Mark Deck

Editor's Notes

• #3: A new norm is upon us. Traditional Business models are being turned upside down – the hunters now the hunted, global equalization is upon us– size is no longer a guarantee of success. The innovative survive and thrive … the nervous and slow go under …  What I’d like to do is outline some of the changes we’re seeing globally, describe what I would call “THE INNEVITABLE SHIFT TO DIGITAL BUSINESS” and show how SYSPRO ‘connect the dots’ in this world of change.
• #4: I am proud and honoured to be a part of Syspro, a great African organization, a company that is genuinely creating value, bringing innovation and driving change in our environment. In my few months at Syspro I have experienced first hand great new innovation we are able to offer our customers and some of these will be showcased during the course of the day.
• #5: It’s a well-known observation that every 100 years or so we see an accelerated wave of innovation that changes everything. In the 1760s it was the emergence of coal & steam, in the 1860s it was the introduction of electrification, and 100 years after that saw the birth of the compute & communications revolution. Each of these major industrial revolutions caused huge disruption, but also represented huge opportunity for those who were ready to take advantage. We haven’t yet reached the next 100 year stage, but it’s becoming apparent that we are already on the verge of the next major industrial revolution. The period between revolutions is shrinking as the pace of innovation increases, and the next major upheaval is upon us even as some of us are still navigating our way through the 3rd revolution. The 4th Industrial Revolution is characterised by the World Economic Forum as a fusion of Physical, Digital and Biological systems – it sounds futuristic and a bit “out there”, but we’ll share examples of where this is already happening. What’s clear is that the 4th IR represents the next opportunity to not only play catch up but to leapfrog the competition. Those who embrace the opportunity have the chance to change the rules of the game again, with those who don’t adapt at risk of being left behind.
• #6: So in this new world how do we keep up? How do we embrace these remarkable times? AND take advantage of the opportunities and keep reinventing how we do business ? Delivering on expectation or better yet exceeding our customers expectations ? To a richer community We believe it all comes down to connecting the dots. Connecting the dots is the ability to see the bigger picture, to connect known dots, understood dots, to new dots and concepts. Then you combine the seemingly dissimilar concepts and create something entirely new and in doing so change the status quo, and create new environments or realities. Some of the most significant inventions that have shaped our world are a result of this concept – combining , challenging and connecting the dots and finding a new reality.
• #7: Carl Zeiss was a German maker of optical instruments in the 1800’s best known for his contributions to lens manufacturing and the impact he had on modern day production of lenses. He opened a lens-making workshop in the 1840s. At first his lenses were only used in the production of microscopes, but when cameras were invented, his company began manufacturing high-quality lenses for cameras.   By 2018 we will be able to purchase Carl Zeiss smart glasses. These glasses have all the features of a smart device, but with a more subtle and chic look — a curved-lens that looks almost identical to a standard pair of glasses. The Carl Zeiss lenses will be less clunky due to the way they’re engineered. Specifically, all of its hardware — including the battery and processor — sits within the arms of the glass. This action of connecting the dots, shows innovation and more specifically how technology is impacting our daily lives
• #8: Leonardo da Vinci was a great one for making new connections. His greatest breakthroughs came from connecting the unconnected, and in particular, the insights gained by bringing different perspectives together. His expertise in anatomy helped him to create better portraits and sculptures, and also helped him make sense of mechanics and engineering. He himself defined innovation as connecting the unconnected
• #9: But there are so many dots to connect   Connecting ideas with different ideas to create new and unusual concepts Connecting ideas from different places, across geographies and sectors  
• #10: Connecting products and services, into richer customer experiences( which is something close to my heart)
• #11: Connecting markets in new ways, to operate different and better Connecting customers with customers to build richer communities   Today we want to share with you some of the intricate patterns, dots and connections that are shaping our world. We hope that we can enlighten, inspire and intrigue you! Possibly even entertain you! Most of all we want to give you insight into the world of tomorrow, a sneak peak of what the future holds for us.
