Vol 99 issue 01 2015

JANUARY 2015 R50. inc

vat

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE STATIONERY, HOME AND OFFICE PRODUCTS ASSOCIATION

My Office Magazine www.facebook.com/shopsa.ZA

FILING:

GET ORGANISED IN THE NEW YEAR EMERGING TECHNOLOGY TRENDS FOR 2015

CRM SOLUTIONS TO IMPROVE RELATIONSHIPS FILA CARTORAMA SA (PTY) Ltd

Perfect colour, and not a smudge in sight.

Keep it fresh with Samsung Genuine Toner Colour.

Enjoy the cleanest, crispest image in true colour that’s guaranteed smudge-proof every time. Your Samsung Genuine Toner will also last longer so you can print 29% more pages in perfect colour, every time.

BEST VALUE Up to 29% more pages than “non-genuine” toners.

www.samsung.com

0860 726 7864

CLEAN, CRISP IMAGES Precisely matched toner for clean and smudge-free prints.

GUARANTEED PERFORMANCE New cartridges ensure reliability and safety.

Contents My Office Magazine is the official magazine of the Southern African Association for Stationery, Home and Office Products. It is read by over 25 000 buyers and sellers of stationery and office products each month.

PUBLISHER Rob Mathews - robm@icon.co.za Kathy Gibson - kathy@futurewave.co.za EDITOR Mercédes Westbrook - mercedes@shop-sa.co.za

Vol 99 | January 2015 www.myofficemagazine.co.za/ | www.facebook.com/shopsa.za

NEWS

04 | FINANCIAL BYTES Facts and figures from the business world 06 | GO FIGURE WITH FACTS Stats to study, analyse, interpret and present 34 | INDUSTRY NEWS Industry-related news and trade business announcements 36 | ECO PAGES A green sustainability update, sponsored by Mondi

CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGER Wendy Dancer - wendy@shop-sa.co.za NATIONAL OFFICE Design and Layout: Vanessa Bentley New Membership: Rachel Skink Reception: Ruth Montsho Johannesburg Office PO Box 3226, Parklands, 2121 6 Edward Street, Kensington B, Randburg, 2194 Tel: + 27 11 781 0370 Fax: + 27 11 781 2828 Email: info@shop-sa.co.za

SALES SAVVY

08 | COMPANIES UNDER ATTACK The Great Consumer Backlash has begun - and it will just get bigger if it is ignored 35 | THE VALUE OF ONE, THE POWER OF ALL Event and trade associations offer resources and connections that make them valuable partners for B2B marketers 31 | ALL FOR ONE AND ONE FOR ALL Loyalty programmes drive customer acquisition, improve customer retention and encourage purchasing behaviours

Website: www.myofficemagazine.co.za Cape Town Office PO Box 48431, Kommetjie, 7976 Tel: +27 21 780 1209 Cel: +27 78 970 7633 Email: info@shop-sa.co.za

SPECIAL FEATURES

47 | NEEDFUL THINGS A selection of handy cases to protect your devices

CONTRIBUTIONS Letters and editorial contributions are welcomed

14

A FILING SYSTEM FOR EVERY NEED

Filing is a basic need in every office and consumers are spoilt for choice

RETAIL SAVVY

19 | CRM SOLUTIONS FOR YOUR BUSINESS A CRM solution improves relationships and productivity 24 | EMERGING RETAIL TRENDS IN 2015 2014 was a tough year for retailers, but 2015 promises to be better 30 | HAPPY, HEALTHY AND HYDRATED Studies show that employees who drink enough water are more productive

and should be addressed to the editor at editor@ shop-sa.co.za. Publication cannot be guaranteed

BUSINESS SAVVY

and is subject to space and the editor’s

10 | LABOUR LAW: THE RESCISSION APPLICATION Dr Ivan Israelstam looks at how to go about getting an arbitration award set aside 12 | THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM Gavin Moffat discusses the issues surrounding multicultural awareness 28 | FINANCIAL FITNESS FOR 2015 The new year is a good time to review - and improve - your financial health

discretion.

THE LEGAL BIT Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy the publisher and editor cannot accept responsibility for supplied material. The opinions of contributors are not necessarily those of shop-sa. Copyright is strictly reserved and no part of this magazine may be reproduced in whole or in part without the written permission of the publisher.

Stationery sponsored by

Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation

Office paper sponsored by

Published by

FUTURE WAVE

MEDIA

20

EMERGING TECHNOLOGY TRENDS A look at the up-and-coming technology trends for 2015

IN EVERY ISSUE 03 32 33 38 40 48

| | | | | |

EDITOR’S LETTER CRIME ALERT WEB BUTTONS PRODUCT SHOWCASE BUYERS’ GUIDE PUNCHLINE my office magazine

PRINTED BY Colorpress (pty) ltd.

2

editor’s letter

2015 chart toppers

W

elcome to 2015: a fresh, new start to the year in the January issue of My Office magazine.

We kickstart the business cycle with a look at the emerging technologies for the coming year. Cell phones top the list - mobile connectivity is here to stay and will continue to rapidly evolve and transform how we transact in our day to day lives. With the front-runners in mobile payments already jostling for position in the mobile payment services market we will soon no longer have need of a physical wallet. Instead, e-wallets will see us simply swipe and go; more reason to invest in a top of the range mobile phone. Read the article on page 20 for more emerging tech products that make the list.

Our filing feature on page 14

www.shop-sa.co.za

covers intelligent filing solutions for the modern office. Apart from cost savings, corporates are looking to save space and time. Anyone with complex indexing requirements will want to streamline productivity in this area.

The new POPI Act will also be top of mind as securing and storing personal information becomes vital.

This issue, our columnist Aki Kalliatakis voices his concerns over the state of customer service experienced in South Africa, from both multinational corporations and online retail stores. See page 8 for more.

On page 19 we take a look at CRM systems to improve customer relationships and increase productivity.

Remember that a system is only as good as its users - and company heads must ensure that their choice of CRM software is the right fit.

Our article on financial health on page 28 provides guidelines on how best to reduce debt and start 2015 in good financial standing. Another area that must not be overlooked is

new marketing channels. Our feature on page 35 looks at the benefits of joining forces with an event or trade organisation, enabling companies to expand their reach in terms of marketing, financial assistance and streamlined business practices.

January is smack in the middle of summer still and offices are hot. Make sure you keep your staff hydrated for maximum productivity and health.

Read up on the best ways to do this on page 30.

Finally, it is always great to keep a dash of humour in your day. Please write in with your funniest caption for our Punchline photograph on page 48.

Here is hoping 2015 starts off with a bang. We wish you a happy New Year, with only peace and prosperity ahead.

s e d ĂŠ c r e M my office magazine

3

financial bytes

Ebola batters economies, says World Bank The Ebola outbreak in West Africa is taking a heavy toll on the economies of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, all of which face negative or slower growth next year because of the virus.

This is according to the World Bank, which says growth estimates for the three countries have tumbled since its previous analysis in October, and that projections show the outbreak costing them more than $2-billion in lost income over the 2014-2015 period.

For this year, gross domestic product growth estimates in Liberia were projected to fall to 2,2%, compared with forecasts of 2,5% in October and 5,9% pre-crisis.

“While there are signs of progress, as long as the epidemic continues, the human and economic impact will only grow more devastating,” says World Bank Group’s president, Jim Yong Kim. The World Health Organisation said on Monday that some 5 987 people had died of Ebola in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.

Old Mutual and Nedbank have jointly pledged $1-million towards the recently announced African Union-Private Sector Ebola fund.

The fund’s overall vision is long-term and includes rebuilding affected economies and industries, as well as increasing Africa’s capacity to combat viral diseases. Its immediate priority, however, is to mobilise, train and co-ordinate healthcare teams in the three countries.

Source: Reuters

SA law firm starts accepting Bitcoin payments Bitcoins can be used to buy takeaways and even air tickets in some countries, but a South African law firm is the first locally to accept the crypto-currency as payment.

Law firm Thomson Wilks - which has offices across South Africa in cities such as Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban - has added Bitcoin as a payment option for its clients.

Thomson Wilks has teamed up with a local company called Voomar, who will receive Bitcoins on the law firm’s behalf and then either convert them to cash or hold onto the virtual currency as an investment.

“I like the idea of Bitcoin as an international, across-the-board currency,” says Stephen Thomson, a director Thomson Wilks.

Bitcoin has had a roller-coaster ride over the last year, with the currency surging in value past the $1 000 mark late last year but then crashing to below $400 currently.

Setbacks facing the crypto-currency include it being used on the Internet black market Silk Road to buy drugs, and the collapse of Bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox this year.

Nevertheless, top Silicon Valley Internet pioneer and Netscape browser co-founder Marc Andreessen has previously publicly described Bitcoin as the most important technology in existence.

Thomson believes Silicon Valley won’t let Bitcoin “fail”, saying it will push through any challenges.

Voomar, which only opened up to the public in the last two months, allows small investors to buy Bitcoins using their credit cards, and also takes care of intricate details regarding managing and safely storing the virtual currency.

Source: www.finweek.co.za

Dubai competes with Johannesburg as gateway to Africa Described as the Gateway to Africa, and ranked by the MasterCard Global Destination Cities Index as the most popular destination city in Africa, Johannesburg boasts some of the leading financial, legal and commercial services in Africa. However, if the city is to rival other world-class gateway cities such as Dubai, it has to work hard to tackle many challenges - from poor service delivery and declining utilities to high levels of corruption and crime, which tarnish its reputation and hamper investor confidence.

With cutting-edge transport and logistics, as well as a modern banking sector, Dubai is set to become a competitive gateway to Africa. According

4

my office magazine

to the Dubai Chamber of Commerce, nonoil trade between Dubai and Africa has increased 700% over the past 10 years.

The city-state’s advanced legal, financial and banking sectors are credited with attracting businesses seeking a robust and secure place from which to invest in Africa. Companies such as MiDCOM, the telecommunications arm of UAE-based Midland Group and the leading Nokia distributor in Africa and the Middle East, maintain their Africa offices in Dubai.

Other global brands, including Nestlé and the Bank of China, base their Africa offices in the UAE. Connectedness is the fundamental reason. Dubai’s modern logistics and

transport infrastructure have boosted commercial activities between the UAE and Africa.

Dubai’s ports, particularly Jebel Ali port, are also regarded as the most important linking Africa to the rest of the world. A significant amount of cargo that arrives at Jebel Ali is re-exported to Africa. While ports such as Jebel Ali are known for their fast cargo clearing times, sub-Saharan African ports, in contrast, are notoriously slow at clearing cargo.

A favourable tax regime, greater efficiencies and relatively low costs of storing and shipping goods have made the city more attractive to African traders.

Source: www.bdlive.co.za Vol 99 - January 2015

data & digits

Go figure with facts We give you stats to study, analyse, interpret and present Inserts in local newspapers still remain a key channel for consumers when planning their shopping: 62% of insert readers cited saving time and money as being a benefit of using inserts; while 70% said that they checked inserts to find out about sales and savings.

Euromonitor International predicts volume sales of small appliances will surpass major appliances to grow by 22% globally by 2019. Global consumer interest is turning towards small appliances such as air treatment, cooking appliances and vacuum cleaners, which reflects the huge demands for health care and lifeenhancing products. Light fryers, which use small amounts of oil to fry food, have been the best performing appliances among consumers in 2014, growing by more than 20% globally in volume terms.

Electrolux has the largest global sales shares of large cooking appliances, followed by Whirlpool Corp in 2014.

Wal-Mart, Carrefour and Seven remain the top global three retailers, while Tesco lost its fourth place market share to Schwarz Beteiligungs.

Amazon and Alibaba are the only online retailers in the top 15 global retail rankings. Online retailing is set to generate a third of all new retail sales, driven by strong growth in both emerging and developed markets. Mobile Internet retailing will account for 32% of Internet retailing sales compared to 18% in 2014, making multichannel operations key for all retailers looking for growth.

6

my office magazine

South African company Why Five’s 2014 Retail Shopper Report revealed these 10 key characteristics: • Service sucks - 46% ticked service as “generally poor” and another 10% as “terrible”.

• Proximity is key - 69% of shoppers prefer “stores that are located nearby”.

• Shopping is not fun - 80% of shopping is for necessities, while 86% of consumers are very cautious about spending money.

• The Web of knowledge - 59% conduct research online for specific categories of goods.

• Smartphone payment - 35% would “definitely or probably” use a mobile payment service, such as Standard Bank’s SnapScan.

• The Internet is for pleasure and leisure - 59% of shoppers use the Web to buy books, movies and music.

• Loyalty programmes - 96% of respondents claim to use loyalty programmes.

• Sales still work - 78% of respondents claimed to “sometimes or often” be tempted to buy products just because they are on promotion.

• Customers want you to talk to them - 93% sometimes, often or always read catalogues; 46% subscribe to digital newsletters; and of those, 99% sometimes, often or always read them. As for in-store radio stations, 64% say they do not even notice them or regard them as a waste of time.

A recent Shop the World! report by McKinsey shows huge growth potential for e-retailers in Africa, which predicts e-commerce could account for 10% of retail sales in the continent’s largest economies by 2025. In comparison, online retail in the US already accounts for around 9% of total retail sales.

The 2014 Mobile Media Consumption report

by InMobi, which includes data from 14 000 users across 14 countries, including Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa, predicted that 83% of consumers plan to conduct mobile commerce in the next 12 months – a 15% increase from the current figure.

The 2013 Benchmarking the South African Shopping Centre Industry report pegs the number of shopping malls in South Africa at over 1 780, covering around 1-million square metres of floor space - more than all the malls in the rest of Africa combined. In a country where total retail spend is estimated at around R700-billion, more than 50% of this is spent in these malls.

Twenty-three percent of South African children have their own cell phone or tablet.

Approximately 76% of e-mails are now read on mobile in South Africa, putting us on a par with rest of world.

Over 40-million Please Call Me messages are sent each day in South Africa. Research shows that nine out of 10 South Africans know what a Please Call Me is, and 64% of those who have received them claim to have heeded the advertising call to action that appears with the message.

Vol 99 - January 2015

Don’t discover it’s counterfeit toner after it’s too late Our three-tier security system protects you from fraud Security Label: Tilt the security label1 for the presence of a shifting image.

Call: 0861 266 266

Mobile Authentication: Scan the QR code with your smartphone to validate as authentic HP2.

Software Authentication: Validate your original HP Toner cartridge automatically as you install it.

Visit www.hp.com/go/TonerCheck

Visit: www.koloksa.co.za

1 Only selected HP Inkjet boxes in EMEA carry a security label. 2 This feature only works with the latest QR code labels. © 2012 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.

marketing savvy ACKNOWLEDGMENT AKI KALLIATAKIS

Companies under attack The terrible publicity recently experienced by one of SA’s major mobile operators is just the start of a ‘Great Consumer Backlash’ - one that will just get bigger if ignored

A

n unhappy customer recently displayed a banner complaining about a cellular provider’s service levels. Although the customer incurred significant costs when commissioning and positioning the banner, and ignored legal warnings to desist, a magistrate eventually ruled in his favour - and the company was very publicly embarrassed.

