QBCon Company Profile

Company Profile

QBCon At a Glance
Brand Portfolio

The QBCon Way

Development Strategy

History

BEE Program

Clients

Contacts

QBCon is a business solution provider that provides innovative technology solutions to complex business problems that add value to a company by reducing cost, improving efficiency and maximising profit.

QBCon offers a wide range of software applications, which are both flexible and adaptable. Our products are fully customisable and can suit any organisations’ unique business processes and requirements.

The QBCon product portfolio includes; QBCon Enterprise, QBCon Lab-i, QBCon Q-CMMS, QBCon ProdX, QBCon Query Desk and Time Sheet, QBCon Identi, QBCon WebTech and QBCon’s Custom Written Solutions.

Continuous research and development enables QBCon to provide remarkable managerial support and this ensures that the use of computer technology is optimised within the organisation. QBCon firmly believes that technology can only be optimisedafter a thorough investigation of current business practices and processes, where after recommendations are made accordingly.

QBCon provides clients with a comprehensive service ranging from IT strategy and policy formulation to implementation. It is extremely important that value is added to the businesses of clients during this process. As an organisation, QBCon advises on business processes, technological direction, IT budget and infrastructure, network and database design, IT personnel structure, IT structuring and other related areas that will ensure optimal functionality.

The organisation’s services do not end here, but stretches beyond implementation and development. QBCon provides clients with a wide range of after sales services and software support according to their needs. Aspects of after sales service and software support can be specified in the service level agreement even before implementation starts.

The software development by QBCon is divided into a cycle of phases. According to our practices, the highlight phases of the Software Development Life Cycle are as follows:

The distribution is mainly focused within South Africa and other neighbouring African countries. QBCon is very active in Namibia and operates from its offices in Centurion, Gauteng.

QBCon is a business solution provider that targets those small to large size enterprises that believe customised software applications will meet their company need requirements. QBCon’s customer base includes companies in different industries including retail, financial, laboratory, agricultural and manufacturing.

EasyAsk® is a powerful business intelligence tool. It provides a powerful and comprehensive natural language search and query platform that delivers the right information on demand. Through a rich, engaging user experience, EasyAsk quickly puts precise, complete and relevant answers and results in the hands of customers, partners, management and employees. QBCon is the only South African company certified to install EasyAsk®, and has invested heavily in training for it staff in the USA.

QBCon offers enterprise management software which is flexible and adaptable. QBCon Enterprise is a comprehensive Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System. It is widely deployed in the Retail, Agricultural and Financial Environments.

QBCon’s laboratory management solution changes a laboratory into a profit centre. The locally developed QBCon Lab-i is a powerful system that traces, plans and monitors laboratory activity. It is one of South Africa’s leading Laboratory Information Management (LIMS) applications. QBCon Lab-i is customisable to suit most laboratory environments rather than having the laboratory adjust its methodology to suit the software. QBCon Lab-i can be used in a variety of testing environments from microbiology to electronics calibrating.

The QBCon Computerised Maintenance Management System is an all inclusive plant maintenance system that aims to decrease downtime and increase plant productivity.

The QBCon ProdX Export Management Product range is designed to provide Local Exporters with a fully integrated business software package. A wide range of cost-effective production, logistics and export management products are offered, which will ensure that operations run smoothly.

QBCon’s Query Desk is a user-friendly web-enabled helpdesk, tracking software application that eases communication, tracks and reports problems, customer complaints and enquiries. QBCon Time Sheet Management is a software application that is used for time reporting, project tracking and client billing.

QBCon’s order verification software assists in making sure that customer orders are expedited timely and correctly.

QB-Asset manages assets in accordance with accounting regulations, such as Generally Recognised Accounting Principles (GRAP) and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).

QBCon’s dynamic Web software makes updating and managing a website possible to everyone, assisting those who do not understand the finer technological detail of their sites.

QBCon specializes in providing custom designed business solutions. QBCon has developed many ground-breaking software solutions for several industries, ranging from healthcare management to manufacturing.

