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In times of heightened uncertainty , one standout technology for SMEs is Enterprise Resource Planning ( ERP ), though many small companies may be concerned about the budgetary impact of deploying such technology . Here , Dumisani Moyo , Head of Mid- Market : Southern Africa at SAP , highlights how accessible ERP solutions actually are for SMEs , as well as the top five benefits organisations can expect from implementing them .

N TODAY ’ S VOLATILE ,

A simple Google search on this subject yields more than 400 million results , with benefits ranging from improved productivity and efficiency to increased resilience and adaptability .

But what does it really mean ? Where does one start ?

These are pertinent questions , especially for small and medium-sized enterprises ( SMEs ) which , compared to their larger corporate siblings , have limited financial resources and skills needed to implement these solutions .

The Digital Transformation journey can be both daunting and complex . In a climate where many SMEs are trying to navigate a constrained and challenging post-pandemic business environment , the benefits of Digital Transformation offer some much-needed respite .

What is the difference between digitisation , digitalisation and Digital Transformation ?

It is important to distinguish between these concepts as they are often used interchangeably and can be confusing .

Let ’ s use the example of a security company that records footage of people entering a shopping mall and stores the video in VHS format . Digitisation is converting the VHS video into digital format and storing it on a hard drive . Digitalisation is uploading the digital video onto a video streaming service that allows multiple security guards to view the footage simultaneously .

And Digital Transformation is using facial recognition to analyse the people that entered the shopping mall to solve a crime that occurred at the mall . The security company could also sell this footage to other law enforcement agencies or insurance companies , converting what would have been cold data into a new source of revenue .

While both digitisation and digitalisation are part of Digital Transformation , it is important

THE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION JOURNEY CAN BE BOTH DAUNTING AND COMPLEX .