This shows the customer was at their wits’ end – and this level of anger and frustration is no longer unusual. What was most telling was the response on various social media platforms from thousands of other citizens and consumers: close to 100% supported little David’s victory over the powerful Goliath.

Why was there such an overreaction?

Government, parastatals and corporations have underestimated the impact consumers can have once they begin to scream “we can’t take any more of this”. People go to “war”, using protests and defiance campaigns to fight back.

These include telling as many people as possible, attacking people who work in the company, defacing company property, withdrawing their business, and becoming very cynical about all communications,

8

my office magazine

marketing and advertising efforts.

Public defiance is already making a mockery of Sanral’s projected e-toll cash flows. Even if e-toll compliance increases, the odds are motorists will flood alternative routes, creating chaos and making new spending on Johannesburg roads unavoidable.

The feeling of powerlessness over people and events is generally intolerable to us. People and customers therefore have limited capacity to hit back, so they vent their frustration and sense of betrayal elsewhere. Knock-on effects in the private sector are beginning to come through, as customers look for alternatives like online shopping.

This highlights the private sector dilemma. In a world where customers are becoming ever more demanding even while competitive rivalry heats up, companies simply cannot afford to be seen as bullying and abusing their customers.

Companies pay a high price: not only do they get a lot of negative publicity, but they also lose the current and future business of customers who are determined to fight back. Their marketing and sales efforts are ignored. The company then needs to offer increasingly better offers and dramatically lower prices to attract lost customers and retain those that are there.

Customers seem to be sabotaging, damaging and threatening to sue the business around every corner. Staff members are abused, so morale and motivation take a dive, and the job of

managing your team becomes ever more difficult. These businesses become very vulnerable to competitors making seemingly better offers – especially in service experiences. And, of course, it costs a lot of money to investigate what went wrong and offer the customers some form of compensation for their trouble.

This is enormously expensive. In one famous American case study, an irate customer, Dave Carroll, from the band Sons of Maxwell, wrote and published a song United Breaks Guitars, after a negative experience with the airline. Apart from the media frenzy, and the fact that more than 16-million people watched his music video on YouTube, the company’s share price dropped almost overnight and the market capitalisation dropped by $180-million. It has never recovered.

So what can a business do to avoid these disasters? Obviously, you cannot ignore it for that leads to accusations of apathy and indifference. There are probably five critical and immediate responses that need to happen to separate the irate customer from their audience and rectify the problem: • A sense of urgency is essential; • Show care and empathy; • Show customers that you understand the implications of the problem; • Apologise, and thank the customer for giving your business a chance to sort it out; and • Don’t avoid solving the problem.

Ignore these lessons at your peril.

n

Vol 99 - January 2015

labour law ACKNOWLEDGMENT DR IVAN ISRAELSTAM

The rescission application How to get an arbitration award set aside

A

n arbitration award is normally a win-lose decision.

If it is decided, for example, that the employer must reinstate or compensate an unfairly dismissed employee, the employer will clearly not be happy. On the other hand, the employee will be aggrieved if the arbitrator finds that the dismissal was a fair one. Therefore, whichever way the decision goes, one or other party is going to be considering means of getting the award set aside.

There are two ways of going about setting aside an arbitration award: via a Labour Court review or via a rescission application.

Labour court review Here the party who is unhappy with the award asks the Labour Court to set the award aside on the grounds that the arbitrator, in making the award, “misconducted themselves”. That is, the review application is not an appeal against the award decision but rather a claim that the arbitrator: • Committed misconduct in relation to their arbitration duties; • Committed a gross irregularity in the conduct of the arbitration proceedings; • Exceeded their powers; or • Made the award improperly.

The above criteria refer to misconduct and irregularities including, but not limited to:

10

my office magazine

• • • • • • •

Taking into account evidence that was not put before the arbitrator; Refusing to allow valid and relevant evidence to be brought; Ignoring statutory requirements or legal principles; Unduly assisting one or other party with their case; Delivering a biased award; Taking a bribe; or Failing to apply their mind to the facts in evidence.

Rescission application A rescission application is normally made to the same arbitrator who made the original arbitration award. A party may, within 14 days of becoming aware of the arbitration award, apply to the arbitrator to rescind (cancel) the award on the grounds that the award: • Was erroneously sought or made in the absence of any party affected by it; • Contained an ambiguity (that it, could mean two different things) or an obvious error or omission; or • Was granted as a result of a mistake common to the parties.

The grounds for rescission are very narrow and such applications are most commonly brought when one party has not attended the arbitration hearing and the award has been made in that party’s absence. For example, if the employer fails to attend the arbitration hearing the arbitrator might, on the basis of the employee’s evidence, decide that the dismissal was unfair.

On the other hand, if the employee fails to attend the arbitration hearing the

arbitrator may decide to dismiss the case and close the file. However, where the party who has failed to attend the hearing has an excuse for their absence, they may apply to the arbitrator to rescind the award so as to allow a new arbitration hearing to be set down.

Typical reasons given in rescission applications for failing to attend arbitration hearings include: • Illness; • Incarceration; • Breakdown of transport; • Traffic congestion; and • Failure to receive the notice of set down.

Typical reasons for rescission applications being granted include: • The rescission application is made within the 14-day deadline; and • Valid proof is submitted of illness, or of failure of CCMA/bargaining council to serve the notice of set down on the party concerned; or • The opposing party fails to oppose the rescission application.

In the rescission application and in any opposition papers the main issues argued are the applicant’s reasons for absence and the applicant’s prospects of succeeding with the case if the rescission is granted. These points are normally difficult to argue for both parties who are therefore advised to obtain the best legal assistance in making their arguments.

Skill in interpreting the facts of the case, in understanding the law, in applying the CCMA/council regulations and in optimising the use of case law will make a major difference in the winning of the rescission argument.

n

Vol 99 - January 2015

business landscape ACKNOWLEDGMENT GAVIN MOFFAT

The elephant in the room

There is an elephant in the corner of most businesses in South Africa: multicultural awareness

I

f we look at multicultural awareness from an academic perspective it has four basic levels:

•

Cultural (shared values, customs, myths, rituals and language of groups); • Institutional (laws, policies, procedures and known organisational practices); • Interpersonal (transactions between two people, speech and behaviour); and • Personal (individual thoughts, feelings, beliefs, attitudes and values).

I highlight the need for an understanding of diversity not out of a desire to point fingers. I talk about this to help in growing a greater consciousness so that we understand that it is real, it is important and it needs to be addressed by all of us.

Talking diversity or multicultural awareness is tough. It can be

12

my office magazine

an awkward, uncomfortable and embarrassing path to walk, but one that will lead all of us to a place where we are much more aware of those around us, where they come from and their everyday contexts.

Having these conversations is not a step to be taken lightly. Find an appropriately qualified facilitator who is able to create a safe space, allow for openness and ensure that the risk of hurt that could result from open conversations is mitigated as much as possible.

We also need to realise that moving to a space of multicultural awareness requires participation from everyone, at some level or other. We need to be open to learning more about those around us, being challenged and being able to disagree because that is a healthy, if not a required, aspect of human interaction.

An excellent tool in these conversations is the intention versus impact model.

This mandates that the way something is said is not always the way in which it is received. For example, someone may say something that they think is perfectly

innocent, but the receiving person may take offense. The intention was neutral but the impact is negative. In this case the word “ouch” is a great way of indicating that the impact of the sharing was negative. This small tool allows people on both sides of a conversation to become sensitive to what they are saying and how it impacts others. The objective of using the tool is to become aware, at a much deeper level, of the lives, experiences and contexts of those around us.

As Malcolm Forbes said, “Diversity is the art of thinking independently, together.” And that’s really the point.

Multicultural awareness of things like sexism, ageism, racism, classism, elitism and enableism means that we can have relationship with people around us that are more than just superficial. That leads to more productive and happy human beings, cultivating more giving and less acquisitive natures. Giving results in more growth, decreasing poverty, diminishing crime and a happy and contented world.

It is really just that simple.

n

Vol 99 - January 2015

filing ACKNOWLEDGMENT KATHY GIBSON

A filing system for every need

F

iling is one of those tasks that is often simply taken for granted in the modern office – and yet it plays an enormously important role in ensuring the smooth and efficient running of the business.

That’s why it’s crucial to come up with the correct filing system from the start, and to have the right equipment and disciplines to ensure it works smoothly.

Filing system In order to adopt a filing system, administrators should do their groundwork thoroughly and make sure they properly understand the company’s current needs, and what it is likely to require going forward. This will give them an idea of the size and complexity of the filing system that’s required.

The next step is to identify exactly what types of documents will be filed.

Don’t forget that your documents may not all be on paper, but could include computer media like CDs, DVD, USBs or even tape.

These considerations will inform the type and quantity of equipment that will

14

my office magazine

Filing is a basic need in every office – but you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to the filing system, equipment and accessories you can select for this most necessary function be required.

Now you’ll need to decide what kind of system you are going to implement: alphabetical, geographic, by customer, by business function – the possibilities are endless, but you need to find a system that makes sense to your company and that your staff will find easy to use.

Accountability is vital for any filing system, to avoid files getting lost or misplaced. This can be as simple as a sign-out sheet stuck to the front of the filing cabinet or be more complex, with permission procedures. At the very least, it should be possible to tell at a glance who has a particular file.

Once the filing system is set up, it needs to be properly maintained, otherwise it will simply collapse. This means that files must be updated when needed; and always replaced after they are used. Make sure everyone who may use the system understands it and is able to retrieve and replace files correctly.

Use the space Before you select the location of the filing system, you should ensure you’re getting the best use from the available space.

This means you need to know who is going to use the files, how often and for what purpose; and how many people might be using files at the same time.

Consider if security is going to be an issue. Sensitive and restricted records might need special placement and equipment. Also consider if the environmental factors in the space you’re considering is going to be suitable, or whether temperature or humidity might affect your files.

Are you going to have a centralised filing system, or will each department or team do their own filing? Before you decide on this, consider if centralisation will offer better use of staff, better documentation and streamlined operations. The answers to these considerations should inform the decision to centralise or not.

Once you’ve picked the space for the filing system, think about the location of the various types of records: active, inactive and non-records (which include reference material, duplicate publications and standard forms).

Don’t forget to plan for growth. You need to determine how many new records you can expect to add in a year; and how many will be retired to archives.

When you’re designing your filing system, don’t make the mistake of only considering paper-based records. Many documents are kept in an electronic format, so you need to determine who is responsible for these records, what medium they are on, how Vol 99 - January 2015

Group Video Conferences Have Never Been Easier - or More Affordable

Introducing the

Logitech ConferenceCam. Experience the productivity and power of video-enabled face-to-face collaboration in any conference room With breakthrough affordability and USB plug-and-play ease of use, the CC3000e brings video-enabled conference rooms to the masses. UC platform-independent design enables users to conduct life-like group conference meetings through the desktop video conferencing program of their choice.

Set up the conference room the way you want with a range of up to 32 feet between camera and speaker: use the camera on the table or mount it on the wall with included hardware. The bottom of the camera is designed with a standard tripod thread for even more options.

The full Logitech Unified Communications range is available from Pinnacle Africa.

filing and where they are kept.

While you’re designing your filing systems, don’t forget that it might be handy to include a reviewing area for people to look over files; a staging area where documents can be prepared; or a space for computers, scanner or microfilm readers if required.

Filing equipment It doesn’t matter what your filing needs are, or what system you’ve decided to implement: there is filing equipment available to meet your specific needs.

Among the different types of filing equipment available are: • Archive filing systems; • Open shelving; • Cabinets; • Lateral filing; • Rotary filing systems; • Horizontal or vertical carousels; • Top retrieval filing; and • Fire resistant cabinets.

When choosing your filing equipment, there are several factors you need to consider.

The first of these is compatibility, ensuring that the equipment is correct for the materials or media to be filed; and that you match this with the right supplies and accessories.

Accessibility is an important consideration, as the filing system needs to be close enough to where people work that they can easily access it, while offering enough room to make it comfortable and safe to use the system.

Cost is one of the most important factors to think about. Don’t just consider the initial set-up cost, though – operating costs, accessories and supplies all need to be factored in.

Security should always be a consideration, but in some instances it may be even more important. So think about whether you need fireproof cabinets or special locks.

Location is the final thing to consider: will your equipment need special flooring, extra secure housing or wider aisles?

Once you’ve taken all these considerations into account, you’re almost ready to choose your filing equipment.

Most needs will be met with the standard filing cabinet, but you can get this in various versions such as the rotary cabinet, or lateral cabinets with drawers that move from side to side instead of backwards and forwards.

Specialised equipment might be needed for different media, for sensitive documents, or for unusual paper sizes.

Typically standard cabinets, with one to five pull-out drawers, accommodate folders filed vertically, front to back, with top tabs.

These are best suited to small filing systems as they are easy to move and accessories should be freely available.

On the downside, they can take time to use because the drawer needs to be opened each time, and only one drawer can be accessed at a time. It can also be awkward to read the file in the backs of the drawers or in the top drawers. And don’t that the space must allow for the drawers to be fully extended.

Open shelves let you store documents on open, horizontal shelves, with folders placed vertically in rows, using side tabs.

This type of equipment takes up less space because

16

my office magazine

Card rings - these versatile card rings, with their unique locking clips, are used mostly for securing sample swatches, but are also popular as an alternative to glued flip charts.

Accessible files still one of the most economical systems for filing of documents.

Inter-screws and inter-screw binders - inter-screws can be used either on their own for sample swatches, or with covers for archival storage.

These files are also used as title deed binders by various government departments. The added benefit is that updating of documents is relatively easy.

Ring mechanism - besides the common standard PVC A4 ring binders, these mechanisms are used in many variations of binders, including Filofax loose leaf diaries, hotel directory binders and custommade corporate binders.

Push lock binders - these are still used today by the legal and accounting fraternity, and for procedural manuals. This is largely due to the ease of updating of pages when necessary.

Thong binders - although these binders are not used as obiquitously as in the past, they are still used today for secure filing of title deeds, burial registers and security documents. This is largely due to the strength and robustness of these binders. Some banks in Africa also use them for filing their “securities”.

Pictures courtesy of Dion Botma at Ledger Systems

Vol 99 - January 2015

filing

there are no drawers that need to be pulled out, and they can generally be stacked higher than a filing cabinet. They are also less expensive than cabinets, while offering quicker filing and retrieval, and the ability for more than one person to use it at the same time. Open shelving is adaptable, and you can easily use barcoding, colour coding or computer-based tracking systems for reference.

