- MDS ap partners with EPM International in bid to help businesses navigate rough waters at a time of market adjustments and digitalisation
- Partnership comes at a time when the IMF has cut the region’s growth forecast once more
Dubai, 11th May, 2016: MDS ap, a gold partner of SAP and regional expert in SAP Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) solutions, in a bid to support businesses through a potentially challenging period in the Middle East, has partnered with EPM International (EPMi), an international network specialising in EPM consulting, in a collaboration aimed at supporting regional business through irregular market conditions.
As the IMF cuts regional growth forecasts – with the UAE GDP figure moderated to 2.4% for 2016, down from 3.9% in 2015 – pressure is mounting on industry chiefs to adopt measures essential to surviving and thriving in an increasingly turbulent environment.
With the regional focus heavily on financial efficiency and improved foresight due to uncertainty in oil and gas markets, MDS ap has partnered with EPMi to bring global EPM best practice to the region.
Organisations in the region using EPM solutions have seen marked progression in financial planning and forecasting, budgeting, actual data consolidation and reporting as well as in performance analysis.
EPM, which is also referred to as Corporate Performance Management (CPM), describes the methodologies, metrics, processes and systems used to monitor and manage the business performance of an enterprise. Applications that enable CPM, such as SAP EPM solution set, translate strategically focused information to operational plans and measure aggregated results. These applications are also integrated into many elements of the planning and control cycle, or they address Business Activity Monitoring (BAM) or customer relationship optimization needs.
As market turbulence is impacting optimism and risk appetite in the Middle East, businesses are focusing on cost reduction and internal economics, and are increasingly looking towards EPM projects to drive efficiency, governance, revenue, better foresight and profitability. Implementation of EPM solutions have recorded significant growth year on year, despite the recent global recession, due to the success in revolutionising organisations through effective forecasting, insight and analysis.
A leading provider of full life cycle services, MDS ap together with EPMi will offer a range of services from defining leading edge performance management processes and an associated performance management roadmap, through to project management, implementation and application management services. MDS ap will also offer a ‘health-check’ evaluation, which assesses an organisation’s performance in EPM processes as well as systems and which identifies areas in need of positive change.
UAE Exchange, one of the world’s largest remittance, foreign exchange and payment solutions brands, recently completed a company-wide EPM transformation using SAP Business Planning and Consolidation (SAP BPC), which was presented yesterday at a CFO best practice round table at the Emirates Towers – along with MDS ap and SAP – to discuss the importance of financial efficiency at a time of market adjustments.
The CFO of UAE Exchange presented a case study sharing his experience of the recently completed BPC project, whilst the chairman of EPMi and Managing Director of Column5 EMEA, David Jones, highlighted to the participants the importance of EPM solutions especially when markets are down.
David Jones, said: “Many organisations have realised the importance of financial efficiency in planning and forecasting duringforecasting during times of market uncertainty. Any business that wishes to survive and thrive during what are undoubtedly turbulent times for Middle East markets, would be well advised to look at the EPM process. With local regional representation through MDS ap, we are gaining more of a foothold in an important regional market and bringing on board proven, global, integrated service providers who have seen the benefit of EPM in difficult times in markets worldwide.”
Tony Achkar, Group Managing Director, MDS ap, said: “EPMi is a renowned international network which we’re proud to have joined. In recent times, we have seen huge growth in EPM adoption in the MENA region, as more businesses are realising its cost effectiveness. In having access to the expertise, knowledge and expert consultants the EPM International network provides, we can accelerate our growth rate, whilst supporting EPMi as an increasingly prominent figure in the region.”
MDS ap, which recently became a full member of the global EPMi network, is one of the largest regional specialist business analytics and enterprise performance management system integrator working with SAP’s EPM solutions and has offices and consultants located throughout the Middle East, North Africa, Turkey and Central Europe
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About MDS ap
MDS ap helps customers run business better leveraging technology from SAP and other best of breed industry solution providers. We offer high quality and professional services delivering world-class integrated solutions including Data Management, Enterprise Performance Management (EPM), Group Finance, Business Analytics and Omni-Channel Banking Solutions. MDS ap is part of the Midis Group, we maintain twelve offices across the Middle East, North Africa, Turkey and Central Eastern Europe. For more information on MDS ap please visit: www.mdsaptech.com
About EPM International
EPM International is the only global integrated Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) consulting network. EPM is an umbrella term that describes all of the processes, methodologies, metrics and systems needed to measure and manage an organizations performance. The EPM International members are six leading EPM consultancies with operations in eight European and North American countries and over 500 consultants, working with many diverse companies across multiple industries including some of the world’s largest multinational corporations. The members of EPM International are: Column5 Consulting Group, (USA, UK and Canada), ifb group (Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Luxemburg, USA), ValorGest (Portugal) and Capacent (Sweden, Norway, Finland), MDS ap (Middle East and North Africa) for more information on EPM International, please visit: www.epm-international.com