Synergy Group to Add Fibre to Operations at MCT Telecommunications

[Published on IT Web: 20 October 2009] -
MCT Telecommunications has selected Accpac CRM 200, from Softline Accpac, to foster better business practices and effortless information exchange throughout the enterprise and across its customer care activities. Synergy Group will be responsible for the implementation of the project.

Operating from Rivonia, Johannesburg, MCT Telecommunications is a leading provider of managed services for copper and fibre cable networks, and a supplier of operational support systems for outside plant (OSP) applications, as well as optical transport and specialised technology applications in the telecommunications environment.

Chief Financial Officer of MCT Masopha Moshoeshoe says the company is committed to consistently exceeding its customers' expectations by effectively aligning technology solutions and professional services with their business requirements. In line with this, one of the key factors that led to MCT's decision to invest in Accpac CRM is its industry-leading customer care automation module. "With its rich functionality, the customer care module will easily allow us to workflow the process we follow from the detection of a break to re-characterising the fibre as part of the maintenance and support service we provide. We will also be using this CRM module to project, manage and monitor the progress of our turnkey fibre-optic network and access builds.”

Ashley Regenass, CEO of Synergy Group, says the nature of MCT's operations call for monitored and transparent workflow and communication across its own departments, its clients, and other stakeholders involved in its fibre-optic network projects. “Our initial contact with MCT revealed that they needed a CRM solution that could go beyond sales force automation and that could easily be configured to manage multiple operational processes. They also needed a solution that would integrate to Accpac ERP. Integrating business rules across all channels, departments, and employees is easy with Accpac CRM automated workflows. In combination with e-mail integration, Accpac CRM ensures that actions requiring attention or escalation are automatically routed to the appropriate employees or partners.”

Keith Fenner, Sales Director, Softline Accpac, concludes that the scalability of Accpac CRM 200 supports MCT's commitment to continually evolve its business processes in order to track and assess its efficiency and effectiveness. “Accpac CRM is a vital component of any end-to-end business strategy. It offers outstanding functionality - from lead generation to sales to support - while providing an architectural foundation unique in the industry that adds value both at installation time and for the lifetime of the business.”

Capri Linen Puts the Lid on Sluggish Processes with Customised ERP from Synergy Group

[Published on IT Web: 8 October 2009] - Local cookware reseller Capri Linen is set to upgrade to Accpac ERP 500 5.5, from Softline Accpac, to support its growing needs and facilitate the streamlining of its operations. Accpac business partner Synergy Group will contribute to this new phase of the company's growth through custom developing a long-awaited hire purchase management system within Accpac 5.5.

Capri Linen has been in operation for 43 years. Its head office is in Randburg and operations extend to Namibia, Swaziland and Botswana. Credit manager Michael Swanich explains that the company's main business is the sale of cookware on a 24-month installment basis. This kind of business is synonymous with paperwork and the gathering of information from outside sources, like credit bureaus. “The National Credit Act has had a significant affect on businesses like ours. We recognised the need to upgrade our current system as it is no longer meeting our needs, especially in terms of compliance with the NCA. There is also no installment sales module in the system and since this is the basis of our business, it was imperative that we found a system that could effectively manage this for us. Another motivation behind the upgrade was to move towards a paperless environment through the digital storage of data.”

Accpac ERP 500 5.5 was identified as the best fit for the company and Synergy Group as the implementation partner of choice, due to its impressive track record in the areas of financial and distribution systems, as well as custom development services to enhance the functionality of Accpac ERP.

Synergy Group's CEO, Ashley Regenass, says Accpac ERP 5.5 will provide Capri Linen with all the tools for success. “The solution combines the benefits of ERP and CRM to support integrated front and back office business processes and workflow. This, together with the embedded hire purchase management system, will improve Capri Linen's decision-making abilities by providing insight into what is happening within the business, enhancing collaboration between departments, and facilitating improved customer relationships by providing employees with a complete and consistent view of the customer.”

The biggest benefit to Capri Linen is that the hire-purchase module is an end-to-end solution within the ERP, so there will be no integration challenges. The company will benefit tremendously from the improved functionality the suite offers, the successful implementation of which will lay the foundation for solid future growth.

Keith Fenner, Sales Director, Softline Accpac, concludes that Capri Linen's ERP system can be still further enhanced to meet their market's specific requirements, if necessary, thanks to Accpac's wide range of high-quality integrated vertical tools and the expertise of development partners such as Synergy Group.