The disadvantage of open shelving is that it tends to be more or less fixed and permanent, and generally not easy to move.

With lateral filing, documents are stored in the same way as on open shelving, in drawers of shelves that roll out or extend forward. These systems could have drawers or shelves, and can handle either suspension files or standard folders. The advantage over open shelving is that they can have doors and locks for added security, and can be adapted to store other types of media.

The drawbacks are the same as for standard cabinets: only one drawer can be accessed at a time; and the space needs to allow for drawers to be fully extended.

Mobile shelving, which moves along a track or rotates, can double the amount of available space since permanent aisles are not needed – and it’s quicker to find files because there’s less walking required, and the system will deliver the desired shelf to the user.

They offer increased security since they can have doors and locks and can be easily adapted for other media.

Mobile shelving will require you to check that your floor can handle the weight of a fully-loaded system. And, of course, these systems will likely be more expensive than the other options. A factor that needs to be considered is that the system needs to be powered to be able to deliver shelves to the user, so if the electricity supply is constrained, this might not be the best option.

n

Optiplan (a Walton’s brand) offers a wide range of easy-to-use paper-based information management systems, which the company will supply, implement and maintain for customers. They are the only distributors of this product. Modern filing solutions include a number of different products, tailored for any needs that arise from any business or industry.

“Our filing solutions create efficiency for your company by saving you considerable amounts of space and time,” the company states.

Optiplan also offers consulting services and intelligent filing solutions.

18

my office magazine

Vol 99 - January 2015

CRM

CRM solutions for your business A CRM solution improves relationships and productivity

C

ustomer relationship management (CRM) is a strategy for managing relationships with clients, leads, suppliers and colleagues. Coined in the 1990s, the term encompasses systems that enable organisations to put processes and procedures in place which improve customer relationships and increase productivity.

Why should you use a CRM system?

At its most basic, a CRM system will allow you to track interactions with customers (and other parties). This includes a log of all calls made, e-mails sent and appointments held. A CRM system provides a central repository for all sorts of information, including service requests, customer preferences, interactions, successes and failures.

Because the information is in all in one place, it is easily accessed by staff members. It also means less information will fall through the cracks. CRM systems reduce the amount of administration employees have to do. Effective CRM systems can increase sales by up to 32%. The productivity of the sales team by up to 40%; and sales forecasting by up to 45%.

Choosing a CRM system Choosing your CRM system should be based on a number of factors.

These include: • Features - these encompass what the product actually does and what value it has for your company.

• Support - the types of support your CRM vendor offers is important. Are they available on e-mail, over the www.shop-sa.co.za

•

•

telephone or do they offer on-site visits?

Pricing - the cost of a CRM system can be structured on a per-user basis, or a flat fee charged monthly or annually.

Company size – the number of people in the organisation will determine the type of CRM system you need to deploy.

Types of CRM systems Salesforce is a cloud-based CRM solution. One of its key selling points is that it scales to organisations of all sizes, from small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to complex organisations like Facebook. Because it is cloud-based, you don’t need to buy software to use it: it is accessed via a Web browser. Salesforce prides itself on its flexibility for user requirements. It is easily customisable to mirror how your organisation works.

Salesforce costs between R300 and R3 000 per user per month.

SugarCRM is a modern, cloud-based application. It is popular among younger, more modern companies and start-ups as it focuses on mobile, combining the social aspects of a consumer app with the business process optimisation of traditional CRM. It is built on an open source platform, which means that it doesn’t require a proprietary programming

language to make customisations. It is easily customisable to suit your business needs.

SugarCRM costs between R390 and R1 700 per user per month.

Sage CRM is a very corporate, traditional application favoured by medium to large enterprises. A significant player in the CRM space, Sage CRM comes in two editions: Professional (Cloud) and On-Premise. Both are rich in CRM functionality like sales (including forecasting, reporting, lead management), marketing (campaign, call and e-mail management, segmentation and reporting) and customer service automation. The versions include the hallmark Sage advanced workflow design tools, multiple languages and multiple currency capabilities. The On-Premise edition allows for greater control and customisation of the solution.

Sage CRM costs between R900 and R1 750 per user per month, depending on edition.

Remember: while a CRM solution may seem affordable in the beginning, total cost of ownership grows as the years pass and the business expands. The cost of moving solutions may also be very high. It’s important to pick the right one from the start.

CRM check-list Ensure that your chosen CRM solution: • Is mobile - salespeople don’t want to have to go to the office to update the database or take a call when in a meeting with a client.

• Enables sharing – this is important to boost productivity and team collaboration, and help busy salespeople do more with less.

• Is secure – customer insights and business information should be accessed over a secure platform.

Microsoft Dynamics is also aimed at the mid-market. It allows you to get realtime business and social information from more than 30 000 sources, and it helps you to gain insight into your customers and their preferences. This CRM system is fully integrated with Microsoft products and comes bundled with Office 365 and a Customer Intelligence module (which is not included in other CRM packages). It has a flat rate of R750 per user per month.

n

my office magazine

19

2 015 t r e n d s ACKNOWLEDGMENT KATHY GIBSON

Emerging technology trends for

2015

A look at the technologies your customers are using and advice on how to stay up-to-date with your own technology

T

echnology is rapidly changing the way people communicate, work and play – and it’s driving a change in the way customers want to engage with companies. Keeping an eye on technology trends will help to ensure you’re the company customers want to deal with.

20

my office magazine

Mobility Consumers have become mobile, and it’s important that companies follow suit – or risk losing their customers to more up-to-the-minute and tech-savvy competitors. More and more, companies are giving their staff smartphones to make sure they are always in contact with the office. And this, in turn, is driving greater connectivity as people find other uses for the technology in their hands.

In Africa, mobile use is especially

widespread. There are more than 800-million mobile subscribers on the continent, and between 65% and 70% of all phones sold in Africa in the last financial quarter were smartphones. Don’t write off feature phones just yet, though.

At least 73% of all devices in use in Africa are feature phones.

But smartphones that are set to change the way many of us do business. These devices allow customers be connected to the Internet, to one another and to us – Vol 99 - January 2015

2 015 t r e n d s

Mobile payment solutions

literally in the palm of their hands.

Companies must formulate strategies that let them engage with these customers and, more importantly, let their customers engage with them. These strategies need to embrace the widest possible audience and so should address all the leading smartphone platforms as well as allowing some engagement with feature phone users.

This means any apps or programs should run on iOS (the operating system used by all Apple devices); Android (the open source operating system available on many non-Apple smart devices); and Windows 8 (the operating system available on Windows smartphones and which integrates with other, computerbased Windows applications). South African companies should also make sure they are able to talk to Blackberry users – there’s still a large user base in this country – and feature phones like Nokia and Motorola.

Mobile payments In these days of cashless commerce, when most of your customers have a smartphone, it makes sense to start looking at the many mobile payment options available for retailers.

In South Africa there are three major www.shop-sa.co.za

players in this arena: FlickPay, Snapscan and Zapper. They all allow consumers to pay for goods and services using their smartphones. But while payments are getting the lion’s share of attention right now, there’s a lot more untapped potential in mobile phones as a transactional device, says Howard Moodycliffe, head of marketing at wiGroup. Mobile transacting encompasses everything from mobile payments and money transfers to coupons, loyalty discounts and rewards.

Once the mobile phone replaces the consumer’s entire wallet, Moodycliffe believes it will become pervasive.

Retailers who have failed to embrace the technology will be left behind.

“The increasing pervasiveness of an open and interoperable mobile transacting platform integrated at the point of sale enables retailers,” he says.

“Retailers that enable this in-store now stand to win in the long run as they are able to augment mobile payments with related and relevant value-added benefits.”

While the market for mobile phone and tablet payment acceptance is in its infancy, it has already seen explosive growth. According to MasterCard, small and medium-sized merchants that have never accepted card payments are

SnapScan is the mobile payment application that’s probably best known in the market. Launched this year by Standard Bank, it gives small business a quick, easy, affordable and secure payment solution and is currently used by 12 000 South African businesses.

To use the application, users scan a quick response (QR) code that is unique to each merchant and confirm the transaction with a personal identity number (PIN). The merchant receives a proof of payment via SMS and payment is made directly into the business’s account.

Customers can link up to three payment cards on their phones and label them as Business or Personal. This allows them to simply pick the card that they want to use when making payment.

SnapScan is also bank agnostic.

The system took top honours at the MTN Business App of the Year Awards last where it was judged as the Best App of the Year for 2013.

SureSwipe Move is another mobile point of sale (mPOS) solution, and has achieved point-to-point encryption (P2PE) certification from the PCI Security Standards Council.

SureSwipe Move works with smart devices such as mobile phones or tablets to accept credit, debit and cheque MasterCard and Visa card payments.

Powered by Handpoint, an mPOS platform provider, it addresses the payment acceptance needs of small and medium-sized merchants, particularly those with mobile businesses.

my office magazine

21

2 015 t r e n d s

Electronic shelf labels Electronic shelf labels (ESLs) will, in the next five years, see a six-fold revenue increase to nearly $2-billion by 2019, according to an ABI research report: Next Gen Retail: Electronic Shelf Labels.

The report outlines how ESLs, which are near field communication (NFC) or Bluetooth low energy- (BLE) enabled, are set to play an increasingly central role in the retail technology chain.

Smartphones, tablets and phablets The smartphone is rapidly taking over the cellular phone world. Giving users all the features they expect from a phone, smartphones are also tiny computers that let users run apps, stream video, connect to the Internet and manage their e-mail and many other day-to-day functions.

Smartphones come in three main flavours: Apple’s iOS products – the new iPhone 6 recently launched in South Africa; Android – with high-end products like the Samsung Galaxy S5 and more affordable options like Huawei’s new 6-inch Ascend Mate 7 and 5,5-inch Ascend G7; and Windows 8 – the latest Nokia Lumia being a great example of this platform.

It’s hard to believe that it’s only four years since Apple launched the iPad,

22

my office magazine

sparking the tablet revolution that swept the world. And even harder to believe that these useful, A4-sized devices that slip into a briefcase or handbag, appear to be inexorably giving way to the next wave of technology.

The phablet – a mash-up of the words “phone” and “tablet” – is the latest device du jour. Slightly larger than a regular smartphone, the phablet offers users the computing power of a tablet with the carrying convenience of a phone.

And these new devices certainly pack a punch, with products like the Samsung Note taking the South African market by storm.

Although they’re still immensely popular, users aren’t replacing their smartphones, tablets or phablets as frequently as before – so they are set to experience slower growth than they’ve seen in the past.

In fact, research organisation IDC expects that the worldwide tablet market will see a massive deceleration for the year, with year-over-year growth slowing to 7,2% – down from 52,5% in 2013.

Two-in-ones There’s a new product genre on the market: the two-in-one.

Epitomised by products like the Chromebook, which runs the Google Chrome operating system, these machines look like a notebook, but can be flipped so they are a display device; or the screen can be detached and used on its own like a tablet.

Many of these devices are inexpensive

to buy and maintain; and use applications in the cloud so they don’t need a large hard drive.

Two-in-one devices have become thinner, prices have come down, and more models are available, says IDC. Despite these advances, shipments of 2-in-1 devices are only expected to reach 8,7-million units in 2014, which is just 4% of the total tablet plus two-inone market.

Wearables It may be a while yet before Google Glass is available in South Africa, but it’s slowly gaining traction in the US. Google Glass is a seemingly ordinary pair of spectacles with a built-in computer and tiny display that’s only visible to the wearer.

Mopic / Shutterstock.com

turning to mPOS solutions to expand their customer base and increase sales.

Existing retailers are adopting mPOS solutions to enhance the retail and payment experience.

Google Glass lets the user analyse the things they’re looking at, but there’s been a backlash from people who are concerned their privacy may be compromised, so there’s no consensus on how fast this market will grow.

Vol 99 - January 2015

2 015 t r e n d s

Other wearables are taking off, however. There are any number of watches and fitness straps available that can synch with your smartphone to connect to e-mail, measure your heart rate, count the number of steps you’ve taken, and monitor any number of other variables in your life.

The most popular of these devices are the Apple Watch and the Samsung Gear, although many of the smartphone manufacturers now offer companion wearables.

Notebooks When tablets were first launched, many predicted that notebook computers would no longer be relevant – but the sceptics have been proved wrong, with the global notebook market having grown by a healthy 10% last year.

Notebook computers continue to get thinner, lighter and more powerful with bigger screens and a longer battery life than ever before.

The growth in notebooks has been driven largely by the ultrabook market, the thinnest and lightest notebooks running on Windows 8, that boot up within seconds.

Lenovo and HP continue to lead the notebook market, followed by Dell, Acer and Apple.

Personal computers (PCs) While more consumers than ever before are buying computers or smart devices, growth in these sectors has largely been at the expense of personal computers (PCs). Shipments of PCs fell by almost 3% in 2014, and had already declined in 2013.

Much of the poor growth has been blamed on the fact that enterprises have slowed their refresh cycles, choosing to “sweat their assets” for longer periods.

However, these refresh cycles seem to be getting back on track in mature markets, although emerging markets are taking a bit longer.

However, this modest growth is expected to be short-lived, and PC shipments are expected to decline again in 2015.

Printers Colour still features prominently when users decide which printer to buy.

In the consumer market, the inkjet printer has traditionally been the product of choice, but these are gradually being www.shop-sa.co.za

supplemented by the more versatile multifunction devices.

Second quarter figures for Africa show that the market is still buoyant, with shipments doing particularly well in South Africa and Nigeria.

Across the continent, inkjet shipments declined 0,7% year-on-year in Q2 2014 to total 280 000 units, while the value of those shipments increased 4,9% to $27-million. Inkjet devices priced below $100 continued to be the most popular, posting yearon-year growth in both volume and value; however, this was outweighed by a decline in demand for midrange

devices.

The inkjet segment’s value increase was driven by devices priced above $400, which continued to post strong growth thanks to the introduction of HP’s Officejet ProX series and Brother’s MFCJ6910DW device.

Over the same period monochrome laser shipments declined 4,6% to total almost 265 000 units, with a corresponding decrease in value of 2,6% to $132,5-million. A decline in the 1ppm to 20ppm speed segment was the fundamental reason for the overall decline in the mono laser market, with all other speed segments showing year-on-year

growth.

In contrast to the other major

technologies, colour laser shipments increased 12,5% in Q2 2014 to total just under 48 000 units. However, the market’s value declined 6,4% to $68,8-million as increased competition forced a decrease in prices, a trend that IDC expects to continue as the market for colour devices grows.

Shipments of serial dot matrix devices remained flat in Q2 2014 at just over 11 000 units, although there was a 5% decline in value to $6,5-million. Ongoing migration to newer, more efficient technologies contributed to this decline.

Meanwhile, 3D printers look set to take off in 2015, according to Gartner, with worldwide shipments to reach 217 350 units in 2015, up from 108 151 in 2014.

