Core to the Pure Approach is a focus on ensuring that every transaction is as easy as possible, for all stakeholders involved. With the increased focus which COVID-19 has placed on organizations to embrace technology, we sat down with Gareth Loudon to discuss the steps which Pure Trade Africa has taken to stay ahead of the curve.
Starting off with his thoughts on why he believed embracing technology is crucial for organizations, Gareth indicated that his initial aims were geared towards improved efficiency, “The idea was to be able to ensure that there was an efficient and effective flow of transactions between the operational and finance teams and at the same time allowing us to provide the customers, suppliers and clearing agents with the documents that they require.”
Whilst improving efficiencies in order to be able to improve stakeholder service may be an objective for any organization, he proceeded to explain that this was not a luxury for Pure Trade, “Lead time in this industry is everything, with so many commodities being sourced from all over the world, cutting down on the time taken to move goods supplier to end client is very important. It allows the client to reduce the number of hidden variables associated with long term forecasting, this reduces the amount of consignment stock needed and ultimately allows the client to focus on their outputs and not managing their inputs.”
In painting a picture of exactly what steps he and his team had taken towards embracing digital, two key areas have been of particular focus, “from day one we have looked at breaking the mold in terms of how we view and process information. First, we did away with our rigid accounting system and in turn, implemented a much more flexible cloud ERP system. Now, we are developing an internal system which integrates project management, communications, and a relationship management system which will not only streamline our activities but also improve our understanding of the various aspects of the supply chain.”
The number of ‘cogs’ which must work in harmony for the successful performance of any transaction – from suppliers to various logistics providers, warehousing providers, and clearing agents – as well as the need to provide the client with a clear picture of progress throughout, brings the efficiency of internal systems to the fore. Touching on the benefit of these systems to clients, “The biggest asset to our operational capabilities is that the whole company is geared towards operations. From the sales teams understanding the operational requirements when quoting, this allows us to manage the issues that may arise by pre-empting possible issues and adjusting for it before the deal is finalized. This also means when an issue does arise it is all hands on deck to get the problem solved with the least impact on the client but at the same time ensuring that they are well informed throughout the process.”
Embracing technology forms part of our commitment to ensuring that all of its clients are able to enjoy a dynamic, proactive, and informed supply chain solution. To find out more about our service, please contact us!