Innovative Solutions Group ISG

Wednesday, August 26, 2020

Business continuity plans to secure the future of SMMEs

 

Business continuity plans tosecure the future of SMMEs


Managing and growing a business is no easy feat, this task becomes even more difficult when you factor in recessions, economic downgrades and pandemics. But the hurdles entrepreneurs and their businesses are currently facing can also be an opportunity to pivot their companies and brands.



Arnoux Maré, Business Mentor to SMMEs and MD of Innovative Staffing Solutions

Businesses can create better continuity plans to not only mitigate the current economic crisis but also ensure the survival of the next disruption. This is how:


Planning


Any business that wishes to make it to the next financial year needs to have a strategic Covid plan that includes a new operating model that will determine the organisation's future. The way business has always been done, has become redundant. Consumers act differently, they think differently, they respond differently to marketing or product offers, they make purchasing decisions differently, and they behave differently.

A well thought-out plan should, therefore, take this into consideration when setting new goals and objectives, desired outcomes, metrics for measuring your progress, timelines, and budgets. This process can be divided into basic planning; information gathering; decision making; writing; review; and approval.

But planning for the future cannot happen in a vacuum. This blueprint must be accompanied by a situational analysis or audit to determine how your business is currently affected by the challenges, specifically Covid-19 related difficulties. This in-depth process needs to looks at the organisation’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and (competitive) Threats (SWOT) and the Political, Economic, Social, Technical, Legal and Environmental (PESTLE) factors currently affecting the business.

While strategic planning can assist a business with its vision and defining its overall goals, the planning tool will not resolve systemic issues such as poor leadership and poor financial management.


Finances


One of the quickest financial wins that businesses can capitalise on during an economic crisis, is to cut out unnecessary expenditures. This would have been recognised during the situational analysis.

Rather than solely focusing on plugging the seeping holes, businesses must try to create other avenues that generate revenue using the resources currently available to the business. One way of doing this is to test new revenue and pricing models with their “super-consumers”, those customers who spend significantly higher than the rest and are emotional about their purchases. This may require alternative revenue/pricing strategies, like gift cards and subscriptions, as opposed to traditional transaction-based models.


Digital


The digitisation of a company’s offering cannot be overstated. As seen with the current landscape, businesses that already made the digital migration before the outbreak or had digital contingency plans in their Business Continuity Plans (BCP) fared slightly better than those operating from an analogue system. 
If you want to know more details then go to this link. CEO, Arnoux Maré.

https://isg.co.za/


While not every component of a business can be digitised, entrepreneurs must not wait for the next disruption before going digital. Their current and future BCP’s must include a digital component if they wish to continue functioning beyond the crisis. This also includes looking beyond the current offerings of business and interrogating what new digital supplementary avenues the organisation can add to its services/products.


Innovation


Another way to increase gains is to accelerate innovation. Rather than waiting, companies that have near-ready products should move to launch them as soon as possible, whatever bugs there are can be ironed out using field data gathered from customers.
If you want to know more details then go to this link. CEO, Arnoux Maré.

https://isg.co.za/


Entrepreneurs often shy away from change and rely on the already established methods to achieve their goals, but during a crisis what is required is the ability to recognise what your customers need and immediately move to provide them with it.

This immediacy also includes moving launch dates closer than the anticipated date to benefit from a captive audience eager for distractions.


Outsourcing


The lighter or more agile you are as an organisation, the easier it is to pivot or circumnavigate hurdles. The presence and management of human capital, while vital for business, requires a dedicated team of experts such as the Human Resource department, but for a lot of SMMEs, this role often falls on the managing director or CEO, the same individual responsible for strategising the future of the company.

Outsourcing the elements of the business that are not involved in the core functions of an organisation to a third-party service provider can free up much-needed resources and afford organisations access to support teams it otherwise may not have.

No one can predict the future with 100% accuracy and any business continuity plans may only cover partial elements of any eventuality, but not having any plan in place or failing to learn from the current and past crisis is an infallible path to failure. Companies looking to grow from the economic crisis they find themselves in need to go on the offensive and find new ways of pushing forward.

If you want to know more details then go to this link. CEO, Arnoux Maré.

https://isg.co.za/

It is in during dark times that legendary companies and leaders are forged.

Outsourcing can assist struggling SMEs

Innovative Solutions Group

 

Outsourcing can assist struggling SMEs

As more companies battle to stay afloat during the lingering pandemic and global economic meltdown, Arnoux Maré, managing director of Innovative Solutions Groupsays organisations that wish to survive this grilling period have to examine their core mandates, identify tasks that fall outside of it, and look to outsource to third parties.

