Sage BEE 123 offers a complete range of tools, software, directories, information, training interventions, advisory services for B-BBBEE.
With a day left before the inaugural HR Indaba, the anticipation from partners is palpable. In this article, we speak to Saul Symanowitz, MD of Sage BEE 123, about why he is looking forward to the event.
What is SAGE BEE 123?
"BEE123, an affiliate of Sage South Africa, is the country's leading B-BBEE software developer and advisory business that provides a revolutionary, cutting edge solution, ensuring that B-BBEE is easy to understand, plan, assess and implement. We offer a complete range of tools, software, directories, information, training interventions, advisory services, enterprise and supplier development solutions and ESD beneficiary sourcing. BEE123 has a diverse client base, ranging from corporate multinationals and JSE-listed entities to family-owned businesses.
"We also offer innovative solutions to assist clients with the strategic implementation of their Enterprise and Supplier Development (ESD). BEE123 ESD Solutions provides emerging businesses with the necessary tools and fundamental skills that they need in order to run professional, successful and sustainable businesses. All the solutions are web-based and enable ESD beneficiaries to run their businesses from anywhere, anytime and on any device. This also allows the ESD sponsor to have remote insight into the ESD beneficiary’s business, to provide proactive, meaningful support and guidance, without having to be onsite."
Why is a platform like yours so useful for helping companies manage their B-BBEE scorecards?
"Organisations are under immense pressure to achieve a positive BEE scorecard, which will allow them to be competitive in the marketplace. When procuring goods, most state-owned entities and large organisations are demanding that their suppliers achieve good overall ratings and, when applying for licences and concessions, they need to show they are aligned with BBBEE imperatives. This poses some serious challenges for companies who did not begin the process of transforming their businesses
"The Codes are massively complex. Companies have targets and weighting points across five different pillars and what our platform does is it allows companies to simply input data relating to each of the elements and calculates their BEE scores for them."
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One of the HR pillars is called Management Control, which along with the Skills Development pillar has become particularly more complex with introduction of EAP targets, now requiring points and targets to be segmented across six different race sub-groups. The BEE123 system simplifies this. For example, companies can calculate their score within that element by simply recording their employee workforce demographics into the system. It will then calculate how many points they are scoring, where they are lacking, and they can run scenarios to assess ways to improve the score. So they'll be able to tell in advance what the impact on the scorecard will be for hiring this or that person. That is why a platform like ours becomes so useful."
Why have you signed up for the HR Indaba?
"Within the BEE Scorecard, there are five different pillars. Two of them are very closely aligned to HR - being the Management Control and Skills Development elements, with significant additional complexity having been introduced through the Revised Codes. It is often the case that the management of an organisation’s B-BBEE is overseen by people that are in charge of HR, whom we expect to make up the majority of the delegates that will be attending the Indaba. When a company doesn't have a specific transformation manager, the management of the whole BBBEE scorecard is delegated to someone in the HR function."
What would you say is the most challenging issue facing HR?
"If I can relate it back to where our expertise lies, which is B-BBEE. HR has become central to the ability for South Africa to achieve its transformation objectives whereby there are more black employees that are being developed and being promoted into more senior positions within their organisation."