3D printer (3DP) shipments will more than double every year between 2015 and 2018, by which time worldwide shipments are forecast to reach more than 2,3-million.

3D printers costing less than $1 000 made up 11,6% of the total of these bands in 2014, but will grow to 28,1% of the $1-to-$2 500 range by 2018. As strong uses emerge within both the consumer and enterprise segments, Gartner expects the significant price band growth rate differences will fade as more organisations employ low-end and mid-range printers for testing and experimenting.

Looking ahead, plug-and-print capability will drive consumer 3D printer market growth beginning in 2015.

While the ecosystem remains complex, manufacturers of entry-level material extrusion printers are incorporating relatively simple “plug-and-print” capability.

n

my office magazine

23

retail trends ACKNOWLEDGMENT LYNETTE HUNDERMARK

Emerging retail trends for 2015

T

he retail sector had a torrid year in 2014, and can look forward to new disruptions in 2015. Across the globe, retailers have successfully used mobile to connect with customers, but can South African brands unlock mobile value too?

There are just over 37-million adults in South Africa today, and if you want to reach them, there’s no better way than to use mobile technology. Some 36-million people who are 15 and older have a cellular phone, which means that the opportunity for connecting with consumers this festive season is massive.

And connecting well has never been more important because the economy has put pressure on consumer spending. The financial slowdown has affected every level of society, but austerity is more obvious in low income groups. This was borne out by Famous Brands financial results - the retail food group reported that while “upmarket” brands, like Tashas and Turn ‘n Tender, performed well, Wimpy customers had tightened their discretionary belts.

Price comparison is in As money becomes tighter, people will browse more and comparison shop whether it’s digital or in real life. Pricechecking apps are massive in the US, South America and Europe, and they’re gaining good traction locally as well.

Consumers will use mobisites and apps to help them save money before plonking down their dosh.

Customers will look up and compare price tags, using a service like PriceCheck

24

my office magazine

2014 was a tough year for retailers, but 2015 promises to be better to find better bargains. This particular price checker has a Web site and a mobisite, as well as free downloadable apps from all four app platforms – Apple iOS, Android, Windows Phone and Blackberry.

Vouchers are another way that customers will try make their festive budgets go further. Checkers has teamed up with EeziCoupon for a virtual voucher system.

For this app customers are told that all they need to do is enter their unique code to redeem their savings at the till point.

Apps and word of mouth But the app store tells a different story and it is here that people using the app will voice their gripes. This means that retailers who use apps will need to keep a very close eye on app stores to monitor the type of brand experience that users are having, and how this measures back to the retail brand promise.

As such, it is imperative that brands who are already invested in the app space continue to add relevant features to these applications in order to continually optimise and improve the user experience. A case in point is the Checkers SA app, which launched in 2012. Even though it brought the digital couponing experience to mobile phones, the app itself has not evolved or changed over the past two years. Still generic in nature, consumers have to browse through hundreds of coupons to find what they are looking for. And even though the Checkers brand is going head-to-head with Woolworths, by not adding any new features since its launch, to further enhance or even personalise the consumer experience, is the supermarket’s “better and better” slogan really measuring up in the app stores?

Word of mouth is still the killer app.

Retailers need to consider that people

use social media to communicate their likes and dislikes, and this impacts directly on the bottom line. Social media is word of mouth on steroids, and will not be controlled. Disappointed customers are quick to vent and complain; happy customers have to be truly delighted to give a compliment - that’s human nature.

Buying loyalty In the luxury market people will want greater specialisation. Here the trend is to the niche – people will want to buy unique products, which gives rise to curated commerce.

The curators are trusted niche operators who provide designer products, collectable items - anything with “personality”. In the top demographics shoppers will find trusted retail sherpas who will go out and find rare and remarkable items. Locally this spot is occupied by IWantItAll.co.za, while a great global example is AHALife.com, which sources desirables from designers and artisans from across the globe.

YuppieChef is another example of a brand that is doing well in this space, by delivering imported designer kitchenware on time with the personal touch needed to drive brand loyalty. Research indicates that delivery is a significant factor in driving repeat purchases. Let’s face it – if I receive my product on time, or even earlier than expected, I will trust the brand and the service offering and will most likely engage again.

Celebrity culture holds major sway in SA, and it’s not just the Kardashians.

DJ Sbu, Bonang B Matheba, Euphonik and Gareth Cliff have massive influence with local youth. Internationally this has spawned the phenomenon of Celebrity Apps. Kim Kardashian’s game (available on iPhone and Android) has had millions of downloads, and is expected to earn her millions due to its in-app purchases.

Vol 99 - January 2015

retail trends

William Shatner’s free app, that mashes up random poetry and then reads it in his voice, has only seen downloads in the tens of thousands.

Personalisation Customers, especially those who are affluent, expect an app to provide a highly user-centric, customised experience. The more the customer uses the app, the more it “learns” about the customer. Of course, this requires a well-developed back-end: I often say that the success of retail apps depends on the back-end. Yes, a good UI, fast loading times and frequent updates are all important, but if you don’t have a basic, built-in understanding of the consumers’ shopping habits in mind when designing the back-end of an app, it will all be pointless.

For example, when I use a retail app, I would expect the app to know about my past purchases and my entire experience through this app should be based on my history. For example, the landing page should contain product recommendations based on my previous buying patterns to ensure that these recommendations are relevant to me. This intelligence could also extend into product specials spanning all the products and product categories that would connect into my buying history and increase the likelihood www.shop-sa.co.za

of a repeat purchase.

Analyse this Analytics is critical to retailers, but there is so much data available. This is why it’s important to get people who can analyse and interpret that data in a way that makes sense, and creates a virtuous cycle where retailers get smarter about how they better serve customers.

It is now possible to profile users down to a fine-grained degree and, depending what your company does, provide content or information that the user will likely find interesting or useful. And it has to be that - we absolutely hate spam in our inboxes.

If we can be guaranteed that 90% (or even 70%) of what we get from a certain source will be of interest, then we’ll be more likely to look at it.

Future tech New technologies continue to drive marketing practices. A technology called Beacons is being tested at store giants like Tesco and House of Fraser (in the UK) and Safeway, Waitrose, American Eagle and Macy’s (in the US). This a BLE (Bluetooth low energy) system that registers when customers enter the store, how long they linger in particular points what they spend on, and using predictive analytics based on previous purchase

behaviour, sends information or offers to the customer.

It’s early days yet, and no-one in South Africa has tried it, but I predict the only way it’s going to work is if there is real, tangible benefit for the customer.

Instant discount vouchers or other loyalty mechanisms need to be cleverly integrated, or else it will be perceived as yet another “spam channel” and consumers will opt out.

Looking a bit further into the future, the next trend is the “Internet of Things” - where every appliance is connected to the Web, and you will interface with it using its app. For instance, your smart fridge will keep an eye on the freshness and quantity of its contents and make recipe suggestions, or compile a shopping list based on your buying habits. A tap on your smartphone will then send the list to your favourite supermarket(s), and you will be notified of the expected delivery.

So, which retailer will own the app store this festive season, and in 2015?

It won’t necessarily be the one with the most outlets. Nor will it be the one with the biggest advertising budget. It will be the smartest retailer – those brands that understand how to add real value to customers’ lives, and who use technology to truly set themselves apart.

n

my office magazine

25

financial fitness

Financial fitness for 2015 The new year is a good time to review - and improve your financial health The festive season can be tough on the finances. Many South Africans work hard throughout the year, keeping a handle on expenses, only to overspend during the holiday period.

“People succumb to aggressive marketing and clever advertising to buy stuff they don’t need to impress other people,” says John Manyike, head of financial education at Old Mutual.

“Buying stuff we don’t need becomes a real problem when it means we can’t afford the stuff we do need come January.

“Many - too many - feel it’s easy to spend on credit and deal with the consequences in January or February,” says Manyike.

“This may require a complete turn-around in your attitude towards money, from ‘spend-first-and-save-the-rest’ to ‘savefirst-and-spend-the-rest’. It’s never too late or too early to start getting into shape and to get advice on financial planning,” he concludes.

The start of a new year is an opportune time to get back into good financial shape.

Steps to get out of debt Monitoring expenses • List your expenditure. In modern times, money can seem unreal. Credit cards and banking apps mean that just one swipe is necessary to pay for something, and many of us don’t know we are overspending. Always overestimate, rather than underestimate, costs.

• Write down fixed expenses (such as bond repayments and insurance premiums).

• List variable expenses (such as food and transport). It is important not to underestimate these costs.

• List your irregular expenses (such as car maintenance and home repairs). Try and work out your average monthly costs. Rather overestimate than underestimate these figures.

• Add these expenses up. If they total more than your earnings, you need to take action.

Getting back in the black • List your expenses in order of importance: if an expense is not crucial, it should be cut out. Accommodation, transport and food are important; typically, the items that can be eliminated will be things such as entertainment and clothing.

• Use your savings to reduce debt - especially credit card and store card debt, which carry high interest rates.

Stay debt-free • Establish a basic emergency fund for unexpected expenses. A month’s salary is a good start. Many people are just one month away from poverty; if their salaries were not paid for a month, it would take nearly 12 months for them to recover financially.

• Invest some money each month for your medium- and long-term financial goals, such as university or retirement. This investment should be in addition to a pension scheme or retirement annuity.

• Empower yourself with knowledge, either by reading articles on the Internet or by employing the services of a financial advisor.

• Check your credit score once a year to ensure that everything is on track.

Did you know?

By law you are entitled to one free credit check per year. You can make use of this service at: • TransUnion – www.mytransunion.co.z or 0861 482 482; • Experian SA – www.experian.co.za or 0861 105 665; • Credit Ombud – www.creditombud.org.za or 0861 662 837; and • National Credit Regulator – www.ncr.org.za or 0860 627 627.

n

28

my office magazine

Vol 99 - January 2015

imagine. imagine. change. change.

Imagine a world of infinite possibility. A world where office technology makes a significant contribution Imagine a world of infinite possibility. A world where to the bigger picture. office technology makes a significant contribution Ricoh’s Document Services cuts carbon footprints to the Managed bigger picture. by up to 80%, saves people approximately 7.4 hours a Ricoh’s Managed Document Servicesorganizations cuts carbon footprints week on productivity and allows to track, by up toand 80%, saves people approximately 7.4 hours monitor share information instantly and securely.

For a weekassessment on productivity allows document organizations to please track, free of yourand managed needs, monitor and share information instantly and securely. call us on 0800 100 040 or go to www.ricoh.co.za For a free assessment of your managed document needs, please Ricoh Document call us Managed on 0800 100 040 or goServices to www.ricoh.co.za Ricoh Managed Document Services

24524TMTR_5/11/2014_V1 24524TMTR_5/11/2014_V1

With Ricoh Document Services, With Ricoh Document Services, we believe anything is possible. we believe anything is possible.

We are proud supporters of the Veterinary Wildlife Services

/RicohSouthAfrica

/ricoh-south-africa

/Ricoh_SA

We are proud supporters of the Veterinary Wildlife Services

/RicohSouthAfrica

/ricoh-south-africa

/Ricoh_SA

jan san

Happy, healthy and hydrated Studies show that employees who drink enough water are more productive

H

ow well hydrated are your employees? Although this may seem like a strange question, it is a pertinent one for businesses to ask. Studies have shown that employee hydration can affect the company bottom line. This is because water plays a role in reducing sick days and improving overall productivity.

Dehydrated employees are often tired and tired employees are unproductive.

Productivity levels are heavily influenced by the way employees feel and the mood that they’re in.

A recent study asked participants to drink three cups of water before taking various IQ tests. Those who were well hydrated performed 14 times better when compared with those who did not drink water. Research has shown that losing just 500ml of fluid within the body increases the levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

Dehydration can have both short- and long-term impacts on health. One of the most common side-effects of dehydration is a headache. It can also cause lethargy, joint pain, a lack of concentration, memory loss and, in serve cases, kidney damage.

Not drinking enough water can also impact people’s moods. Irritable staff members are less likely to get along with co-workers or get their work done.

Did you know?

The human body is comprised of 65% water and the brain is 80% water.

Between 1,5 litres and 2,5 litres of water is required to replace the fluid our bodies lose in a 24-hour period.

30

my office magazine

Employees who are dehydrated are also more likely to: • Call in sick more often; • Come to work in a bad mood; • Eat unhealthy foods; • Process information at a slower rate; and • Exhibit signs of premature ageing and brain shrinkage.

While you can’t force your employees to drink more, there are a number of ways to make it easier for them to stay hydrated: Water coolers The most popular way to keep employees hydrated is by purchasing a water cooler for the office. Any initial investment will see returns in the long run, as water coolers have many benefits. They traditionally serve as a gathering point for staff, and research shows that offices with water coolers have more productive employees than those without. This is because short breaks boost productivity, while chatting to co-workers in down-time strengthens employee relationships.

Water from a water cooler is also filtered, which means it is more pure than tap water. When employees have access to cool, fresh water, they are less likely to drink sugary drinks. This lowers the risks of diabetes and obesity.

Water coolers are also cost-effective, requiring less power to run than a vending machine.

A good idea is to leave some lemons or limes next to the cooler, so employees can add a little flavour to their water.

Water bottles What better way to keep employees

hydrated than by giving them a branded water bottle? Employees will not only be able to drink water at their desks or on the move, but will also be showcasing your brand. Having water on hand encourages people to drink more regularly. If they have to keep getting up every time they want a drink, they will be less likely to drink enough.

Fruit A clever and cost-effective way to keep staff hydrated is to provide fresh fruit and vegetables as snacks. As much as 20% of our daily water intake comes from the fruit and vegetables we eat. Apples are a particularly great source of water.

Providing your workforce with plenty of water will keep staff well hydrated, motivated and happy.

n

Keep it clean Essential to maintaining water dispensing equipment is sanitisation, which should take place at least twice a year. Residue can build up in the reservoir, which can harbour bacteria. Green slime build-up which contains bacteria can impair the immune system and cause infections in humans such as gingivitis, dental plaque, middle-ear infections and urinary tract infections. Proper sanitation on a regular basis requires using a tasteless, oxidising product to penetrate the layers of biofilm and disinfect all the tanks, hoses and taps. Water bottles and refills should also feature tamper evident caps and stickers, and be made from foodgrade polycarbonate containers.

Vol 99 - January 2015

loyalty programmes

All for one and one for all Loyalty programmes drive customer acquisition, improve customer retention and encourage purchasing behaviours

L

oyalty programmes provide a channel to engage in reliable dialogue with your core customer base.

It promotes brands and develops revenue streams which benefit both you and your customer.

Understand your client Before you put a programme in place, know who your customers are, what motivates them to engage, and their core traits. Make sure your most successful brands will drive home the points that matter most to them. Know your customers well enough to give them tasks and rewards that will be mutually beneficial. Offering people things they already want is the quickest, most efficient way to see continuous results.