Arnoux Maré, managing director of Innovative Staffing Solutions

 Arnoux Maré., managing director of Innovative Solutions Group

“Companies are already dealing with limited resources in a competitive environment, with hiring, managing and training non-core employees detracting from maximising the core competencies of these businesses. Businesses should not be weighed down by the management of functions that have nothing do with their business, but rather consider outsourcing those elements to a third party allowing an organisation to use its resources more effectively to grow,” says Maré.

According to a Deloitte study, outsourcing can unleash marketplace speed by leveraging strategic relationships. Organisations are more effectively able to collaborate quickly to develop new capabilities, integrate them to create value, and drive that value into the business.

“Outsourcing allows companies to become more flexible and to cut operational costs, improving a company’s bottom line. Innovative Staffing Solutions achieves this by assuming responsibility and accountability for other businesses’ staff, ensuring they are trained, proficient and suited to the specific business’ needs. This assists the client to modify their operational and management structures and adapt for the subsequent future business growth,” explains Maré.

With the National Income Dynamics Study-Coronavirus Rapid Mobile Survey (Nids-Cram) reporting that 3 million South Africans have lost their jobs due to the lockdown and our Finance Minister, Tito Mbobweni forecasting the decrease of the country’s economy by 7.2%, Maré says outsourcing should be considered for its ability to create jobs and offer stability to employees who may be faced with uncertainty.

“When Innovative Staffing Solutions takes over your staff, for example, we offer those employees the benefits that they may not have enjoyed under their former employment contracts such as medical aid and provident fund. With over 19,500 permanent employees under our wing, we understand the power outsourcing has for both businesses and employment creation,” says Maré.

Outsourcing as a concept is aimed at saving parties involved time and money but choosing the wrong outsourcing entity can be disastrous for an organisation. While Maré encourages outsourcing, he also warns against simply thrusting staff over to any company without performing due diligence.

“Like any business deal, as the business leader, the onus lies with you to ensure that whoever you choose to deal with can do what they are promising to do. Companies do not want to find themselves in a worse off situation than the one they started with”.

“Businesses owe it to themselves and their staff to investigate all possible avenues to ensure they not only survive the current economic downturn, but also grow their organisations. Outsourcing has proven to be one such an avenue worth exploring,” concludes Maré.

Tuesday, August 25, 2020

isg




 

Innovative Solutions Group CEO Arnoux Maré

Skilling up

Innovative Solutions Group CEO Arnoux Maré on the myriad benefits of an outsourced workforce, and addressing talent shortages

Skilling up

Having an agile talent pool allows companies to scale up, or down, as market conditions change. This can be a costly exercise, and somewhat soul destroying for staff who find their positions threatened by, for example, industry disruptors such as technology. Such work shifts are increasingly more common and it’s something that, nine years ago, Arnoux Maré anticipated would escalate quickly. click link.

‘The thinking behind creating the Innovative Solutions Group (ISG) was simple,’ says Maré, its CEO. ‘How to respond to the need to create jobs for South Africans, yet not overburden the employers that juggle between an excess of low- and semi-skilled workers versus the dearth of managerial skills.’ Maré was also concerned about the pressures SMMEs faced, many of which were, and still are, unable to survive past the first two years of operation due, in part, to sourcing staff who are skilled for a role and efficient. ‘Even large corporates find this aspect of business demanding, time-consuming and taxing. Sourcing, training, retaining and upskilling staff is wearisome for management that ought to be focusing on the core competencies of a business.’click link.

Maré’s response, Innovative Staffing Solutions (ISS), the first division he created under the group, offered an alternative – outsourcing; not just in the sense of being an agent to whom SMMEs could turn  for sourcing the right employees but in employing them under the ISG banner on a permanent basis. In this way a percentage of the human resources functions of a company, such as staffing and employee development and maintenance, is freed up along with relative budgets and resources, for use elsewhere.

A similar approach was taken with the introduction of Innovative Accounting Solutions (IAS), which allows companies to access accounting and financial best practices that would otherwise be beyond an SMME’s reach and budget.click link.

‘Both ISS and IAS really tackle SMME challenges head-on. When you consider that globally 95% of enterprises are SMMEs, employing 60% to 70% of the working population, we have to find improved ways to offer them support so that we can target and reduce unemployment.’

