New Direction for Bytes Managed Solutions as Fourie van der Merwe is appointed MD

Bytes Managed Solutions (Bytes MS), part of the Altron group of companies and the sole distributor of NCR products in South Africa, is pleased to announce the appointment of Fourie van der Merwe as Managing Director, effective 1 March 2016, as Deidre Le Hanie steps down after 11 years at the helm. Van der Merwe joined the organisation in 1999, when it was still known as National Data Systems, and quickly advanced through the ranks, progressing from Regional Manager for Central Operations to General Manager: Service Delivery within a year. He continued to grow within the company over the years, taking on roles such as Director: Service Delivery in 2001 and Operations Director in 2002, until he was appointed as Chief Operations Officer in 2013.

His accomplishments during this time included the design and implementation of a centralised call centre to improve client service levels; conducting a due diligence into the acquisition of CS Holdings, a Bytes MS competitor, and subsequently managing the integration of the services portion into Bytes MS;  the introduction of a mobile solution for CSRs (Field Technicians); restructuring the supply chain operation; and assuming the responsibility for creating a Business Enablement and Transformation structure, as well as a Business Unit structure to incubate new solutions and services. Van der Merwe also led Bytes MS through a critical changeover of its service management system with minimal disruption to client's services. This in-depth knowledge of the workings of Bytes MS made van der Merwe the natural choice as Managing Director. Van der Merwes vision is to take Bytes MS even further on its journey to excellence, prioritising the need to be an organisation dedicated to quality and high performance to meet the technology and service requirements of its customers. Bytes MS has always been a business that believes in putting its customers first, second, and third and van der Merwe is committed to continuing this culture.

He elaborates: We need to understand our customer's business and how we can enable their business through the products and services we supply. The challenge we face, alongside our customers, is the constant, high-paced change in technology and solutions. It is up to us to ensure that we can align in lock-step with those changes. I foresee that Bytes MS will be a significantly different company in the next five to ten years. If you look at the disruptors out there, those companies like Uber, Google, and Amazon that have changed the way the game is played within their own industries, we need to realise that it's not a question of if we will change, but when, how and to what extent.

We need to develop an innovative mindset so that we can continue to succeed, grow, and meet the future head-on. I see Bytes MS as being on the verge of the next big step in technology and solutions change, and I can't wait to lead the company through that! Le Hanie has taken the decision to step down after 18 years with the business, 11 of these as Managing Director, to pursue personal development opportunities. She says: It is with much excitement that I hand the reins to Fourie. I have the utmost faith in him to steer the future of Bytes MS in exciting new directions, and I know that he is worthy of this opportunity and will receive overwhelming support from our stakeholders.