The phase starts with an internal meeting by the sales department to brief and outline the client’s required business solution. All of the client meetings are facilitated by the Project Manager or Business Analyst to communicate QBCon’s procedures for Development. The basic points that will be discussed during the internal meeting are to gain a background on the company, its client project owner, general requirements, deliverables and scope. Project Managers and Project Sponsors are identified to ensure all relevant expertise is acquired for the project. The time frames and resource availability along with the client expectations are discussed. Once potential risks have been identified and assessed, all techniques to manage the risks are proposed. An initial meeting with the client will be arranged and will be facilitated by the Project Manager or Business Analyst to communicate QBCon’s procedures for development and all other points discussed in the internal meeting. The sales department analyse the information gained during client meetings and prepare a proposal that is presented to the client. Once the client has accepted the project the phase is completed with the signing-off of the proposal to do a URS.

The Business Analyst completes an analysis of the client’s needs based on the user requirement. Standard Operating Procedures are the focus in this stage and the outcome will be an indication of deliverables and the basis for the pricing of the software development and the creation of the Functional Requirements Specification. The URS documentation provides the client with a full and complete specification for the new software product and is based on the requirements of the client. The URS project manager can define a cost estimate for the project once the URS is complete. A Project scope is written to serve as guide for future project planning. The project scope documents the needs of the business or problems the project will address, the project objectives and the project’s expected outcome. The client is given a QBCon standard development proposal.

Project planning defines the exact parameters of the project and ensures that all the pre-requisites for project execution and control are in place. It is a detailed plan that defines and expands on the activities and tasks identified during the Project Initiation phase. A communication plan is developed in this phase to identify all people with an interest in the project. All progress to date is described according to accomplishments, changes in tasks, resources with new target dates. Description of the action plan for addressing open issues and potential impacts on the project are also supplied. Any changes to be made to the project follow the procedures provided by the scope variation plan. The client is then informed of the timeline for the project and how/when progress will be completed during the Client Kick-off Meeting. To define the internal workings of the software a Functional Requirements Specification is drawn up to help the developer understand why the requirements are needed.

Activities in this phase include the completion of a communication plan that ensures the receiver not only understands the information, but the information is received correctly and complete. When a change to the scope is considered, all parties must agree to the change and understand the impact. When this process is instituted early the effectiveness of the change is tested. The client and project sponsor soon become accustomed to the way changes will be managed throughout the project. The software is implemented, monitored and the client tests the product to confirm all requirements are met. Any further adjustments can be made before implementation.

Results of the project are assessed with feedback and survey results from team members, customers and other stakeholders. Best practices and performance patterns are communicated with a Post-Implementation Report. Feedback on the performance of the project formally closes once the client has signed-off the project.

The QBCon strategy is to strengthen its current competitive position for all its product offerings in the Southern African market. The vision is to provide customised business solutions and to continue to increase brand positioning as a custom business solution provider. QBCon lives by its slogan to Innovate, Customise and Evolve. With this philosophy QBCon is able to deliver on its promise of performance, quality and service support. QBCon engages in regular research to maintain its position as a professional technologically advanced service provider.

QBCon’s stated vision is to Customise, Innovate and Evolve to the benefit of its clients. Thus QBCon provides solutions that add real value to its clients and aims to improve profitability by lowering costs, increasing revenue and improving efficiency.

Founded in 1992 and based in Centurion, Pretoria the company offers comprehensive, integrated software solutions based on flexible software platforms and can effectively customise applications according to the clients’ needs. QBCon’s technical advancement has led to the development of flexible software applications. Over the last 15 years QBCon has produced thousands of programs serving more than 2000 users. These applications support our clients’ existing business processes cost effectively. QBCon has been able to maintain an excellent track record by delivering projects within budget, time frame constraints and deliverables.

The flexibility of the QBCon system has allowed the company to design complicated business models that cater for diverse conditions like barter trading and product lost through evaporation. Some notable companies have chosen QBCon’s flexible and cost-efficient solutions in preference to many well-know and larger competitors.

QBCon is fully committed to the principles of Black Economic Empowerment. In March 2009 QBCon was revaluated for a Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment Rating.
We are verified as a Level Two BEE Contributor, with a procurement recognition value of 125%. The Certification was received in March 2009.

This R5.5bn a year giant in the agricultural sector captures almost 40% of the total Agricultural retail market. They have taken their first steps into the broader retail sector by expanding the business to also cater for the urban hardware retail environment. QBCon designed a business solution for AFGRI that integrated the systems of its previously separate business units, each of which ran different ERP systems. The massive undertaking was done within 8 months and at a fraction of the cost of similar competitors.