Make it simple to join The quicker and easier the joining procedure, the higher your success rate will be. Customers shouldn’t have to wait weeks for the programme to kick in; they should be able to start earning points instantly. Once you have engaged them, don’t forget about them. Create a pattern of communication so they know what to expect and when to expect it. Whether you choose to use e-mail campaigns, in-app messaging, social media channels, or other multi-channel methods, create a plan and stick to it. www.shop-sa.co.za

Make it simple to use Your customer needs to understand what they need to do in order to buy into and take part in your loyalty programme. Keep it on-brand, easy to understand and versatile. A point system works well as a customer can see the perceived value of the reward. Bigger rewards will require users to complete a larger number of tasks than smaller rewards. Ensure you make it clear what points stand for and how they benefit your customer. Don’t relegate the rules to the fine print.

Make it easy to redeem Rewards must be quick and easy to redeem, without time consuming requirements or high levels of effort needed by the customer. Benefits must be instantly visible. Ensure you capitalise on the feedback from happy customers by incentivising customer referrals with gift cards, special deals or coupons.

Drive customer behaviour The biggest benefit of a loyalty programme is the deepening of personal relationships between you and your customers. By carefully monitoring the spending patterns of customers within specific demographics, you can significantly increase the value and efficiency of any further promotional activity you engage in. Tailor your messages to the different audiences onboard and offer personal gestures such as a birthday reward or exclusive sale previews. Don’t bombard members

with promotional messaging. Rather give them a set of options so they can control the level of communication they want to receive.

Take advantage of multi-platform technology Collect customer data from your loyalty programme and use it to find out what they like, how they shop and their preferred methods of communication – and then act on it. Make sure your message is reflected consistently across all media channels. Widen your reach in order to find new customers to engage with your brand. Track and use online metrics to gain an understanding of their online behaviour. Listen and then take action in order to respond accordingly.

Research shows that when a programme member has completed their first initial transaction, they then become up to seven times more profitable to your business.

n

Three loyalty programmes that work: •

FNB eBucks - free to join, has a wide range of partners therefore more opportunity to earn and spend rewards at.

• Pick n Pay Smart Shopper - simply fill in a form and start earning points immediately on purchases.

• Clicks Clubcard - free funeral cover is available to members, calculated on a member’s average monthly spend.

Source: www.moneyvine.co.za

my office magazine

31

crime alert

Malicious software: The usual suspects If you can’t tell your worms from your keyloggers, our simple guide to modern malware can help

M

alware, or “malicious software”, is the overarching term used to describe any kind of harmful software.

Viruses A virus is a self-replicating program which spreads by copying itself and infecting one file after another, in a way similar to a biological virus. Programs infected with viruses are dispersed via e-mail or through shared hardware, such as a USB drive, and therefore rely on human activity to spread. Viruses were originally used to steal information or crash computers, rendering them unusable. These days, true viruses are rare. They have been supplanted by worms. Many people now use the term “virus” interchangeably with malware.

Worms A worm is different from a virus in that it is able to spread over computer networks, such as the Internet, of its own accord. It contains all the code it needs to spread and does not depend on using other programs. Worms replicate rapidly and are able to exploit vulnerabilities in software. An example of a worm is a Trojan horse.

Did you know?

Blaster and Sasser were worms that spread very quickly through a vulnerability in Windows 2000 and Windows XP. They performed primitive DDoS attacks on users’ computers.

Trojans A Trojan (or Trojan horse) is a type of malware that disguises itself as a legitimate application but is actually malicious. Downloading and using a program that contains a Trojan allows third parties to access your computer.

The Trojan runs in the background, monitoring activity or joining your computer to a botnet. Trojans are not self-replicating and therefore need to be combined with worms to spread.

They are often used as a gateway to download other types of malware onto your computer.

Keyloggers A keylogger is a type of malware that runs in the background and logs (records) every key stoke you make.

This means a keylogger can record your usernames, passwords and credit card numbers. This data is then relayed over the Internet to cybercriminals. A

Trojan, virus or worm may function as a keylogger.

Botnets A botnet is essentially a large network of “zombie” computers: a remote device controls a collection of infected computers and tells them what to do.

Each individual computer is called a bot and is infected with a piece of malicious software. The network is used to carry out malicious activity on the Internet, such as a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack. In a DDoS, every computer in the network is made to bombard a specific Web site or server with requests, causing the server to become unresponsive or crash, and thus denying service. Botnet creators have been known to sell their network of infected computers.

Did you know?

Stuxnet is a computer worm that was discovered in June 2010. Duqu is a Trojan horse that was discovered in September 2011. It is thought to be related to the Stuxnet worm. Duqu and Stuxnet are both highly targeted, and were used to gather information about Iran’s nuclear programme.

PLATINUM SPONSORS:

GOLD SPONSORS:

SILVER SPONSORS:

Keeping shop-sa members abreast of criminal and fraudulent activity in the stationery and office products industry To sponsor the Crime Alert page contact 011 781 0370 REPORT CRIME AT wendy@shop-sa.co.za Renew your Crime Alert sponsorship today! Call Wendy Dancer on 011 781 0370 to book your logo placement on the Crime Alert page as an industry leader in transparency, information sharing and anti-crime business ethics.

32

my office magazine

Vol 99 - January 2015

crime alert

Did you know?

Regin is newly-discovered malware that has been used in systematic spying campaigns. It is not just a single malicious program, but rather a platform consisting of multiple modules. Regin is aimed at gathering confidential data from GSM networks.

Web Buttons

Spyware Spyware is a type of malicious software that spies on you without your knowledge. Similar to a Trojan, spyware is often hidden inside a legitimate application. Data collected by spyware can be used to monitor your browsing habits. This is then uploaded to an advertiser’s server and they can create targeted ad campaigns. In this way

www.parrotproducts.biz

spyware is similar to both Trojans and keyloggers.

Did you know?

Ransomware Ransomware is a relatively new type of malware aimed solely at profit-making.

Once it installs on your computer, ransomware holds your files “hostage” by threatening to wipe them from your hard drive unless a payment (the ransom) is made. Most ransomware is easily thwarted by a good antivirus and regular data backups.

Did you know?

CryptoLocker is a type of ransomware that runs on Microsoft Windows. First seen in 2013, this worm encrypts your files and demands a payment before you can access them. It is believed that Cryptolocker has extorted more than $3-million so far.

www.chafrica.co.za

Ideological hackers (called hacktivists) are groups that use different types of malware (such as botnets) to draw publicity to causes such as social injustice and censorship. Examples of hacktivist groups are LulzSec and Anonymous.

Rootkits A rootkit is a type of hidden malware that operates in the most basic level (or root) of the operating system. They are difficult to detect and eradicate because they burrow deep into software and are able to stay hidden. They are able to modify system functions and prevent security programs from discovering them. Rootkits often load before Windows has fully booted. A rootkit can provide a third party with unauthorised access to your computer.

n

www.silveray.co.za

www.redfern.co.za

email: sales@redfern.co.za

THE LABEL SPECIALIST Stick with the best!

www.koloksa.co.za

www.nikki.co.za

www.hortors.co.za

www.rexelsa.co.za

www.interstat.co.za

www.kmp.co.za

www.towerproducts.co.za

®

www.penflex.co.za

www.shop-sa.co.za

www.treeline.co.za

my office magazine

33

industry news Bic South Africa Redevelopment project The original Bic South Africa building in Industria was constructed in 1968.

The option to redevelop the building arose in early 2014 when the decision was taken to undergo a complete internal office space, warehousing and external building overhaul instead of relocating to a new premises outside of Industria.

A modern open plan office environment with staff pause areas, canteen and wellness room are all part of the redevelopment project that is scheduled for completion in early 2015.

As Bic South Africa has expanded their supply operation into sub-Saharan Africa in recent years, the warehousing facility became inadequate to keep up with the growth of supply into Africa.

The old steel sheds were demolished in June 2014 to make way for the new and improved warehousing facility that can house 6 200 pallets with an additional 3 000m2 to allow for the volume growth expected in the next seven years.

The redevelopment project will improve work processes creating a circular system from the receipt of the raw materials through to the Moleskine expands store presence In line with its direct retail expansion plan, Italian notebook and stationery manufacturer Moleskine has opened a retail store in downtown Milan, located on one of the city’s main shopping streets. This is the ninth store opening of the fourth quarter, bringing the total to 39 directly operated stores.

Moleskine plans to open three more stores in EMEA by the end of the year.

In the first nine months of this year, the company’s retail channel almost doubled to €4,8-million (R66-million).

Moleskine CEO Arrigo Berni says: New code of conduct from CGS Ombud The proposed Consumer Goods and Services Industry (CGS) Code of Conduct, which would make it compulsory for suppliers of consumer goods and services to register with the Consumer Goods and Services Ombudsman (CGSO), is poised to be approved in the near future.

The Code would, if approved, give the CGSO compulsory jurisdiction over everyone involved in the consumer goods and services supply chain, except the motor industry and any entity already regulated elsewhere.

“This would be good news for consumers and the CGSO,” says Consumer Goods and Services Ombudsman, Advocate Neville Melville. “Up to this point, if a consumer had a complaint against a supplier who was not a voluntary participant in the scheme, we could only assist if the supplier agreed to cooperate with us. This does not always happen.”

Following the approval of a similar

34

my office magazine

manufacturing plant, co-packing and warehousing of finished and indented goods to supply into the market.

More sophisticated material handling equipment will allow for increased order picking throughput.

The new despatch area will have eight delivery bays that are protected from the elements to allow for uninterrupted receiving and despatching of local and export orders, as well as improved vehicle flow. Bic have showed commitment to their workforce by staying in Industria and are excited about their future at their new and improved work place.

“Retail is increasingly contributing to strengthening the foundations of our continued growth in the future. We are getting closer to our customers and our product lines are more and more a result of an intimate relationship with them.”

Amazon plans to open first physical store According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, Amazon, the largest US e-commerce retailer, intends to open a store in Manhattan ahead of the holiday shopping season. It is not clear if the store will be permanent or a holiday pop-up. The newspaper says the store could function as a warehouse and a showcase for inventory. Amazon has never opened a brick-and-mortar store but has installed pick-up lockers in major cities. It has been investing heavily in the speedy fulfilment of orders - including adding six new distribution centres and about 15 sorting centres - before the holidays. It operates a total of 40 distribution centres in the US.

code of conduct in the motor industry by Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies, Melville says he is confident that the CGS Codes will be next in line.

The CGS Code was re-published for public comment on 3 October 2014.

The Department of Trade and Industry is currently considering the public comments received and analysing the proposed CGS Code for suitability. In terms of the proposed code, all participants in the industry must register with CGSO and contribute towards its operating costs.

Melville is planning to implement the change from 1 March 2015, even if a sooner date is set by the Minister, to enable those suppliers who have not already done so to budget for their contributions.

The founding members of CGSO, who have already committed themselves to complying with the Code and subjecting themselves to CGSO’s jurisdiction, are: • Massmart Services, a division of

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Mass Stores; Pick n Pay Retailers; Spar Group; Woolworths; Tiger Brands; Unilever South Africa; British American Tobacco SA; Rainbow Farms; Tongaat Hulett Sugar; Ellerines Furnishers; JD Group; Lewis Group; L’oreal South Africa; Mr Price Group; MTN; Oceana Brands; Bergzicht Furnishers Andre Lourens (Modern Appliances); Tafelberg Furniture; Shoprite Checkers; Premier Foods; Pernod Ricard; Lee-Chem Laboratories; and Nestlé.

Vol 99 - January 2015

trade marketing

The value of one, the power of all Event and trade associations offer resources and connections that make them valuable partners for B2B marketers

E

vent and trade organisations serve as advocates for industry.

By bringing competitors together, they are able to amplify one small voice into a persuasive, unified call. As a collective, organised business associations improve the competitive performance of individuals by the provision of business education, activities and programmes, leadership strategy, lobbying, representation and the challenging of issues and government legislation that affect industries at both national and international levels.

South African business associations offer a diverse range of resources, including leadership, safety, environmental regulations and global trade agreements.

They are also repositories of information and provide news on the latest trends and business developments. Other professional educational benefits provide members with actionable ways to improve their business and individual knowledge.

Their main focus is to offer collaboration between companies, set standards of business, and offer support in the form of conferences, networking, information, connection and learning.

Associations work to promote growth and investment, build new enterprises, and forge stronger links between business communities. The South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SACCI), which is the country’s largest business organisation with a membership of close to 20 000 businesses, offers its members a choice of almost 50 constituent chambers.

Government-led organisations such as the dti offer development in trade, www.shop-sa.co.za

exports and investment, with incentives that include the Enterprise Investment Program (EIP) and the Black Business Supplier Development Programme (BBSDP). They offer entrepreneurs and business executives grants and incentives for new developments, innovations, start-ups and expansion projects.

Benefits of engaging with an event or trade organisation: • Sharing of best practices, fresh ideas and information about what impacts the bottom line; • Promotion in newsletters and workshops; • Reputational enhancement and customer confidence in products and services on offer that adhere to set standards; • Access to new customers, target markets and decision-makers; • International trade as a growth opportunity for global expansion; • Access to legal services, health insurance, labour advice and industry discounts; • Accelerated process of learning and competitiveness so companies can mobilise quickly; • Ability to evaluate and compare the business with international standards; • Access to international marketing plans; • Access to dedicated personnel, budgets and appropriate business procedures; • Solid agent or distributor agreements; and • Access to doing business within the parameters of intellectual property rights and anti-competition laws and appropriate export counselling.

Their incentives are aimed at encouraging investments in South Africa, building capacity, creating job opportunities, and expanding the value chain with local resources and recycling of waste products. The Export Marketing and Investment Assistance programme (EMIA) aims to promote exports of South African products and foreign direct investment. Cash subsidies are available for South African exhibitors to exhibit their products at exhibitions abroad; for Foreign Trade Missions; for the formation of formal export councils; for export market research; and for product registration such as PCT and foreign patent registration costs.

As an agency of the dti, the Small Enterprise Development Agency (Seda) is mandated to implement government’s small business strategy, as well as design and implement a standard and common national delivery network for small enterprise development, in order to ensure their growth and sustainability alongside international best practices.

Ultimately, a trade association represents the ideals of an industry and offers its members reputational standing.

Their marketing channels work as powerful conduits for marketers hoping to be seen alongside the highest standards represented in an industry.

For members, they offer reliable data regarding the workings of the industry and provide excellent insight into member companies and the concurrent industry landscape. This means members will be able to sell more efficiently.

In order for any organisation to be effective, however, it is necessary for members to participate in surveys, industry discussions and networking events, and the benchmarking of information and data that can drive sales.

n

my office magazine

35

eco news

The future is solar Solar energy is the way to boost the South African economy

S

outh Africa’s economic growth is being crippled by the limited excess capacity of Eskom, and unstable electricity supplies are threatening the survival of small and medium enterprises.