ISG’s Innovative BEE Solutions (IBS) is another division Maré added that helps clients enhance business efficiency. ‘We educate our clients on how to affordably integrate B-BBEE policies, social responsibility initiatives and enterprise development into their strategic vision and operations. IBS also encourages sustainable business growth and social development among companies striving for improved scorecard ratings,’ says Maré.click link.

ISS, IAS and IBS are the three, of five, ISG divisions specifically dedicated to providing those services that are the backbone of most organisations. What is common among the trio is that they all relate back to ensuring a business has the right, and talented, pool of knowledge to drive business growth. ‘Many companies say their employees are their greatest asset, but we say it is great employees that are the greatest asset. However, employees can also be the greatest liability,’ says Maré.click link.

He explains that one of the biggest challenges for management is to translate competencies into increased workforce productivity. ‘Even with the most advanced technology, services or goods, ensuring operational excellence requires a motivated, flexible, capable and satisfied workforce.

‘Outsourcing a workforce is one of the best survival strategies in any business tool kit, eliminating administrative clutter and staff impediments. The added advantage for those using the ISG range of outsourcing services is that premium expertise can still be acquired without the responsibility and accountability for staff.’

ISG currently employs more than 16 000 permanent staff, who are outsourced to various clients in the mining, transport, industrial, engineering, steel, logistics, hospitality, agriculture and security industries. ‘We ensure they are trained, proficient and suited to specific client needs, and should staffing requirements change, the employee does not lose their job – they are simply outsourced to another client in need of that specific employee’s talents.’

Another advantage is that with ISG as the employer, benefit packages associated with employment are taken away from the cost centres of a business, as is a client’s management decision on whether or not to develop an in-house capability or skill, or partner with other organisations. A further consideration is that using ISG services means non-revenue generating tasks, those that are replicated across most businesses, are not further weighting the financial pressures on a company.

A case in point is the more than 6 500 truck drivers who ISG employs, which Maré says is one of the most crucial skills shortages in the country.

‘We have a truck-driving initiative that gives inexperienced truck drivers an opportunity to shadow more experienced drivers, and an in-house training centre that is far superior and more stringent than the current legislative requirements for truck-driver licensing.’

This is the type of awareness that gave rise to Maré’s introduction of the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) division, which supplies helmets, goggles, pads, guards, shields, masks and relative garments and equipment to protect individuals from injury or infection.

‘South Africa is a country of many hazards, including physical, heat, electrical, biohazards, chemicals and airborne matter. Protective clothing and equipment are required by law for job-related occupational safety and health purposes, particularly in the mining, industrial, security and transport sectors, as well as for sport and recreational activities.

‘PPE supplies also meet the highest legal requirements for protective gear and can tailor to specific needs with a cost-effective solution.’

The most recent addition to the ISG family tree is Innovative Marketing Solutions (IMS). Its services cover all elements of branding and the print-related needs of a business. ‘We have become one of the top digitally led industry players in the country servicing smart brands nationally and globally,’ says Maré.

Recognition is also playing out in the awards that are being notched up by Maré and ISG. Most recent, and for the third consecutive year, he has been hailed as CEO of the Year at the 2019 Africa Leadership Awards, and ISG was recognised with the top awards for Operational Excellence and Quality, Outsourcing Provider of the Year, and Excellence in Customer Service.

What makes these awards particularly notable is that it has taken Maré, who started the group with a meagre ZAR500, just under 10 years to transform it into a billion-rand group, and all this despite having to navigate the many complicated and regulatory imperatives across all the industries it services. ‘The need to correctly interpret and comply with ever-changing regulations requires skills that are not usually part of most in-house operations. Even generic labour brokers don’t fully comprehend the legislative environment.’ Maré says the country needs less red tape where businesses are concerned. ‘It’s unproductive for entrepreneurs to have to wear multiple hats in a business, inclusive of trying to manoeuvre through the complications of South Africa’s labour laws.

‘That’s where we come in and offer education on the difference between labour brokering and outsourcing. While some principles can be applied across the board, there’s no one-size-fits-all package; there are challenges and solutions specific to each industry,’ he says.

‘If an organisation lacks knowledge on the nuances of an industry, they also miss opportunities such as knowing when it’s time to change strategy. As an outsourcing organisation we continuously engage in lifelong learning, both of our own industry and those of our clients.’

Maré underscores that much of ISG success is about relationships and partnerships, both internally and externally, and delivering on solutions.

‘We have highly trained contract managers who are on call 24 hours a day, every day of the week. We don’t keep usual office hours because we are driven to exceed client and employee expectations. Our employee query resolution turnaround, for example, is 24 hours as opposed to the standard five days,’ says Maré. ‘While other companies may be able to do what we do, none can offer the same level of dedication and energy that we inject into serving our clients’ and employees interests.’

