Digital platform provider, OutSystems, has announced a partnership with business transformation specialist IndigoCube aimed at enabling South African companies to maximise their existing SAP investments.
The partnership leverages OutSystems award-winning rapid application delivery low-code platform to help companies transform core SAP systems into more intuitive, beautifully-designed digital interfaces – such as mobile apps and responsive websites.
It’s initially focused on the financial services, telecoms and mining industries, where IndigoCube has deep local expertise and a stellar track-record of successful digitisation programmes.
“Many large organisations in these industries rely on SAP infrastructure to power their operations,” notes OutSystems South Africa, regional director Craig Terblanche. “However, very few are capitalising on this data to truly innovate, create new offerings, or extend services to a broader base of users.”
With the philosophy that clients need not ‘rip and replace’ their existing SAP infrastructure, OutSystems and IndigoCube provide a digital platform on top of these legacy systems. In effect, they’re instantly propelled into the new-age of IT – ready to benefit from software practices like DevOps, agile, continuous delivery, automated testing, and more.
OutSystems low-code application platform negates the need for complex system integration and exorbitant SAP consultancy fees. Its ‘low-code’ interface enables organisations to deploy native mobile and responsive web applications, across all operating systems and devices.
Terblanche explains the partnership achieves far more than merely extending one’s SAP data to users via sleek mobile apps: “The past few years have seen the data revolution spur the emergence of new digital platform-based business models. From Apple, to Uber, to AirBNB, they all share a common theme: exposing data to users in a way that creates entirely new value streams.
“With the right technology, these platform business models can be applied to traditional companies, to find new seams of untapped value and create rampant growth opportunities.”
However, achieving success in new platform-based digital economies invariably requires far more than just the right technology platform. IndigoCube’s unique set of frameworks, methodologies, tools and expertise helps to connect the technology with the business’ transformation vision.
“Our primary role is to partner with our clients, to discover their transformation opportunities,” explains IndigoCube MD Ziaan Hattingh. “Today, traditional business models are losing relevance at an alarming rate. We help our clients take advantage of high-growth opportunities made possible by new digital platforms.”
Transforming one’s operations means making some bold moves. In some cases, it means divesting of, or even cannibalising some of one’s existing business – before it’s too late and the organisation becomes entirely disrupted by newcomers.