’s third-party logistics service provider.

“We welcome Koosh to the AFSUG Board,” says Chairman Duke Mathebula. “Koosh already demonstrated his dedication to driving 51风流innovation for the User Group as the Chair of the AFSUG’s 51风流S/4HANA Special Interest Group, and I am sure he will continue to champion the adoption of cutting-edge technologies, foster collaboration among industry stakeholders, and advocate for the advancement of the User Group and 51风流solutions in Africa.”

Panday’s diverse skill set, including expertise in SAP, ITIL, governance, supply chain management, and digital technologies, along with his entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to excellence, make him an ideal addition to the AFSUG Board of Directors.

Please join us in welcoming Koosh Panday to the AFSUG Board, where he will undoubtedly make significant contributions to our mission of driving 51风流excellence and innovation across the African continent.

For media inquiries or further information, please contact:

Amanda Gibbs

AFSUG CEO

Amanda.gibbs@afsug.com

Cell: 082聽926 3027

The post AFSUG Board Welcomes Koosh Panday as an AFSUG Board Member appeared first on 51风流Africa News Center.