‘It’s all about devising the best business solution’

Developing programmes just
for the South African market
is no longer economical,
says system’s expert Compu-
Clearing’s Arnold Garber.
“We are finding
that locally developed
programmes no longer
satisfy the appetite of
users who now have global
experience,” he told FTW.
“To develop programmes for
South Africa, with all the
sophistication and needs of
the South African market, is
just not economical, because
the volumes are not there.
This is the reason why
the company adopted the
representation of a product
called ediEnterprise,
developed by CargoWise in
Australia, who spent millions
of dollars in the development
of the product but could
economically justify it
because their market is the
US and Europe.
“South Africa is big
enough to have the needs and
the sophistication, but not big
enough to have the volumes
to justify the enormous
development spend, and
so it is necessary to align
oneself with international
organisations,” said Garber.
But electronic solutions,
in his view, should never be
used just for their own sake.
“Of course, being a
technology-based company,
it is all about electronic
solutions for us, but we don’t
punt the solutions because
the technology is there.
We rather look at how the
problems of the industry
can be resolved and where
technology is the solution,”
he said. “I always say if the
solution to the problem is
an elastic band or a rubber
stamp then that is what
should be used.”
According to Garber,
too many service providers
devise technology and then
look for situations where that
technology can be used.
“We work the other
way round. We look at
the business problem and
devise a business solution
that may or may not involve
technology.”
Electronics, without doubt,
said Garber, means progress
and new challenges – as
has been the case in South
Africa with the Customs
modernisation programme.
“The process is faster,
smoother and all in all more
efficient. It has however
meant that we have been
able to grow our business
as it has resulted in many
more people now needing
our services when they
previously did not.”