How technology is helping local companies to thrive during and after the COVID pandemic.
A survey conducted by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) revealed that 42.2% of South Africa’s businesses are running out of financial resources during the COVID-19 outbreak. According to Efficient Group economist Dawie Roodt, between 100,000 and 200,000 South African businesses could be shut down permanently due to the impact of the virus. As this paints a grim picture of our economic future, pro-active business owners are desperately looking to implement measures that will not only help them survive the coming changes but in some cases, even thrive through its disruptive waters.
The powerful potential of technology to build business resilience
Of those businesses that are able to weather the storm, the common denominator in many cases is their aggressive adoption of enabling technologies. This is confirmed by PwC’s Africa Business Agenda survey, which stated that 69% of participating CEO’s mentioned the use of technology as the best way to challenge existing business models and disrupt the market.
IT isn’t enough anymore – this is what your business needs right now
South African ICT provider Infoprotect has been designing complex technology solutions for over a decade. Their extensive experience makes them the perfect strategic partner to guide any business through this crisis. According to Infoprotect CEO Daniel de Gouveia, they are increasingly seeing South African companies adopting integrated technology solutions to foster the necessary agility. However, as Infoprotect Technical Director Hans van Vreden adds, “technology is the enabling factor for your business. It’s no longer a matter of ‘should we’, but rather ‘why haven’t we yet’”. Technology doesn’t have to be complicated. There are exciting ways to adapt and enable your business. The Infoprotect team recommends:
1. Technology that is service-based. Today’s technologies need a service-based
approach to customise its applications and optimise its impact.
2. Technology that is integrated. Disjointed components add friction and bleed
productivity – integrate everything.
3. Technology that is bespoke. Each business deserves a uniquely designed solution
that caters to their specific challenges.
4. Technology that is cost-effective. Don’t settle for line items that consume your budget
and don’t pull its weight in measurable results.
5. Technology that informs business decisions. Advances in business intelligence and
big data ensures a competitive advantage for those that can harness its power.
Infoprotect understands the need for integrated technology services
Known as specialists for retail, quick service and service station applications, Infoprotect adopts a value-orientated focus and acts as a single provider that integrates every aspect of the business technology ecosystem. Their offering includes everything from technology infrastructure and support, security management, connectivity options and disruptive tech like IoT, BI analytics and big data applications. Speaking of his experience, Ster Kinekor CIO Hilton Martin remarked:
“In my professional opinion, without the Infoprotect team’s sincerity and agility, Ster-Kinekor Theatre would not have achieved the milestones we have in such a short period of time. I can truly acknowledge Infoprotect as a true partner for now and the long haul.”
As South African businesses are staring down the barrel of one of the most unsettling economic seasons in recent history, make sure you do what’s necessary to enable your business, empower your team and ensure your continued prosperity.
