If there’s one thing global competition has taught us, it’s that our attitudes towards technology can mean the difference between success and failure. Industry 4.0, the ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’, is still in the early days of adoption, but the changes it promises are profound. Over the next decade, forward-thinking businesses will embrace change and transform themselves, through connectivity, data, automation, and an increasingly sophisticated workforce.

There has never been a more exciting time to be a small or medium sized business. Technology has levelled the playing field - making it possible for SMMEs to compete with big business. Here are a few of the things making SMMEs smile:

Attending our customer conferences across the country reminded me of how important technology innovation is to optimize and future proof our customers business. Speaking to delegates over coffee also grounded me regarding how important getting the basics of ERP, the support we offer, and the way we deal with customers, right as well today.

Traditional ERP systems have simplified and revolutionised modern business. However, in today’s world of globalised and digitised markets, it is becoming increasingly vital to access tools and data on the go. Here are some of the key things driving the move to mobile ERP:

In a previous blog, I pointed out that success is easier to achieve within an ecosystem of trusted partners. I thought I’d stay on roughly the same theme in tis blog by discussing advances in social media-assisted collaboration.

In my first “fighting fraud” blog, I talked about fighting fraud on the human front.  And as promised this blog covers some basic tips to start fighting fraud on the technology front.

1. Boosted capabilities. Cloud gives small and medium sized businesses the opportunity to compete with larger organizations. SMEs gain the ability to use enterprise applications that they otherwise couldn’t afford, letting them compete more effectively.

It’s an exciting time to work in the field of supply chain. There’s a sense of change in the air – an awareness of the future unfolding. There are thought leaders who think we’re headed for a ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’, an era of sustainable, socially conscious enterprises, underpinned by the intelligent interconnection of software and machines. For decision makers along the supply chain, it’s time for research – and for vision.  In many instances, the adoption (or non-adoption) of today’s technologies will determine who thrives and who dies along the supply chains of tomorrow.

For most of my career, I have been engaged in making decisions, or helping others make decisions. Way back in 1997, when I was just a boy, I used a financial tool known as the Hillier Model to help a large South African glass bottle manufacturer decide where to put capital in order to best serve market conditions.

Recent advances in robotics and machine learning (AI) have happened so quickly that industry observers could be said to be suffering from whiplash as the implications of AI start to be fully realized, even as the technology itself is still maturing.