SMEs contribute about half of SA’s GDP and employ more than half of the formally employed population.

According to a survey conducted by Sasol and the University of Pretoria, as much as 80% of South Africa’s SME market has reported significant losses of trade or productivity during the crisis, including damage to computers and other electronics, perishables damaged in refrigerators, non-delivery to clients, facilities becoming unable to operate, and increasingly expensive electricity tariffs.

Historically, South Africa had one of the lowest electricity prices in the

world; however, particularly since 2008, demand for electricity has outstripped supply, forcing prices to increase to all-time highs. With Eskom’s latest multi-year price determination (MYPD3), alreadyhigh electricity prices will continue to increase year-on-year by at least 8% for the next five years, followed by even higher annual percentage increases until 2020. According to Terrafirm Solutions, this means that companies’ energy costs are expected to more than double in the next five years, and quadruple in the next decade.

Professor Anton Eberhard, a member of the National Planning Commission (NPC), says that South Africa has been plunged into the worst energy crisis in 40 years, quoting outages as “commonplace despite peak power demand falling below 2007 levels and actual electricity use far below forecasts”.

“In the past three years, we’ve lost the equivalent of an entire coal[-fired] power station through deteriorating plant availability. Of 87 coal-generating units, 32 need major surgery and

three are in a critical condition,” says Eberhard. Eskom has acknowledged in Parliament that it cannot guarantee electricity supply security for at least another five years. Eberhard added the contribution of renewable energy was very important, particularly as solar prices had fallen by 68% within the last three years, and the price of wind energy has dropped by 42%.

Large corporates, and companies in the mining, steel, automotive and manufacturing industry, are increasingly turning to solar to protect themselves. The government is encouraging the search for new sustainable energy practices with various tax incentives, helping businesses and local government to actively seek immediate solutions to the problem.

The government is also looking to support sustainable green energy initiatives on a national scale, through a diverse range of clean-energy options as envisaged in an Integrated Resource Plan. In terms of this plan, which is a 20-year projection on electricity demand and production, about 42% of electricity generated must come from renewable resources.

Images: Sola Future Energy

• Installation and operation of a 700kW eco news system in CT.

The state’s development finance institution, the Industrial Development Corporation, has a specific department targeting the sector - the Green Industries Strategic Business Unit, with renewable energy as its major focus. It has increased its funding for small-scale renewable energy and energy efficiency projects through its Green Energy Efficiency Fund and key focus areas include industrial energy efficiency and biomass-to-energy investments.

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) says it will release a consultation paper in February 2015, which will include how “prosumers” could be empowered to feed surplus electricity into the grid. Full-time member Thembani Bukula says the aim is to ensure an “orderly introduction” of embedded generation, which Nersa sees as inevitable, notwithstanding the prevailing legislative impediments.

Currently, municipalities have the constitutional mandate to distribute and reticulate electricity and, while households and businesses do not require a licence to produce less than 1MW for their own consumption, they are restricted from selling surplus power into the grid.

“We are not trying to change the Constitution, but even if local government does not want distributed generation, nothing prevents

- Confidential -

individuals and businesses from introducing rooftop solar, which reduces consumption from the grid,” says Bukula.

Geographically, South Africa possesses one of the most abundant solar resources in the world, with an average of 2 500 hours of sunshine per year, and with average solar-radiation levels ranging from 4,5 to 6,5kWh/m2.

This means that-millions of rooftops in South Africa are exposed to high levels of valuable solar radiation that can be harnessed in a significantly more direct, cost-effective and efficient way compared to the country’s current sources of energy.

The solar photovoltaic (PV) industry has also begun to mature in South Africa, which has lowered costs - and will continue to do so - upon increased capacity, making it the opportune time for small, medium and large power users in South Africa to embark on the many business-solar solutions available on the local market.

Solar PV is expected to be the cheapest energy-generating technology in South Africa by 2020, after reaching price parity with coal in 2018. Capital investments in solar can often be paid back within five years, and show lucrative net present values of the 20 to 25-year project life

1 4

of the PV system.

Already steps have been made by frontrunners in the industry.

Woolworths’ Cape Town head office - through the installation of a 108 kilowatt-peak solar PV system on the roof - has over the past three months saved 30 828kWh worth of electricity, which translates into an energy bill reduction of about R38 534. The rooftop solar system, designed and installed by South African company SOLA Future Energy, consists of 432 panels of 250W each which had been mounted with roof clamps. No penetration of the roof sheeting was required, eliminating waterproofing concerns.

n

product showcase

KENTON PORTABLE POWER BANK - CODE 12112801 • • •

Charges tablet, iPad, iPhone and smartphones Lithium battery, 6 600mAh USB cable and five connectors for different cell phones.

Tel: 011 248 0300 Web: www.koloksa.co.za

DAS Since 1968, Das has been the world’s most famous and widely used self-hardening modelling material. It is mineral-based and gluten-free, and does not need to be fired, as it hardens when exposed to air. It is easy to polish and allows you to create solid, resilient objects that can be personalised and decorated to your liking using paints or fibre pens. It is particularly versatile and can be used to coat a wide range of different surfaces, such as wood, plastic, metal, glass, etc. It does not leave stains and washes off hands with water. It also can be machine-washed from most clothes at the 40°C setting. Available in white or terracotta. Comes in aluminium packs, which help it to keep its freshness for a long time, with a resealable tab on the back.

Tel: 087 150 3549 E-mail: sales@filacartorama.co.za Web: www.filacartorama.co.za

FILA CARTORAMA SA (PTY) Ltd

LYRA GROOVE Large ergonomic triangular graphite pencil. Medium hardness lead. Ideal for those making their first foray into writing. Body, 17.5 cm long, is triangular in cross-section, with no added synthetic substances. Natural anti-slip grip makes it easy to hold. Anti-slip grips on sides for the thumb, index finger and middle finger, giving you extra support and making the pencil easy to hold, even after you have sharpened it. Extra-resistant, anti-break, long-lasting lead. Space to write your name.

Tel: 087 150 3549 E-mail: sales@filacartorama.co.za Web: www.filacartorama.co.za

FILA CARTORAMA SA (PTY) Ltd

WAX CRAYONS WITH A TWIST! NEW Bostik Wax Twisters are wax crayons but even better! These retractable twist-up crayons are protected by a durable plastic barrel to prevent waste and breakage. There’s no need to sharpen so you’re ensured of a clean line very time. Bostik Wax Twisters are perfect for school projects and home craft afternoons.

12 Bright colours in every pack!

www.facebook.com/BostikSouthAfrica

38

my office magazine

Tel: 021 555 7400 • Fax: 021 552 1870 E-mail: marketing@bostik.co.za Web: www.bostik.co.za

Vol 99 - January 2015

My Office and shop-sa would like to wish you all a very prosperous new year. We thank you for your continued support during 2014.

May 2015 be the best year yet!

SOURCE PRODUCTS HERE A ADDING MACHINE, POINT OF SALE AND MACHINE ROLLS PaperGeni Rotunda ADHESIVES, GLUES AND SPRAYS BIC South Africa (Pty) Ltd - Correction Fluid, Glue sticks & Super Glue Palm Stationery Manufacturers - New Wave Freedom Stationery - Marlin ADHESIVE NOTES 3M SA PTY Ltd - Post-it ® ART, CRAFT, GRAPHIC AND DRAWING MATERIALS CTP Stationery - A4 coloured poster boards Freedom Stationery - Marlin Max Frank - Uni, Artline Pentel S.A (Pty) Ltd. - Oil pastels and watercolour paint

40

B BAGS AND CASES D.O.S - iStay Flip File - Business cases.

Freedom Stationery - Space Case and Marlin Global Bag And Sportswear Manufactures Custom schoolbags ,tracksuits Kolok - Kenton Topmark - School Bags, Laptop Bags, Pencil Cases, Sports Bags, Luggage BATTERIES Nikki Distributors - Duracell Batteries Nikki Distributors - Energizer Batteries BIN RANGE Krost Office Products BINDING ACCESSORIES AZ Trading - Plastic Comb, Wire, Thermal & Covers CTP Donau - Donau files and slide binders, A4 poster board Parrot Products - Parrot Comb Binding Machines

Press Products - Twin Wire®, Plastic Combs, Plastikoil®, Binding Covers Rexel Office Products - Rexel and GBC

BINDING MACHINES AZ Trading - DSB, Neorel D.O.S - Prima, DSB Parrot Products - Parrot Comb Binding Machines Press Products - Twin Wire®, Plastikoil®, Plastic Combs Rexel Office Products - GBC and Rexel ranges BOARDS BIC South Africa (Pty) Ltd - BIC Velleda School Whiteboards CTP Stationery - Flip Chart Pads Hortors Stationery - Legal Notices i.e. Basic Conditions & OSH Act and Leave and Absence Chart Freedom Stationery - Marlin Max Frank - Artline Flipchart Markers, Artline, Maxi whiteboard markers Palm Stationery Manufacturers - New Wave Parrot Products - Full range of boards and accessories. Custom boards printed to your specification Rexel Office Products - NOBO whiteboards, pinboards, easels and accessories. Quartet magnetic white/cork boards BOOK COVERS CTP Stationery - Poly Prop Donau heavy duty covers Empire Toy & Stationery - Butterfly paper Freedom Stationery Gordon’s Productions - contact paper woodgrain, marble, pattern designs. Magic cover back to school clear and coloured self adhesive paper.

(4M rolls, A4 and lever arch). Plastic coated brownkraft rolls and pre-cut polythene covers.

Grafton Paper Products Palm Stationery Manufacturers - brown paper rolls, poly rolls, gift-wrap RBE - Papersmart BOOKS AND PADS BSC Stationery - Treeline CTP Stationery - Impala and premier books and pads Freedom Stationery - Manufacturers

Hortors Stationery - Legal registers Impala Vuwa Stationery Manufacturers Palm Stationery Manufacturers Power Stationery - Powerstar RBE - NCR Business Books Rexel Office Products - Colourhide notebooks BOXES AND CARTONS CTP Stationery - Archiving Systems Rexel Office Products Specialised Filing Systems - Archive and Off-Site Tidy Files - Acid free archiving products

C CALCULATORS Kolok - HP Nikki Distributors - Truly calculators Palm Stationery Manufacturers - New Wave Power Stationery - Powerstar Rexel Office Products - IBICO CALENDARS CTP Stationery - Diaries assorted sizes CALLIGRAPHY Max Frank - Artline CANTEEN Kolok - Tea, Coffee, milk etc, Sunbeam (appliances), Cleansui (water filters and refills) CARBON PAPER AND FILMS RBE - NCR Business Books CD’S, DVD’S AND DISKETTES Kolok - Verbatim, Kenton CLIP BOARDS CTP Stationery - DONAU brand Parrot Products - Masonite and whiteboard CLIPS, FASTENERS AND PINS Freedom Stationery - Marlin Grip Binders - Essentials, Stephens, Penguin Tidy Files - Filing solution

Effortless binding with perfect results CombBind 100

CombBind 110

CombBind C200

CombBind C210

buyers’ guide

See page 46 for contact details Hortors Stationery - Legal diaries

COLOURING BOOKS Empire Toy & Stationery - Empire books Freedom Stationery - Marlin Palm Stationery Manufacturers - New Wave COMPUTER ACCESSORIES Kolok - Verbatim, Kenton Krost Office Products Pyrotec - Tower Inkjet-laser labels, business cards and photo paper COMPUTER CLEANING Kolok - ComputerCare Pyrotec - Tower computer cleaning range COMPUTER CONSUMABLES CTP Stationery - Full range of DONAU files KMP - for computer consumables Kolok Unlimited - Penguin (Ribbons, Toners, Inkjets,) ,Till and fax rolls Redfern Print Services - Redfern inkjet/laser/ copier labels and a full range of stationery labels COMPUTER HARDWARE Kolok Unlimited - Blazer UPS systems, Geha (Interactive white boards)

Rexel Office Products - NOBO planners, refills and T-card kits, Quartet Monthly/Weekly planner South African Diaries - For all your diary

FAX ROLL MANUFACTURERS

needs

Rotunda

DICTATION - TRANSCRIPTION

FILES AND FILING

Olympus Audio S.A - Digital Voice Recorders,

African Filing Systems - Top retrieval filing

Transcription Kits and Accessories.

and arching products

Powerhouse Dictation for Philips - Dictation,

BSC Stationery - Treeline, Mobifile

transcription, meeting recording, mini-tapes,

CTP Stationery - Full range of quality DONAU

foot pedals, accessories

brand Flip File - Executive display files, expanding

DRAUGHTING AND DRAWING OFFICE SUPPLIES

files, Document folders, dividers

CTP Stationery - A4 Poster Boards

Freedom Stationery - Edo / Unifile Palm Stationery Manufacturers - Lever arch, Ringbinder files, Manilla flat folders Grafton/Star

E

Kolok - Geha (Binding machines) Palm Stationery Manufacturers - leaver arch, ring binder files, manilla flat folders.

Pentel S.A (Pty) Ltd. - Display book Vivid,

EMBOSSERS AND ENGRAVING Rubber Stamp & Engraving Co - Ideal & Trodat Embossers (pocket, desk and electronic), Trotec

CORPORATE STATIONERY & GIFTING Star Stationers and Printers

CTP Stationery - Commercial envelopes Global Envelopes - CelloWrapped, peel+seal and FullGum

CombBind C250 Pro

WireBind W20

41

FOLDERS CTP Stationery - DONAU Brand Freedom Stationery - Marlin

Grafton/Star KZN Envelopes - Manufactures of Printed and

envelopes

DIARIES, PLANNERS AND ORGANISERS CTP Stationery - CTP Brand

ranges

Tidy Files - Filing solutions

Merpak Envelopes - Complete range of quality

DESK SETS AND ACCESSORIES BIC South Africa (Pty) Ltd - Desk Set Solo Delux Freedom Stationery - Marlin Krost Office Products Ledger Systems - Falcon Products Rexel Office Products - Rexel Eco Range

Rexel Office Products - Prima and Rexel

Archive and Off-Site

ENVELOPES AND MAILING

Plain Envelopes

D

document file, clip file and presentation file

Specialised Filing Systems - Top Retrieval,

BSC Stationery - Leo Envelopes CRAYONS AND CHALKS Freedom Stationery - Marlin Palm Stationery Manufacturers - Chalks and Crayons Power Stationery - Powerstar

F

Palm Stationery Manufacturers - View files, polypropylene & board folders Tidy Files - Specialised

Narayan Wholesaler - Wholesaler of Quality

FORMS - LEGAL AND MISCELLANEOUS

Envelopes, Peel and Seal

Hortors Stationery - complete range of custom,

PaperGeni

company, miscellaneous, magisterial, etc.

