News & Insights

Last year, when the President called for a national lockdown, few of us were prepared to work from home.

I recall the days of supporting users. A helpdesk call would be assigned to you and off you would run to help the exec’s PA print something.

Imagine that you are phoning your friend, “Angie”… It rings 6 times and then diverts to voicemail. Irked, you leave a pleasant message: “Hey Angie… it’s me… call me. Miss you. Mwah.”

I have always been someone who grapples with stress. I could blame a genetic predisposition, character-forming years or simply, an unfair personality type… but whatever the reason, it is just how I am wired.

My father always said, “If it’s working, don’t fix it!” It is great advice and I still don’t fiddle with things that don’t need fixing – but I have, in life and in my career, encountered scenarios that definitely cannot be left alone for too long.

While Christmas is all about family, eating, drinking and making merry, there are many of us that are not fortunate enough to have a honey glazed gammon as the centre piece of the table.

IT Operational Management is one of the toughest positions to fulfil (in my opinion) – it’s also one of the most challenging environments within which to effectively apply changes that result in improvements.

We all have them. Ideas, right? How many times have you thought of something… and then sometime later you see it happen? Someone else has done it. Someone has re-invented or improved something that you’ve already thought about.

Because we are inundated by the many negatives related to this pandemic daily, I decided to rather highlight some positive experiences… So, if you were looking for more politics or more negativity, you’ll be sure to find it – but you can close this page now. 

In these challenging times, it is interesting watching the politics evolve. A couple of months ago USA and China were big buddies – and now look at them… flinging mud at each other regarding the origin of COVID-19.

If you have a look at the average global statistics, as cited on Worldometer, 5% of those who contract COVID-19 will die. In South Africa’s context, that is about 3 million people (assuming everyone gets infected).

Dear Client, In light of the COVID-19 virus recently being declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the declaration by the South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, of a national state of emergency from 15th March 2020

Sintrex recently hosted a coaching company to enlighten our staff on their personality types and behavior patterns… One of those really cool HR session where you learn a lot about yourself and your colleagues.

Monitoring systems that statistically indicate that things are bad, implies that certain actions must be taken to rectify. “But you’re telling me what my users are already telling me” is NOT the desired response.

An IT infrastructure is the central nervous system of a business. It allows the company to function, ensures that operations are smooth and seamless, and ensures that the productivity companies require, remain constant and available for successful trading.

Twenty years ago, “Brain Drain” articles were common and I remember thinking that I’ve chosen the right career. Forecasts at that stage predicted that in ten years, most companies would struggle to find or retain the right tech skills for their businesses.

Wispeco Aluminium is the largest aluminium extrusion company in South Africa.

The company recently suffered issues after implementing SYSPRO ERP for its branches across the country.