We surveyed CFOs and Heads of Corporate Finance & Accounting in different industry verticals from around Africa – in the African Finance & Accounting Leadership Survey Report.

Download the report now

Some of the key points that came out of the survey were:

• Over 25% of respondents said they would like to increase financial efficiency through technology and IT systems
• Over 35% of respondents are involved in high level, strategic decision-making and their involvement has increased over the last 12 months
• About 6% are looking to spend in excess of $1 million on technology procurement

These are just some of the findings that were published in our recent survey report.

To get the full picture of what African CFOs and finance professionals are talking about, download the survey report now!
 
This exclusive survey is free to download and will provide you with more insight on:

• What technology other CFO’s are currently looking to procure
• How relevant cloud computing is to CFOs
• How many CFOs and Head of corporate finance are directly involved with cash management and allocation

Download the survey now!

To find out more about the Finance & Accounting Show Africa contact me on +27 (0)11 516 4018 or email me julie.knowler@terrapinn.com

In Quintiq’s white paper on transportation optimization, Quintiq shares that a Transportation Management System (TMS) does not optimize orders across assets or enables a lean, low-cost supply chain. Hence a two-prong approach consisting of transportation management and transportation optimization is vital to the success and profitability of a supply chain business.

Here are 5 questions that will reveal sub-optimal planning in your organization:

1. Are your planners struggling to create a feasible plan?

The myriad of regulations and restrictions make coming up with a plan difficult, much less coming up with an optimal one.

2. Do your planners know when they have a great plan?

Given the complexity of considerations required when coming up with a plan, many planners are satisfied with producing just a feasible plan. To aim for an optimal plan might be deemed “too much to ask for”.

3. Are your planners missing valuable last-minute opportunities for consolidation?

Plans are often confirmed too early and planners are unable to re-optimize quickly and selectively in changed circumstances.

4. Do your planners find it difficult to cope with disruptions?

The flexibility and ability to tweak plans while they are being executed is crucial to achieving your KPIs. A crucial advantage lies in gaining swift insights on the possible consequences that result according to different assumptions.

5. Are your planners relying on common sense not business sense?

A common sense approach on a particular measurement might lead to sub-optimal results in other areas. In order to come up with the best decisions, planners must be able to determine the effects of a proposed plan on all relevant KPIs.

Early recognition of sub-optimal planning will enable you to enjoy (1) significant savings and (2) add real value to your customers. For example, Xstrata implements Quintiq’s Advanced Planning and Scheduling solution to enhance the planning and scheduling of its product.

(View full article here)

About Quintiq
Quintiq provides advanced employee & resource scheduling along with supply chain optimization software solutions. This fast-growing company, established in 1997, offers and implements software for planning and optimizing complex business processes throughout the enterprise. The company’s worldwide headquarters are located in The Netherlands and the USA with subsidiaries in Australia, China, Finland, Germany, Italy, Malaysia, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Quintiq systems are implemented in 76 countries worldwide. More at www.quintiq.com.

Quintiq is a Silver Sponsor @ SCM Logistics World 2012, 16th – 19th October 2012, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore.

Visit http://www.terrapinn.com/scmlogistics to find out more about SCM Logistics World 2012, Asia’s largest supply chain and logistics conference.

Download the agenda

For more information take a look at the website. And to register please contact me for a special deal.

Art Mesher, an analyst at Gartner and present CEO of Descartes Systems, wrote about “The Three V’s of Supply Chain” namely velocity, variability and visibility.

Today’s supply chain management is driven primarily by globalization and increased outsourcing where manufacturers have multi-tiered networks of suppliers, partners and customers, each playing a pivotal role in the supply chain. Considering the unpredictable economic conditions and variability in customer demands and other shocks along the chain, it is no wonder that visibility is now at the forefront of supply chain issues for a majority of companies.

However, the results have been a series of “hits and misses”. Therefore, in order to achieve supply chain visibility, manufacturers need to focus on the most relevant pain point for the business and build the case for visibility around that.

In Chris Jones’s article “Five Points for Getting Value from Visibility Solutions”, he gives five tips to ensure success in supply chain visibility.