By Kerry Dimmer
Images: Mark Shoul
click link.

INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS GROUP™ https://isg.co.za/

 

ABOUT INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS GROUP

https://isg.co.za/

Make the right decision, Innovative Solutions Group
is your solution to success

The South African business environment is a highly monopolistic one in which new business start-ups and small to medium businesses often struggle to compete with large, dominant companies. Once established, it is equally difficult to access the expansion capital and resources necessary for them to grow and mature beyond a certain size. At Innovative Solutions Group, we understand the challenges faced by fellow entrepreneurs and are passionate about assisting you.

We provide effective outsourced services and solutions in the following areas:

  • Staff outsourcing;
  • Finance, Administration, Taxation, Accounting and Auditing;
  • Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment; and
  • Personal Protective Equipment

By outsourcing these business functions to us, we enable you to concentrate on what really matters – growing your business.

https://isg.co.za/

 At Innovative Solutions Group isg we respect and treasure entrepreneurship, in fact, it is our passion. We create an enabling environment that ensures our people reach their full potential. If you want to know more details then go to this link. CEO, Arnoux Maré.

https://isg.co.za/

Eros Road
Building 10
Boardwalk Office Park
Faerie Glen

Tel: 012 010 0414

More about the Innovative

 

More about the Innovative Solutions Group

Fostering a culture centred on excellence across the group, our Group prides itself on performance, innovation and entrepreneurial vigour.


Innovative Staffing Solutions https://isg.co.za/

 

Innovative Staffing Solutions (ISS)

As a middle-income country, South Africa has an abundance of low and semi-skilled workers, who, at times, can be a challenge to manage. Conversely, skilled workers and those in managerial positions are in high demand, short supply and are expensive to retain. Staffing a business can therefore be time-consuming, taxing, demanding and often wearisome, when management ought to be focusing on the core competencies of the business. Innovative Staffing Solutions offers an alternative to this dilemma by assuming responsibility and accountability for your staff, ensuring they are trained, proficient and suited to your specific business’ needs. We boast unparalleled human resource and industrial relations expertise to manage your staffing processes. In fact, we manage over 7,500 employees and have never experienced a single incident of labour unrest.

https://isg.co.za/

nnovative Solutions Group Innovative Staffing Solutions

 

At Innovative Solutions Group isg we respect and treasure entrepreneurship, in fact, it is our passion. We create an enabling environment that ensures our people reach their full potential. If you want to know more details then go to this link. CEO, Arnoux Maré.

https://isg.co.za/


Innovative Solutions Group


Innovative Staffing Solutions


Innovative Learning Solutions


Innovative Accounting Solutions


Billionaire Business Coach


Arnoux Maré


Outsourcing


Labour broker


Staff outsourcing


Business mentor


BBBEE


BEE

nnovative Solutions Group Innovative Staffing Solutions

 At Innovative Solutions Group isg we respect and treasure entrepreneurship, in fact, it is our passion. We create an enabling environment that ensures our people reach their full potential. If you want to know more details then go to this link. CEO, Arnoux Maré.

https://isg.co.za/


Monday, August 24, 2020

innovative solutions group isg

 

At Innovative Solutions Group™ we respect and treasure entrepreneurship, in fact, it is our passion. We create an enabling environment that ensures our people reach their full potential.

1. A genuinely useful product or service.

2. Some form of quality content on the site.

3. A willingness to collaborate and integrate.

I need to reposition “Innovative Solutions Group isg” to ensure only positive stories come up about the company and the CEO, Arnoux Maré.

If you want to know more details then go to this link.

https://isg.co.za/

 CEO, Arnoux Maré.

 CEO, Arnoux Maré.



innovative solutions group isg

Innovative Solutions Group

At Innovative Solutions Group™ we respect and treasure entrepreneurship, in fact, it is our passion. We create an enabling environment that ensures our people reach their full potential.

1. A genuinely useful product or service.

2. Some form of quality content on the site.

3. A willingness to collaborate and integrate.

I need to reposition “Innovative Solutions Group” to ensure only positive stories come up about the company and the CEO, Arnoux Maré.

If you want to know more details then go to this link.

https://isg.co.za/

 CEO, Arnoux Maré.

 CEO, Arnoux Maré.

 CEO, Arnoux Maré.
 

Innovative Solutions Group

Innovative Solutions Group isg 3

https://isg.co.za/