ERP is a short, three-letter acronym with big business implications. Enterprise resource planning is the software that records and manages enterprise data, automating and integrating core business processes, such as taking customer orders, scheduling operations, and keeping inventory records and financial data. Or, as SYSPRO Africa MD Mark Wilson puts it: ‘ERP is the backbone to a lot of businesses.’

SYSPRO has been around since 1978 – a relative eternity in modern-day tech terms. Over those 41 years the company has built a reputation across the region, with headquarters in Johannesburg and offices around the world. ‘SYSPRO is in an exciting space right now, for a number of reasons,’ says Wilson. ‘We have a loyal, long-standing customer base, which we’ve built by having great technologies and, more importantly, by having a customer-first approach. We like to put forward solutions that meet our customers’ requirements and allow them to “future-proof” their business.’

Being in the ICT space, SYSPRO – like everybody in the industry – faces rapid, relentless disruption. For Wilson, the challenge lies in differentiating SYSPRO within that disruption. ‘There are a few things that people hang their hats on, on this journey,’ he says. ‘For us, the technology is a given. That’s what you’d expect from a pedigree organisation like SYSPRO. The journey is about understanding our customers and understanding the environments they operate in. If you’ve got that mindset you’re bringing value to them.

‘SYSPRO has been around for 40 years, so we have a base of knowledge that gives us a great foundation for innovation,’ he adds. ‘We have a great solution offering in that base, and on top of that we’re putting out some great technologies: bots, artificial intelligence, IoT and so on. The next step in the journey is to see how our customers can take this new technology and innovate and differentiate themselves.’

ERP used to be seen simply as a system of record. However, as those technologies take hold, an increasing number of businesses are looking for it to be a system of engagement. ‘Every organisation is at a different level of maturity in this journey but they all want to get good data out of it,’ according to Wilson. ‘The ecosystem is morphing and changing, and when people invest in AI or IoT, they’re looking for big returns on their investments. So you’re breaking new ground when you go on this journey.’

Journey. It’s a word Wilson uses often when discussing SYSPRO Africa’s work – and it reveals his long-term approach to an industry that’s often all about immediate results. ‘When you’re the heart and soul of a customer’s business – as ERP is – and they want to put a new inventory management structure in place, it’s not just a quick decision. It requires lots of project planning, getting the right steering committee in place, and making sure you have the right industry experts around the table. These journeys take months, sometimes even years. But it’s not a race; it’s a journey.

‘You might be lucky and have a sales cycle of three months but generally your sales cycle is six, 12, 18 months, because your customers need to need to know that they’re investing in the right solution to get the right results.’ So how does he lead SYSPRO Africa in this disruptive, ever-changing environment? ‘Your leadership style shouldn’t change,’ he says. ‘People talk about the different leadership types: autocratic, democratic, transactional. I would classify my style as transformational.’

For Wilson, that means creating or facilitating positive change. ‘When you’re going on these journeys you need to be strong in your conviction of the values you bring. How do you take people on a journey? You want to encourage a harmonious transition from where you are today into where you want to go in the future. And those are wonderful marketing words – “encourage”, “harmonious” – but what it really comes down to is being able to articulate and communicate a shared vision.’

Wilson sees his role as setting the vision and the strategy, and then putting the right people in place to execute it. ‘When I go into a customer engagement, I’ll go in as the face of business, talking about that vision and that strategy, but then I need to bring in the people with the expertise and technical expertise. As a transformational leader, you want to surround yourself with the right people who can deliver the right results across your entire structure. ‘Make sure you’ve got the right people with the right skills around you to help you weather the storm while you’re setting the direction of the business. Put your people on pedestals. Give them a voice, and let them be seen as industry experts.’

That expertise, drawn from the people Wilson leads as MD, forms the basis of SYSPRO’s well-deserved reputation as a leader in the ERP space. And it’s what will continue to power the organisation as it continues on its own journey.

By Mark van Dijk