They are the following:

1. Narrow the focus

Two major obstacles to visibility are (1) having too broad a scope and (2) a short term view of value. Typically, executives seek measurable results from the vague concept of visibility in a short span of time. Hence, it is recommended that executives assess their supply chain’s needs to focus on what is most necessary.

2. Manage data quality

Despite the availability of numerous data management software in the market, data quality remains poor. Implement data performance reporting from the initial stages so that visibility projects can produce great results.

3. Expand your constituency

Contrary to popular belief (and reality), data should not be limited to the supply chain organization. By allowing visibility and access to data by all parties, the information can greatly improve supple chain performance.

4. Add visibility layers

Having expanded your constituency, seek solutions that have a comprehensive view of the entire supply chain and layer in more events as you learn more about your supply chain performance drivers. This enables collaborative decisions that improve overall performance.

5. Achieve actionable visibility

With a strong infrastructure in place, as proposed by the above tips, take active actions to maximize the potential of visibility projects. Multi-party applications allow all parties in the chain to participate in the decision process and understand the impact of the decisions made by each party.

(Please view full article here)

To find out more about supply chain big data & analytics actionable to enhance supply chain visibility & agility, join us at SCM Logistics World 2012 this October in Singapore.

“We’ve made very good progress in 2011,” said CEO Monika Ribar. “It was a successful year where we achieved a lot. We enhanced our customer portfolio, we strengthened our product divisions with key hires and innovations, we made two acquisitions and we also expanded our network organically, particularly in emerging markets. On the volume side we did not reach all of our goals.”

Consolidated profit of CHF 127 million
Net forwarding revenue in 2011 experienced the strongest negative currency impact ever. It was down by 9% to CHF 6,500 million compared to CHF 7,164 million in 2010 (+2% currency adjusted). The figures also reflect the low freight rates prevailing in the market in 2011. Panalpina achieved a consolidated profit of CHF 127 million. In 2010, various non-recurring charges had resulted in a Group loss of CHF 26 million.

Panalpina Group: Results for the Full Year 2011 and the fourth quarter

Double-digit organic gross profit growth
All regions and product divisions recorded an organic gross profit increase. Gross profit came in at CHF 1,477 million despite a declining air freight market and falling rates. Currency adjusted, gross profit was up 12% year-on-year. North America and Latin America recorded the strongest gross profit increase in 2011 (both +19% currency adjusted), closely followed by Asia Pacific (+18% currency adjusted) which recorded the  highest ever full year gross profit (CHF 313 million). The EMEA region felt the difficult economic environment in Europe. Currency adjusted, the region’s gross profit increased by 6% for the full year 2011. Asia Pacific now weighs in with 21% of Panalpina’s gross profit (EMEA: 50%). Full year gross profit growth in the product divisions was led by Air Freight, which was mainly driven by strong yields in a declining market. Yield management also resulted in a rise of the Group’s gross profit margin to 22.7% in 2011 (20.7% in 2010).

Increased unit profitability in Air Freight and record volumes in Ocean Freight
In Ocean Freight, volumes reached a new record in 2011. The growth of 6% was in line with the market. Panalpina transported 1,310,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) compared to 1,241,000 TEUs in 2010. Gross profit per TEU of Ocean Freight was down 8% (+3% currency adjusted) for the full year 2011. In Air Freight, volume growth was negatively affected by the profitability restoration program. Panalpina transported 848,000 tons, 5% less than in 2010 with 892,000 tons. Yield focus led to a further increase in gross profit per ton of Air Freight, however. It was up 9% (+21% currency adjusted).

Increased EBITDA-to-gross profit margin and high free cash flow
The Group achieved an EBITDA of CHF 212 million in 2011, which was negatively impacted by CHF 27 million through currency translation. The EBITDA-to-gross profit margin increased to 14.4%, up from 14.1% (underlying) in 2010. Net working capital intensity fell to a historical low of 1.1% at the end of December 2011. Free cash flow before money market investments and acquisitions reached CHF 153 million (CHF 12 million in 2010).

