Remaining Relevant: Foreword

Small and medium businesses (SMBs) are hurtling toward an undefined future, where current technology roadmaps to success are quickly becoming outdated and irrelevant.

Browse any business or technology publication today, and you’ll encounter swarms of industry buzzwords, such as the metaverse, edge computing, blockchain, non-fungible tokens, digital twins, extended reality and many more. For Southern African SMBs trying to keep their heads above water during these difficult times, the technobabble can really be overwhelming.

Yet the risk and opportunity that digital transformation creates for SMBs cannot be ignored. The reality we are facing is that technology is advancing at such a speed that it’s hard for humans and organisations to keep up. This blistering pace has only been accelerated by the onslaught of the pandemic, which relentlessly forced even those companies and industries previously reticent to embrace digital technologies, to adapt
to a hyper-connected and hyper-competitive world.

This adaptation is all about remaining relevant in a volatile and complex environment. When faced with such decisions, our advice is to seek integration, consulting and implementation partners with a track record in serving as strategic counsel to their clients.

From our perspective, we understand many of the current challenges and would like to help you get ahead of the curve, optimise your business and accelerate growth over the coming years. Our aim with this ebook is to be real and transparent, to cut through some of the hype and explore which digital opportunities really matter today. Based on our own experiences through transforming our legacy business into a new-generation distribution company, we use these pages to share some of the steps your business can take today to sharpen its competitive edge. We care about empowering Southern African industries and future-proofing SMBs. Our focus isn’t on technologies that may take a decade to come to fruition, but rather on how you can leverage today’s affordable technologies to address issues that are keeping you awake at night.

These are the conversations we have with our friends, colleagues, and family about the same challenges you are undoubtedly facing. It is our privilege to share our knowledge and experience and hopefully, offer some practical solutions you can implement utilising digital technologies to achieve business outcomes such as cost reduction, enhanced employee and customer experience, and increased agility and revenue.

At the same time, we're keenly aware that the digital transformation journey is only just beginning. Your organisation and every SMB in Southern Africa faces years or perhaps even decades of relentless change and innovation. Digital technology is only in its nascent phases, and it’s only one of the science and technology advances that will reshape our society in years to come. Our view is that most SMBs, save for those starting from scratch with no legacy IT or processes, will need to operate in a two-speed mode to prepare their tech environment and business for the disruptions of the future. By both protecting and growing today’s core business, while anticipating and planning for the tech and business models of the future, they will be sure to adapt and thrive.

As your business embarks on a long-term transformation, it will be building a bridge between the analogue and digital worlds as well as preparing its workforce for a new world of work. Our goal is to work both with our channel partners and with you, to deliver solutions that help you navigate a future of continued growth, change and innovation.

Anton Herbst
CEO of Tarsus Technology Group

Gary Pickford
CCO of Tarsus Distribution