Right on Target

Rifle-Shot Performance Holdings is a business consulting, distributor, reseller and implementer of leading operational management software systems for large and medium businesses. The firm was recently recognised in the 2017 Tech of the Year Awards, in the CEO of the Year – South Africa category. To celebrate this success, we enjoyed an interview with the firm’s co-founder, CEO and senior partner, Ian Huntly to find out more.

The name RifleShot, while sounding controversial, is derived from the power of focus and specialisation, in contrast to the ‘shot-gun’ approach to business that is often in practice, that leads to underperformance or in some cases, total business failure.

The firm’s co-founder, CEO and senior partner, Ian Huntly starts by telling us about the business and what they set out to do, as well as the seasoned expertise they offer.

“Rifle-Shot Performance Holdings, established in 2001, is a business consulting, distributor, reseller and implementer of leading operational management software systems for large and medium businesses. But more than that, it is a software vendor with a real difference.

“We work to enable our customers to see what they confront now, on this day and what is coming and not just what they would have seen if it were last week or last month. We accomplish this by blending superior management consulting using subject matter experts with high value add niche software products and its unique and engaging project methodology. (Business Alignment & Growth), to effect exceptional operational performance in and with our customers.

“Our consulting services and supporting technologies, enables companies to consistently focus on their core goals – those that differentiate them from their peers. We assist them to leverage their competitive advantages, resulting in rapid growth and profit improvement.”
The firm’s management team has extensive experience in large systems implementation, in mining and both process and discrete manufacturing systems, stretching back to 1974 Ian tells us.

“We have put together a team of excellent technical and business consulting people and a portfolio of products to address under serviced areas of information systems, in specific business sectors. We work with alliance partners to extend our capacity to make a difference to our customers.

“We are an ISV Microsoft Partner and members of the following institutes and societies: Institute of IT Professionals of South Africa (IITPSA); SA Quality Institute; ISA; SA Capital Equipment Exporter’s Council (SACEEC); SA Netherlands Chamber of Commerce (SANEC); Manufacturing Execution Society of SA (MESA); SA Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) and Free Market Foundation (FMF).

“We are also a patron of Corporate Governance Framework Research Foundation (CGF) and for the past six years, we have been partners with the SAGDA (SA Graduate Development Agency), to  develop young graduates into the manufacturing industry.”

Rifle-shot service and enhancement programme

Over the past twenty years, the global village has been experiencing business and infrastructure change at exponential rates with diverse impact on every entity and every being, with the only prospect being one of accelerating change. From a business perspective, Ian says this means that it is no longer possible to implement a system and expect it to continue, delivering consistent value over its lifetime without enhancement.

“Change means that each system will require continuous updating over its lifetime, merely to keep up with the change in its external environment, let alone to enhance the value it delivers. While a step change in business value generation is generally expected during the implementation phase, there is seldom much thought given to future development, where-in most of the value is generated.

“Rifle-Shot’s Service and Enhancement Phase, is a process of applying incremental change over the lifetime of the system, thereby improving the system fit to your business and enhancing your competitive advantage through a process of supporting continuous improvement (CI). Systemic thinkers will recognise the parallels with the small wins’ processes and the benefits of low risk improvements to their systems.”

Business alignment and growth methodology

Rifle-Shot’s tried and tested implementation philosophy is built around your people and processes, Ian explains.

“These provide the substance of your business, while the implementation of technology acts as an enabler providing life to the company strategy and enabling consistency of actions through providing and embedding the framework for measuring and evaluating outcomes.

“Business alignments and growth represents Rifle-Shot’s trademarked set of processes for creating the alignment, setting the geography for growth and then stepping the business processes through the ‘prepare, execute, embed and enhance’ levels of system maturity to achieve optimum levels of business development and growth. BAGTM is an integral part of the Rifle-Shot Project methodology, based on world leading standards of PRINCE2 and PMBOK, enhanced to ensure maximum effect.

“Management has the unenviable task of synchronising these elements, through communication and leadership to best meet the needs of your chosen marketplace and your customers and consequently derive optimum business results.”

Company: Rifle Shot Performance Holdings (Pty) Ltd

Name: Ian Huntly

Email: [email protected]

Web Address: rifle-shot.co.za

Address: Suite 109-113, Bryanpark Offices 46 Grosvenor Rd, Bryanston, 2153, Sandton, South Africa PO Box 682, Sunnininghill, 2157 South Africa

Telephone: +27 11 463 5073

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