Dividend payout and reduction of share capital for tax-free return proposed
Panalpina’s Board of Directors is going to propose a dividend payout and a payback scheme to the Annual General Meeting on May 8, 2012. A dividend of CHF 2.00 per share is planned. In addition, the general assembly is to approve a tax-free payback of CHF 1.90 per share through a reduction of the share capital. The nominal value per share is to be reduced from CHF 2.00 to CHF 0.10. The combined result of the proposed dividend payout and the reduction of share capital is a return per share of CHF 3.90 or a yield of 4.1% (based on 2011 year-end share price).

Significant investments across all product divisions
While Panalpina continued its strict focus on restoring unit profitability in 2011, it also made significant investments in future growth. “We invested in sales people and especially our product divisions. Today, our products and services are as strong as never before,” said Chief Operating Officer Karl Weyeneth.

As announced earlier, the Group signed a new ACMI (aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance) contract for two leading-edge technology Boeing 747-8F. The aircraft will go into service in the first half of 2012 and operate in Panalpina’s unique own-controlled air freight network, replacing two Boeing 747-400F. With the new aircraft, Panalpina is optimally set up to meet industry specific requirements and the increasing demand for large-freighter capacity, especially in the healthcare, high-tech, automotive and oil and gas industries.

In Ocean Freight, Panalpina launched more than 50 new direct Less than Container Load (LCL) services during 2011. The new regular services meet increased customer demand for reliable LCL solutions mainly on the Asia-Europe and Intra-Asia trades.
In Logistics, the Group extended its offering with Value-Added Logistics Services (VAS) and new logistics centers for example in Huntsville (USA) and Tianjin (China).
The Group’s Industry Verticals Automotive, Healthcare, Hi-tech, Telecom and Fashion performed particularly well in terms of gross profit growth. In Oil and Gas, the signing of a strategic services master agreement with one of the world’s largest oil and gas companies marked a major milestone in the execution of the Group’s growth strategy.       

Outlook
“We have a strong business model and we have laid a solid foundation to stand our ground even in difficult times. We will keep a strong focus on productivity increases and cost control. Following our ambition to provide end-to-end Supply Chain Solutions, we will also push our Value-Added Logistics Services in 2012,” said Ribar. Panalpina expects the air freight market to further decline in the first half of 2012 resulting in an anticipated market growth of 0% for the full year. In ocean freight, Panalpina expects a market growth of 4-5%. The Group’s target is to outperform the market. “2012 will be challenging. Expectations for near-term volumes are soft, especially in air freight where we expect to outperform the market as of the second quarter,” noted Ribar.

The Panalpina Group
The Panalpina Group is one of the world’s leading providers of supply chain solutions, combining intercontinental Air and Ocean Freight with comprehensive Value-Added Logistics Services and Supply Chain Services. Thanks to its in-depth industry know-how and customized IT systems, Panalpina provides globally integrated end-to-end solutions tailored to its customers’ supply chain management needs. The Panalpina Group operates a global network with some 500 branches in more than 80 countries. In a further 80 countries, it cooperates closely with partner companies. Panalpina employs approximately 15,500 people worldwide.
www.panalpina.com

Panalpina World Transport Ltd. is a Gold Sponsor at SCM Logistics World 2012. Check out their presentation at the conference by joining us! Take advantage of the early bird offer by registering now.

Victor Allis, CEO of Quintiq says: "We are delighted with Walmart’s choice of Quintiq. We believe this demonstrates that no supply chain is too large or complex for our state-of-the art Supply Chain Optimization software.”

The Quintiq Software, configured for the retail and distribution industry, is used to support the Logistics Load Managers at Walmart with assigning loads to driver-truck combinations to create optimal sets of trips, and to dispatch those trips through an On-Board Computer to the driver. Based on real-time updates from the driver’s on-board computer, Quintiq’s optimization engine continuously re-optimizes the sequence of trips and provides recommendations to Logistics Load Managers through its user interface.

Quintiq software is based on a revolutionary in-memory technology that provides direct feedback to the end-user and allows for increased visibility of a retail supply chain. Fast system feedback to end users is necessary, especially in a logistical environment where decisions need to be made within seconds. The in-memory technology allows for users to evaluate the impact of their individual decisions on the overall performance indicators in a real-time environment.