RBE - Papersmart ERASERS & ERASING / CORRECTION FLUIDS

FURNITURE - OFFICE & SCHOLASTIC

BIC South Africa (Pty) Ltd - Tippex tape,

Krost Office Products - accessories

bottle and Pen

New Era Office cc - Specialising in all office

Freedom Stationery - Marlin

furniture desks, chairs, credenzas, boardroom

Max Frank - Uni

tables, etc

Palm Stationery Manufacturers - Tape/Erasers

Reboni Furniture Group - Manufacturing and

Pentel S.A (PTY) LTD - Hi-Polymer and Ain

distribution of educational and office furniture

eraser, correction tape and pens

Specialised Filing Systems - Cabinets,

Power Stationery - Powerstar

Shelving and Hi-Density

MultiBind 230 Comb & Wire

www.rexelsa.co.za ThermaBind T400

SOURCE PRODUCTS HERE G

L

GUILLOTINES AND TRIMMERS AZ Trading - DSB, Kobra Beswick Office Products - Fellowes, Vivid Maynards Office Technology - IDEAL Shredders & Guillotines – SA Distributors Press Products - BindQuip Rexel Office Products - SmartCut and ClassicCut

LABELS Freedom Stationery - Marlin Nor Paper Pyrotec - Tower stationery, inkjet-laser labels Redfern Print Services - Redfern Inkjet/laser/ copier labels and a full range of stationery labels Specialised Filing Systems - Filing Tidy Files - Filing solutions LABELLING MACHINES Kemtek Imaging Systems - Distributor of Brother P-Touch Labelling System

I 42

INDEX TABBING AND DIVIDERS 3M SA - Post-it flags, Flag pen and highlighter CTP Stationery - DONAU Brand board and P.P Flip File - Index Tabs, Flip tabs Freedom Stationery - Marlin Grip Binders Palm Stationery Manufacturers Rexel Office Products - Rexel, Mylar and Prima board INKS KMP - for computer consumables.

Max Frank - Shachihata, Artline Rexel Office Products - Numbering machine ink Rubber Stamp & Engraving Co - Trodat, Noris fastdry, security, numbering, franking.

Laundry.

INTER-SCREWS / BINDING SCREWS Ledger Systems - Sole suppliers of Inter screws

LAMINATING MACHINES AZ Trading - DSB, Speedlam, Lamiace Kolok - GEHA and Galaxy Parrot Products - Parrot A4 and A3 Laminators Press Products - GMP Rexel Office Products - GBC and Rexel ranges LAMINATING POUCHES AND MATERIALS AZ Trading - A0 to ID card size Kolok - GEHA, Penguin laminating pouches and rolls Parrot Products Press Products - GMP Rexel Office Products - GBC

MARKERS BIC South Africa (Pty) Ltd - Permanent Markers, Highlighters, whiteboard Freedom Stationery - Marlin Interstat Agencies - Edding Max Frank - Artline , Maxi, Uni Parrot Products - White board, permanent and OHP markers. Wide range of highlighters Penflex - White board, flipchart, permanent markers, highlighters Pentel (Pty) Ltd. - Maxiflo, white board marker and paint marker Power Stationery - Powerstar MATHEMATICAL GEOMETRY SETS & ACCESSORIES Freedom Stationery - Marlin Palm Stationery Manufacturers Power Stationery - Powerstar MINUTE AND GUARD BOOKS Hortors Stationery - Company registers, minute books and other legal registers Ledger Systems - Falcon products

N NUMBERING MACHINES Rexel Office Products Rubber Stamp & Engraving Co - Reiner Dater/Numberer (manual/electronic), Trodat

LEGAL STATIONERY Hortors Stationery - All legal registers, forms, diaries etc LETTER TRAYS Krost Office Products

J

M

JANITORIAL Kolok - Goldenmarc (Cleaning products), Brooms, Mops and equipment.

MAILING TUBES CTP Stationery

O OFFICE ERGONOMICS Rexel Office Products - Kensington copyholders, risers, footrests, Rexel range of electric staplers and punches which reduces chances of RSI (repetitive strain injury) OFFICE FURNITURE IXAXA Office Furniture - Office furniture (Desks and Chairs) from reception to CEO’S office

Simply faster to the finish...

TM

Introducing the new line of Fusion Laminators

Fusion 1000L

Fusion 1100L

Fusion 3000L

buyers’ guide

See page 46 for contact details

OVERHEAD PROJECTION AND ACCESSORIES 3M SA (Pty) Ltd. - Overhead film, transparency, multimedia Kolok - Penguin Transparencies Max Frank - Artline Parrot Products - Data Projectors, OHPs, screens and rear projection film Penflex - Penflex Overhead projector pens Rexel Office Products - NOBO

Power Stationery - Powerstar Rexel Office Products - Rexel HB & Derwent Staedtler SA (Pty) Ltd - Tradition, Wopex, Technical, Clutch Pencils and lead PENCIL LEADS BIC South Africa (Pty) Ltd - Criterium 0.5mm leads Freedom Stationery - Marlin Max Frank - Uni Pentel S.A (Pty) Ltd - Ain lead, standard lead - various grades

P PACKAGING Merpak Envelopes - Postsafe packaging range PAPER AND BOARD Antalis South Africa - Office paper and packaging solutions CTP Stationery - DONAU A4 poster boards Empire Toy & Stationery - Butterfly paper Freedom Stationery Grafton/Star Kolok Unlimited - Geha (paper media), EPSON, HP, CANON, Nor Paper Palm Stationery Manufacturers - Cubes and board Paper World Handmade Paper, Embossed Paper, Specialty Papers, Scented Paper Board, Paper Products Peters Papers - Rotatrim, Typek and Smart Copy Power Stationery - Powerstar RBE - Papersmart Rexel Office Products - Prima Paper & Board TRIBE - TRIBE Inkjet Paper and Film PAPER FOLDING MACHINES Maynards Office Technology - IDEAL Shredders & Guillotines – SA Distributors PENCILS BIC South Africa (Pty) Ltd - BIC Evolution Graphite, BIC Matic Clutch ,Velocity Clutch, Atlantis Clutch, BU4 Clutch Freedom Stationery - Marlin / Edo Max Frank - Uni Palm Stationery Manufacturers Pentel S.A (Pty) Ltd - Hotshot, Mechanical Pencil, Techniclick Pencil.

PENCIL SHARPENERS Freedom Stationery Palm Stationery Manufacturers Power Stationery - Powerstar PENS BIC South Africa (Pty) Ltd - Clic, Crystal, Orange and Prismo Freedom Stationery - Marlin and Edo Max Frank - Artline, Maxi, Uni Palm Stationery Manufacturers Penflex - Penflex ballpoints and rollerballs Pentel S.A (Pty) Ltd - Superb Ballpoint, Energel Pen Power Stationery - Powerstar Staedtler SA (Pty) Ltd - Ball point, Fineliner, Gel and Pigment liner pens PEN CARBON BOOKS Freedom Stationery - Marlin Power Stationery - Powerstar RBE - NCR Business Books PERSONAL STATIONERY CTP Stationery - Home office and personal filing system, diaries Grafton/Star PLANNING BOARDS AND ACCESSORIES Parrot Products - Range of year planners, term planners, maps and in/out boards. custom printed boards designed to specification.

Rexel Office Products - NOBO planners

PRINTING Olivetti Imports - Distributors of Multifunctional Printers / Copiers Star Stationers and Printers Kolok - Epson, Lexmark (Hardware), Hp Printers, Oki (Hardware) PRINTER CONSUMABLES Impression Management - Prinart, Logic, Q-Ink, Sanchi, Oliser and ATIKMP - For computer consumables.

Ink Spot Suppliers - Suppliers of all brands of inkjet and LaserJet cartridges Kolok - EPSON (inkjet, large format etc), LEXMARK, HP, Brother (Toners and Inks), Oki (Toners, inks and Ribbons), Tally Genicom (Ribbons), Seikosha (Ribbons), Panasonic (Toners and Ribbons), Kyocera (Toners), Printronix (Ribbons), IBM (Ribbons), Ricoh (Toners), Fujitsu (Ribbons) Nor Paper PaperGeni Royce Imaging Industries - Remanufacturers and suppliers of inkjet and laser cartridges Technical Systems Engineering - Suppliers of quality compatible cartridges and bulk inks for Epson, Canon, Lexmark, HP and Samsung

43

PUNCHES AND PERFORATORS Freedom Stationery - Marlin Krost Office Products Parrot Products - Parrot range of punches Press Products - BindQuip Power Stationery - Powerstar Rexel Office Products - Rexel

R RUBBER STAMPS Max Frank - Schachihata X Stampers Rubber Stamp & Engraving Co. - Trodat RUBBER STAMP MANUFACTURING EQUIPMENT Rubber Stamp & Engraving Co - AZ Liquid polymer, TROTEC laser engraver, flash system

POINT OF SALE PRINTER ROLLS PaperGeni Rotunda

www.rexelsa.co.za Fusion 3100L

Fusion 5000L

Fusion 5100L

SOURCE PRODUCTS HERE RULERS Freedom Stationery - Marlin Palm Stationery Manufacturers Power Stationery - Powerstar Penflex - PENFLEX rulers

S

44

SCHOLASTIC SUPPLIES BSC Stationery Sales - Treeline CTP Stationery Empire Toy & Stationery - Butterfly Flip File - Flip File display books A5, A4, A2, A3 Freedom Stationery - Marlin and Edo Gordon’s Productions - contact paper woodgrain, marble, pattern designs. Magic cover back to school clear and coloured self adhesive paper. (4M rolls, A4 and lever arch). Plastic coated brownkraft rolls and pre-cut polythene covers.

Grafton Paper Products Impala Vuwa Stationery Manufacturers Max Frank - Artline, Maxi, Uni Palm Stationery Manufacturers Parrot Products - chalk boards/slates Power Stationery - Powerstar Pyrotec - Tower Adhesive Book Cover 45cm x 2m SCISSORS AND CUTTERS Freedom Stationery - Marlin Palm Stationery Manufacturers Power Stationery - Powerstar Rexel Office Products SCRAPBOOKING Rexel Office Products - Trimmers and guillotines Rubber Stamp & Engraving Co - Making memories, Clearsnap, Marvy, Ranger, Bazzill, Carl SHREDDERS AND ACCESSORIES AZ Trading - DSB, Kobra, Roto, Repairs to all makes D.O.S - Kobra Kolok - GEHA entry level and high-end shredders

The World Leader in Auto Feed Shredding

Nikki Distributors - Nikki shredders Parrot Products - Parrot range of value shredders Rexel Office Products - Rexel range Maynards Office Technology - IDEAL Shredders & Guillotines – SA Distributors

T

SLATES Freedom Stationery - Marlin Parrot Products - Whiteboard and chalk board

TAPES 3M SA (Pty) Ltd. - Brand Scotch® MagicTM Freedom Stationery Palm Stationery Manufacturers

SPECIALISED STATIONERY AND BOOKBINDING Ledger Systems - Law reports and periodicals

TELECOMMUNICATIONS Nikki Distributors - Siemens office phones

SPIKE FILES Grip Binders

TELEX ROLLS AND TELETEX PAPER Rotunda

STAMPS, STAMP PADS AND INKS Rubber Stamp & Engraving Co - Trodat, preinked stamps, stamp and fingerprint pads

THERMAL ROLLS Rotunda

STAPLING MACHINES AND STAPLES Freedom Stationery - Marlin Interstat Agencies - Genmes Krost Office Products Parrot Products - Parrot range of staplers Rexel Office Products - Rexel range STATIONERY SUNDRIES - SCHOLASTIC CTP Stationery - DONAU Scissors and cutting knives Freedom Stationery - Marlin, Edo and Unifile Palm Stationery Manufacturers - New Wave Power Stationery - Powerstar STENCILS Freedom Stationery

TONERS AND CARTRIDGES KMP - Computer consumables Kolok - PENGUIN (Inkjets and Laser toners), EPSON, LEXMARK, HP. PaperGeni TOP RETRIEVAL FILING Optiplan a div of Waltons - Paper based top retrieval filing systems Specialised Filing Systems - Total Solution and more Tidy Files - Complete onsite and offsite filing solutions TOYS, HOBBIES AND GAMES Freedom Stationery Pyrotec - Toby Tower Stickers and Activities

STORAGE SYSTEMS CTP Stationery - Archiving Systems Suspension Files Kolok - VERBATIM (hard drives, USB sticks etc), HP Rexel Office Products - Storage boxes Specialised Filing Systems - Filing Tidy Files - Filing solutions

STACK SHUT DONE

TABLET AND ACCESSORIES D.O.S - Clarys, iStay

Auto+ 60X

TRANSFER LETTERING AND SIGNS Parrot Products - Vinyl lettering TRANSPARENCIES Kolok - Penguin transparencies for inkjet and laser OEM, Penguin and HP Transparencies Rexel Office Products - NOBO range

Auto+ 80X

Auto+ 100X | 100M

buyers’ guide

See page 46 for contact details

V VISITORS BOOKS/REGISTERS Ledger Systems - Falcon Products - visitors books, hotel guest register, restaurant reservation registers

45

DID YOU KNOW? • The Buyers’ Guide is an affordable way of highlighting your brands while also introducing up and coming new stockists to the trade.

• The Buyers’ Guide is a valuable sourcing tool to market your business and the brands that you carry.