QBCon also provided innovative solutions for AFGRI’s retail environment where challenges like the lack of a communication infrastructure was overcome. AFGRI currently have 93 branches with a minimum of 800 users on our integrated ERP retail management system.

This client with its 430 users has employed is one of the six para-statal research councils in South Africa. They have contracted QBCon since 1992 for the outsourcing of their software development, utilising the full gamut of QBCon’s solutions; from laboratory management systems to financial systems. The QBCon system has consistently addressed the ever changing Government environment and provided business-changing results that has resulted in QBCon’s service contract being extended year after time.

West Rand Engineering (WRE) enhanced its plant maintenance and safety-related activities by replacing their outdated CMMS. QBCon’s Q-CMMS ensures that maintenance and engineering managers can examine repair history, identify trends and improve the reliability of equipment.

Ampaglas has been an industry leader in technological advancements in the plastic sheeting industry since 1973. They were the first company in South Africa to manufacture flat and profile polycarbonate and twin wall polypropylene sheets and will continue to be a market leader with a new plant maintenance system from QBCon.

QBCon installed a computerised maintenance management system- Q-CMMS at Genrec. This lead to Genrec passing the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) standards covering Operations, Safety, Health and Environment.

Europ Assistance South Africa, the local branch of the world wide assistance and insurance provider in the insurance and disaster management industry contracted QBCon to provide it with a comprehensive incident claim management system that will manage many of it core processes. In addition Europ Assistance also asked QBCon to install the natural language BI search systems, EasyAsk®, for which QBCon is the only certified installer in Southern Africa.

UNB is the biggest South Africa brewer of Sorgum beer. They needed a laboratory management system for their four factories and ten laboratories in order to dramatically reduce its costs and address management requirements. QBCon Lab-i allows the brewer to capture data remotely and report on it in a uniform manner.

This diversified Namibian retail specialist is another long-time QBCon customer with some 400 users. The implemented QBCon Enterprise retail solution has seen an expansion to 28 stores that span the range from community grocers to giant wholesale outlets. They currently capture 40% of the Namibian grocery retail market, and have indicated that they will be expanding their business to neighbouring countries in the near future.

The courier industry is demanding. In this industry fast, accurate information is a necessity. In a matter of seconds money can be made or lost. With QBCon looking after their fully customised ERP solution, the FTL division of Crossroads always delivers on time.

Cadbury Springer invested in a Computerised Maintenance Management System (CMMS). With Q-CMMS Cadbury Springer provides their clients, such as Woolworths, with top class confectionery as well as the greatest benefit in any retail environment…predictability.

Special challenges call for innovative solutions. Brent Oil is a reseller of petrol that needs a business system that can handle such challenges as variances in delivery volumes due to evaporation.

Green Gain needed to expand their service offering that provides Environmental Legal Compliance Services, Environmental Awareness Training, Safety Health and Environment (SHE) Legal Register and Auditing services. QBCon expanded the functionality of the environmental consulting house's DigiLex system. The new system is an integrated legal compliance system that performs as a legal compliance tool allowing the user to have access to all the suites of the Safety, Health and Environmental field. The enhancements will directly benefit Green Gain clients like Sappi, Engen SA, and Liberty Life.

This world class sheet metal fabrication, machining, manufacturing and heavy duty engineering works, makes some of the most impressive metal structures, such as super-sized dump truck buckets and shipping container transport cars. QBCon developed a Job Costing application integrating it with Pastel, their current financial system.

QBCon added a time and billing web application onto SAP Business One® for SMB Solutions. This allows users to access the SAP Business One® add-on via the web.

This distributor of medicines was built on vision and foresight. Early in the company’s history they approached QBCon for a business solution that could grow quickly without requiring constant upgrading and re-engineering. QBCon met the challenge and from humble beginnings Nampharm have grown to be the dominant force in its market.

Central Analytical Laboratories (CAL) specialise in the agricultural and horticultural industry analyse soil, plant material and fruit, animal feeds, water, fertiliser, lime, growth media and garden soil. QBCon configured and customised Lab-i according to CAL's unique business requirements.

Bytes Managed Services a Division of Technology Group (Pty) Ltd - www.btgroup.co.za

Products:
Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS),
Computerised Maintenance Management System (CMMS)

Products:
Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS),
Computerised Maintenance Management System (CMMS)