About Quintiq
Quintiq provides advanced employee & resource scheduling along with supply chain optimization software solutions. This fast-growing company, established in 1997, offers and implements software for planning and optimizing complex business processes throughout the enterprise. The company’s worldwide headquarters are located in The Netherlands and the USA with subsidiaries in Australia, China, Finland, Germany, Italy, Malaysia, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Quintiq systems are implemented in 76 countries worldwide. More at www.quintiq.com or follow us on Twitter: #quintiq

@Quintiq is a Silver Sponsor @ SCM Logistics World 2012, 16th – 19th October 2012, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore. Find out more about KPI-based planning, tips for better capacity planning and transportation optimization by downloading their white papers here:

Quintiq: KPI-based Planning – 6 steps that turn your business goals into operational realities

Quintiq: Logistics 5-Point Check – Are your logistics operations leaving money on the table?

Quintiq: Top 4 tips for better capacity planning

Visit http://www.terrapinn.com/scmlogistics to find out more about SCM Logistics World 2012, Asia’s largest supply chain and logistics conference.

In this second issue of CIO Straight Talk, find out:

• What do CIOs want? – Everyone’s always making demands on the CIO. What does the CIO want and need in return?
• Big Thinking – Read insights by Malcom Gladwell on innovation at the periphery, Nicholas Carr on the future of the cloud, Thomas Davenport and Vivek Ranadivé on analytics-based decision making
• Straight Talking – Eye-opening insights from the CIOs of Xerox, Air Canada, Old Mutual and other forward-looking companies on topics ranging from “extreme collaboration” to “lean IT.”
• Download CIO Straight Talk #2 here

Follow Straight Talk on Twitter @CIOStraightTalk

Write with questions or suggestions to talkback@hcl.com.

Find out what else you missed at The CIO Show Asia 2012 here!

How involved should CFOs be with social media?  I recently came across an interesting discussion in full flow on Proformative, debating just this.

Those pro CFO-tweeting, commented:

• “Most CFOs are not on Twitter. Being on Twitter, even if you’re not using it daily, allows the CFO to differentiate themselves and be a little more ‘hip’.”
• “CFOs should use Twitter to be more accessible. Build your lists to listen and contribute when appropriate.”

Contributors against Twitter’s use by CFOs idea argued:

• “I do not believe CFOs should use Twitter. Company messages should come from either the CEO or a generic account with the company name.”
• “From a marketing perspective, each company/organization should be closely controlling and following its C-suite execs efforts in the social media realm. Just as a CFO would never speak to the press without being prepped/cleared/rehearsed, neither should s/he tweet at random.”

Click here to read the full discussion.

What are your thoughts?

The people we’ve spoken with highlight their agreement that the right technology tools can make a difference in optimizing their supply chain’s performance. But the challenge they face is identifying which technology solutions would be the best fit with their current infrastructure, evolving requirements & performance targets. With an array of options, they want to cut through the complexity and get to the right tools that will fit in with their supply chain strategies.

At #SCM Logistics World this October in Singapore, the agenda will revolve around the major challenges of #Chief Supply Chain Officers today –

1. Responding to uncertainty and planning for recovery & growth

2. Making supply chain big data & analytics actionable to enhance supply chain visibility & agility

3. Optimising supply chain performance through re-engineering people, process & technology

If you have additional comments you’d like to share concerning technology in SCM today, please do get in touch with us by calling me at +65 6322 778 or email at marilyn.li@terrapinn.com .

Especially for technology solutions providers, if you are interested in opportunities to be featured as a prominent partner & thought leader at SCM Logistics World 2012, sponsorship options are available for speaking opportunities on our agenda.

Bob Caisley, Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer of #SGX shares how #SGX is pushing the growth frontier by breaking new ground in the areas of technology and connectivity while sticking to its regulatory imperative and pursuing higher standards to create the most trusted marketplace in the world.

Download Journey to Building the World’s Fastest Trading Engine here

In this exclusive interview, find out:

• How the Reach Initiative secured #SGX’s position as the Asian Gateway
• How important Business-IT alignment was in SGX’s transformation process
• How outsourcing played a crucial role in the success of building the world’s fastest trading engine

@hcltech is a key partner of #SGX and was indispensible in helping #SGX achieve their goals and vision. To find out more about what they do, email Shipra Monga at ShipraMonga@hcl.com or check out www.hclisd.com

Check out what you missed at The CIO Show Asia 2012 here.