• To book space, contact Wendy on wendy@shop-sa.co.za or (011) 781 0370.

www.rexelsa.co.za Auto+ 200X

Auto+ 300X | 300M

Auto+ 500X | 500M

Auto+ 750X | 750M

CONTACT DETAILS HERE 3M 011 844 9202

PvtBag X926, Rivonia, 2128

(

011 624 8000

Box 86173, City Deep, 2049

(

021 521 2400

Box 36964, Chempet, 7442

7

011 806 2388

Customer Serv: 0800 118 311

7

0866 101 185

labelling@kemtek.co.za

7

021 521 2402/3

info@penflex.co.za

African Filing Systems

Kemtek Imaging Systems - Cape

Pentel S.A (Pty) Ltd

(

011 896 5279

www.africanfiling.co.za

(

021 521 9600

Box 181, Cape Town, 8000

(

011 474 1427/8

Box 202, Crown Mines, 2025

7

086 540 6892

info@africanfiling.co.za

7

021 551 5032

brenth@kemtek.co.za

7

011 474 5563

www.pentel.co.za

Antalis South Africa (Pty) Ltd

Kemtek Imaging Systems - KZN

Peters Papers

(

011 688 6000

Box 6893, Johannesburg, 2000

(

031 700 9363

Box 15685, Westmead, 3608

(

011 677 9000

sadlerly@peterspapers.co.za

7

011 688 6162

marketing.office@antalis.co.za

7

031 700 9369

Sandim@kemtek.co.za

7

011 622 6646

www.peterspapers.co.za

Antalis South Africa (Pty) Ltd - Cape Town (

021 959 9600

7

021 959 9640

Box 19231, Tygerberg, 7505

Antalis South Africa (Pty) Ltd - Durban (

031 714 4000

7

031 700 9253

Box 284, Umhlanga, 4320

Antalis South Africa (Pty) Ltd - Pretoria (

012 379 0060

7

012 379 0052

Box 4013, Pretoria, 0001

Antalis South Africa (Pty) Ltd - Bloemfontein (

051 447 8681

7

051 447 6765

Box 1795, Bloemfontein, 9300

Antalis South Africa (Pty) Ltd - Port Elizabeth (

041 486 2020

7

041 486 2219

Box 9088, Estadeal, 6012

Antalis South Africa (Pty) Ltd - Pietermaritzburg (

033 386 2078

7

033 386 2078

Box 1425, Pietermaritzburg, 3200

Antalis South Africa (Pty) Ltd - Botswana (

00267 391 2139

7

00267 397 5459

Box 1705, Gaborone

AZ Trading

Kemtek Imaging Systems - PE

Powerhouse Dictation

(

041 582 5222

Box 15685, Westmead, 3608

(

011 887 1056

info@speech.co.za

7

041 582 5224

clinth@kemtek.co.za

7

086 555 3833

www.speech.co.za

Kemtek Imaging Systems - PTA

Power Stationery

(

012 804 1410

PO Box 816, Silverton, 0127

(

032 533 4003

Box 1305, Verulam, 4340

7

012 804 4286

johlettat@kemtek.co.za

7

032 533 3254

powersta@netactive.co.za

Press Products

KMP (

021 709 0190

Box 183, Steenberg, 7947

(

011 493 6332

marketing@pressproducts.co.za

7

021 709 0199

kmppty@iafrica.com

7

011 499 1019

www.pressproducts.co.za

Kolok Unlimited - Head Office

Pyrotec

(

011 248 0300

Box 4151, Johannesburg, 2000

(

021 787 9600

PvtBag X1, Capricorn Square, 7948

7

011 248 0381

infojhb@koloksa.co.za

7

021 787 9791

tower@pyrotec.co.za

Kolok Unlimited - Cape Town

RBE Stationery Manufacturers (Pty) Limited

(

021 597 2700

Box 6385, Roggebaai, 8012

(

011 793 7321

7

021 297 2799

infoctn@koloksa.co.za

7

011 793 7348

sales@rbe.co.za www.rbe.co.za

Reboni Furniture Group

Kolok Unlimited - Durban (

031 570 4900

Box 4206, Riverhorse Valley East, 4017

(

086 173 2664

www.reboni.co.za

7

031 569 6880

infodbn@koloksa.co.za

7

086 627 7737

sales@reboni.co.za

Redfern Print Services - Cape Town

Kolok Unlimited Polokwane (

015 298 8795

Box 862, Ladanna, 0704

(

021 552 9680

Box 403, Milnerton, 7435

7

015 298 8315

infopol@koloksa.co.za

7

021 552 9681

sales@redfern.co.za

Kolok Unlimited - Port Elizabeth

Redfern Print Services - Durban

(

086 111 4407

www.aztradingcc.co.za

(

041 406 9900

Box 3163, North End, 6056

(

031 205 9598

dbnoffice@redfern.co.za

7

011 792 9732

sales@aztradingcc.co.za

7

041 406 9920

infope@koloksa.co.za

7

031 205 7092

www.redfern.co.za

BIC South Africa (Pty) Ltd

Redfern Print Services - Johannesburg

Kolok Unlimited - Namibia

(

011 474 0181

PO BOX 43144, Industria, 2042

(

00264 (61)370500

Box 40797, Ausspannplatz, Namibia

(

011 837 4119

Box 1445, Crown Mines, 2025

7

011 474 6068

16 Maraisburg Road, Industria, 2042

7

00264 (61)370525

valne@kolok.com.na

7

011 837 8917

jhboffice@redfern.co.za

BSC Stationery Sales

Kolok Unlimited - Nelspruit

Rexel Office Products

(

011 420 3250

Box 278, Brakpan, 1540

(

013 758 2233

Box 4338, White River, 1240

(

011 226 3300

www.rexelsa.co.za

7

011 420 3322

sales@treeline.co.za

7

013 758 2235

infonel@koloksa.co.za

7

011 837 2781

sales@rexelsa.co.za

CTP Stationery

Kolok Unlimited - Bloemfontein

Rotunda

(

011 226 5600

Box 43501, Industria, 2042

(

051 433 1876

PvtBag X01, Brandhof, Bloemfontein

(

021 552 5135

Box 189, Maitland, 7404

7

011 474 9242

sales@versafile.co.za

7

051 433 2451

infobfn@koloksa.co.za

7

021 551 3070

rotunda@iafrca.com

D.O.S (Denton Office Solutions)

Kolok Unlimited - Botswana

Royce Imaging Industries

(

060 000 1777

info@dosptyltd.com

(

00267 393 2669

PvtBag B0226, Bontleng, Gaborone

(

011 792 9530

www.royceimaging.co.za

7

086 237 4614

www.dosptyltd.com

7

00267 317 0762

clemencem@vbn.co.bw

7

011 792 9480

sales@royceimaging.co.za

Empire Toy & Stationery

Rubber Stamp & Engraving Co - Head Office

Krost Office Products

(

011 614 2243

Box 261524, Excom, 2023

(

011 626 2067

Box 75401, Gardenview, 2047

(

011 262 1400

Box 931, Wendywood, 2144

7

011 614 3075

empire@netactive.co.za

7

011 626 2912

sales@krost.co.za

7

011 262 1414

trodat@rse.co.za

Flip File

Rubber Stamp & Engraving Co - Cape Town

KZN ENVELOPES

(

021 638 3105

Box 2190, Clareinch, 7740

(

031 465 3992

P O Box 41259, Rossburgh, 4072

(

021 448 7008

Box 931, Wendywood, 2144

7

021 633 6942

ashly@flipfile.co.za

7

031 465 1669

info@kznenvelopes.co.za

7

021 448 7014

cpt@trodat.co.za

Freedom Stationery - Johannesburg

Rubber Stamp & Engraving Co - Durban

Ledger Systems

(

011 314 0953/4

Box 6459, Halfway House, 1685

(

011 433 1808

Box 82586, Southdale, 2135

(

083 377 4109

Box 931, Wendywood, 2144

7

011 314 0957

gpsales@freedomstationery.co.za

7

011 433 8863

info@ledgersystems.co.za

7

031 266 1082

dbn@rse.co.za

Freedom Stationery - Cape Town

South African Diaries

Max Frank

(

021 557 9152/3

36-38 Silverstone Rd Killarney Gardens

(

011 921 1811

Box 200, Isando, 1600

(

021 442 2340

Box 4862, Cape Town, 8000

7

021 557 9155

cptsales@freedomstationery.co.za

7

011 921 1569

sarah.schoeman@tigerbrands.com

7

021 442 2341

phoneyman@sadiaries.co.za

Freedom Stationery KZN (Head Office) (

032 459 2820

Box 478, Mandini, 4490

7

032 459 3255

sales@freedomstationery.co.za

Freedom Stationery - East London

Maynards - Olympus Audio S.A / Olivetti Distributors (

0860 00 1922

Staedtler SA (Pty) Ltd

sales@maynards.co.za

(

011 579 1600

www.staedtler.co.za

www.maynards.co.za

7

011 608 3497

admin@staedtler.co.za

Specialised Filing Systems

Merpak Envelopes

(

043 731 2422

Box 14111 West Bank 5218

(

011 719 7700

sales@merpak.co.za

(

011 477 0640

7

043 731 2421

elsales@freedomstationery.co.za

7

011 885 3174

www.merpak.co.za

7

011 477 3528

Global Bag And Sportswear Manufactures 031 305 6507

P.O Box 18586, Dalbridge, 4014

(

083 444 0959

7

031 301 6553

www.globalbags.co.za

7

011 869 7243

www.specfiling.co.za

Star Stationers and Printers

Narayan Wholesaler

(

Global Envelopes

narayantextiles@gmail.com

(

031 569 1061

luke@starstat.co.za

7

031 569 1094

www.starstat.co.za

Technical Systems Engineering

New Era Office cc

(

031 465 5544

envelopes@absamail.co.za

(

011 334 2013

Box 10383, Lenasia, 1821

(

011 708 2304

Box 1532, Northriding, 2162

7

031 465 5634

www.envelopes.co.za

7

011 334 7358

kuban@neweraoffice.co.za

7

011 708 1799

sales@tse.co.za

Gordon’s Productions

Tidy Files

Nikki - Cape Town

011 943 4210

(

031 705 8713

Suite 69, PvtBag X4, Kloof, 3640

(

0860 006731

cpt@nikki.co.za

(

7

031 705 8714

jacquie@gordons.co.za

7

0800 204868

www.nikki.co.za

Topmark

Grafton/Star Paper Products

Nikki - Durban

(

011 837 8045 011 837 7442

www.tidyfiles.co.za info@topmarksa.com

(

011 262 0777

Box 550, Bergvlei, 2012

(

0860 006731

dbn@nikki.co.za

7

7

011 262 0780

sales@graftonpaper.co.za

7

0800 204868

www.nikki.co.za

Tower (Division of Pyrotec) - Cape Town

Grip Binders (

011 421 1300

Nikki - Johannesburg orders@tigerpaper.co.za

Hortors Stationery

(

021 787 9600

(

0860 006731

jhb@nikki.co.za

7

021 787 9791

PvtBag X1, Capricorn Square, 7948

7

0800 204868

www.nikki.co.za

Tower (Division of Pyrotec) - Johannesburg

(

011 620 4800

Box 1020, Johannesburg, 2000

Nikki - Pretoria

(

011 611 1820

59 Lepus Rd, Crown Mines, 2025

7

086 612 4663

orders@hortors.co.za

(

0860 006731

pta@nikki.co.za

7

011 611 1834

tower@pyrotec.co.za

7

0800 204868

www.nikki.co.za

Tower (Division of Pyrotec) Durban

Impala Vuwa Stationery Manufacturers (

036 634 1535

Box 389, Ladysmith, 3370

Nor Paper

7

036 634 1890

impalastat@mweb.co.za

(

011 011 3900

7

011 011 4099

Ink Spot Suppliers (

011 854 3013

7

011 852 3013

sales@nor.co.za

Optiplan a division of Waltons info@inkspotsuppliers.co.za

Interstat Agencies - Durban

Box 6280, Halfway House, 1685

021 386 4261 (Cpt)

tribe@global.co.za

086 681 8256

rcurrin@gp.waltons.co.za

Versafile

Palm Stationery

interstat@mweb.co.za

(

031 507 7051

viran@palmstat.co.za

7

031 507 7053

www.palmstat.co.za

(

021 551 9555

Box 36696, Chempet, 7442

PaperGeni

7

021 557 5456

Capetown@interstat.co.za

(

011 011 3900

info@papergeni.co.za

7

011 011 4099

www.papergeni.co.za

(

041 453 2558

Box 27693, Greenacres, 6057

Paper World

7

041 453 8504

pe@interstat.co.za

(

012 250 1477/8

info@paperworldsa.com.

7

012 250 0322

www.paperworldsa.com

14 Isando Road Isando

Parrot Products

IXAXoffice@gmail.com

(

011 607 7600

debbie@parrot.co.za

7

011 615 2502

www.parrotproducts.biz

my office magazine

011 314 4746 (Jhb)

7

Box 201707, Durban North, 4016

011 392 3628

tower@pyrotec.co.za

(

Tribe 7

031 569 6559

(

Box 594, Pinetown, 3600

031 701 1285

Pencil Park, Croxley Close, Herriotdale

031 569 6550

IXAXA Office Furniture

031 701 0192

7

011 620 4000

7

Interstat Agencies - Port Elizabeth

(

(

(

Interstat Agencies - Cape Town

46

Penflex

Kemtek Imaging Systems

(

(

011 226 5600

Box 43501, Industria, 2042

7

011 474 9242

sales@versafile.co.za

Vol 99 - January 2015

needful things

We’ve got you covered Protect your devices in the new year with these sturdy accessories The 9,8-inch (24,5cm) universal tablet case from Kenton offers foliostyle protection for your device.

The 15,4-inch (38,5cm) overnight bag is made from durable polyester. It has one main laptop compartment, one main luggage compartment and two front compartments. It has rubber wheels and a telescopic handle for easy manoeuvrability. It also has a shoulder strap and can be carried.

The15,6-inch (39cm) Kenton laptop bag with a nylon sling is available in black, grey, green, orange and red. The bag is lightweight and durable.

This compact digital camera case measures 7cm x 3,5cm x 11,5cm. The durable, sporty case offers padded protection for your device. It has a media pocket for users to carry an extra memory card. It also has a zippered enclosure for easy access.

www.shop-sa.co.za

my office magazine

47

punchline

Caption this!

Send us your funniest caption for the photograph below and you stand a chance to win a Rexel Laminator GBC Fusion 1100 A4 valued at R2 000. Send your Punchline and contact details to competitions@ shop-sa.co.za with Punchline in the subject line

Win

The Rexel Laminator is 33% faster than competitor machines, taking just 45 seconds to laminate a standard A4 pouch or 80 pouches per hour, with an additional cold setting for heat sensitive documents. Other features include: • Automatic switch off after 30 minutes of inactivity.

• Exit tray keeps pouches straight as they come through the heated rollers for a perfect, warp-free finish • Incorporates SureFlow™ Technology that reduces jamming significantly for stress-free laminating and maximum productivity • Laminates up to A4 size including ID cards, notices and certificates • Modern, compact design is easy to move around and suits most office and home environments • Single touch button interface: simple to use, no previous experience required • Three heat settings • Accepts 2 x 75 micron (150 in total) pouches, 2 x 100 micron (200 in total) and 2 x 125 micron (250 in total).

WIN ME

48

my office magazine

Vol 99 - January 2015

SHOPPING FOR STATIONERY? NEED OFFICE PRODUCTS DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR? LOOK NO FURTHER… My Office magazine – the only accredited publication for the office and home products industry is mailed monthly to office professionals across South Africa.

Register on www.myofficemagazine. co.za to receive your free magazine subscription.

• L earn about cutting edge office technologies • How to work smarter and faster and with best business practice • Get updates on events, promotions and latest offers • Be inspired by the hottest trends in interiors, furniture, and workplace ergonomics • Do business with accredited industry suppliers.

Connect to the largest and most comprehensive database of likeminded professionals in the workplace environment.

Join this expanding community of office professionals, managers, procurement buyers and business owners now when you register on www. myofficemagazine.co.za

My Office magazine is the official publication of the Stationery, Home & Office Products Association of Southern Africa.

AGAZINE.CO.ZA

WWW.MYOFFICEM

FILA CARTORAMA SA (PTY) Ltd