• #12: The landscape has changed and Data is driving this change! Today the consumer is far more informed and demands the same instant satisfaction from business that they are used to in their daily lives and interactions, while at the same time expecting a personalised 1:1 service. Current thinking talks to the customer journey and getting closer to the customer. In the world of rapidly evolving business models and accelerated innovation, the most likely disruptor to an existing business is increasingly not the traditional competitor, but one which blindsides you. It could be a company that never previously existed – the frequently referenced examples here are companies like Airbnb and Uber – but it could also be companies who make unpredictable moves across industries like Tesla. A much lesser known example of disruption from unexpected places, is Astalift – the cosmetics brand. Astalift was launched to the Japanese market in 2007 by Fujifilm – yes, the camera film company. Why would a company known for camera film make this seemingly unconnected product line? It’s due to similarities in the construction of camera film and human skin (collagen is present in both) and the need to protect them from the damaging effects of UV rays. Fujifilm took learnings from it’s work in protecting camera film, and applied them to creating cosmetics. Within 6 months of launch the Astalift brand was available from over 2000 stores throughout Japan, and within 3 years was generating sales of nearly $100M per year. The brand has since entered (and exited) various other worldwide markets, but how many traditional cosmetics companies would have ever had Fujifilm on their competitive radar? We need to keep reviewing our businesses, customer communities and tools in order to connect those dots and innovate in such a way to give our customers the edge to compete.
• #13: I am proud and inspired by what I see happening in Africa. The continent is brimming with a rising new generation of bold , creative-thinking innovators and entrepreneurs who are constantly inventing and developing new technologies that will simplify our daily lives and transform societies…… ….technologies with global appeal and commercial viability in any part of the world.
• #14: 16 years ago Brookside Dairy and Syspro began a journey Brookside Dairy was a small processing plant on the outskirts of Nairobi, and has grown into the largest dairy in Kenya, and one of the largest in East Africa.   The company started off producing a mere 5,000 litres of milk per daily, procured from nearby farms. This figure has risen steadily over the past almost two decades by the Dairy extending their reach to more suppliers and increasing their supply chain. Of all their suppliers, only 5% of these producers are commercial with the remaining 95% being small scale producers. This diverse supply chain has in turn empowered and enabled the community at large. Single widows with one or two cows are now able to contribute their milk along with the large commercial farms. Small holding farmers with a single cow can make a living, feed their families and form part of the larger economy. This however, as you may imagine, was quite a feat, logistically. Syspro was able to find solutions for the cash management, quality assurance and stock levels. Due to their number of agents and sub-agents (well over 500) and their tendency to deal in cash – cash management was an ongoing problem and a solution was required to successfully reconcile daily cash payments to the ERP system. The product quality assurance process was also extensive as well as time sensitive, along with management of stock levels and expiring stocks. Through a hand in hand process we managed to find an effective ERP integrated solution that addressed each of these challenges and requirements, and now the dairy boasts an impressive processing capacity of 750,000 litres per day – more than a 150% increase since it first began. Brookside now collects more than 95% of all Kenya’s milk. Simple, not at all, but doable with the right tools and insights and a little bit of elbow grease.   We are so proud of Brookside, their passion, vision and persistence, they are a fine example of how we enjoy engaging and working with our customers to design plans and solutions that can actively add a competitive advantage to a business merely by simplifying, automating and refining process and insights.
• #15: SYSPRO is one of those great exports, we are a global organisation, but African bred. With 12 regional offices, serving 6 continents in 62 countries for over 39 years, we have identified and learnt to evolved and find common themes to help create the best experiences possible Over the past year we have specialised in focussing our efforts in order to be able to provide the best possible solutions in the ERP space for our customers. Our R&D is field based, hands on, real world which is why we believe we can offer solutions that are relevant, appropriate, cost effective and future proofed. ERP is in our blood.
• #16: Before we end I would like to thank our valued sponsors and partners, for their support and significant value they add, not only to this conference but to our business and the solutions we are able to offer to our customers. Our Diamond and Platinum partners Prophix and Lync have joined us hear today from overseas. Our gold partner, Microsoft and our silver partners, EOH, iplan and Translution, thank you for joining us on this journey. Please visit their stands during the breaks as this is a wonderful opportunity to get a better understanding of their technologies and businesses.
• #17: So to conclude, I want to thank you our customer our sponsors and partners and each and every one of you for taking the time to join us. Together we can connect the dots
• #18: Get connected during Conference and you could be taking home a Samsung Virtual reality headset or a Drone Please tweet as much as you can using the hashtag’s on screen have fun and be creative. I would now like to open the floor to Dion Chang.