DIMENSION DATA SA – Humans Driving Digital Tech Transformation

In March 2019, Grant Bodley – CEO for Dimension Data MEA – told Enterprise Africa that the number one key driving force behind the major successes that have been achieved at the company is people.

Dimension Data is a technology business with global exposure, helping drive digital transformation for businesses across different industries, all over the world. Today, Dimension Data is headquartered in Johannesburg and handles $1.3 billion of business, consisting of systems integration and managed services.

However, for Bodley, technology is simply a catalyst for service delivery offered by the company’s more than 15,000 people in 15 countries on three continents.

THE HUMAN TOUCH

“We are a people business in a technology industry, and as such we need to have the most skilled people in the industry working for us,” he said.

“To do this you create fertile soil to attract them, a good people and culture policy, investing in areas like training, internships and development.”

The company works to the motto: ‘If you believe you can do anything, we are here to help you do it’, and that goes for those inside and outside of the business. Both clients and employees receive equal focus at Dimension Data.

And this focus is vital – there infamous skills shortage that has plagued South African businesses for years is a real concern for the likes of Dimension Data – where technical knowledge is imperative. This is why the company invests heavily in training and development so that those with skills are able to further improve their position.

“Overall it’s a real challenge, but one where we can try to mitigate through our own investment from ground roots level right through to the re-skilling or cross-skilling of those who have been with us for many years,” said Bodley.

“As long as I am around, certainly in our geography, we will never stop investing. I spend a great deal of my time making sure that I’m connecting with the 14,000 employers, communicating with them, and sharing the vision. 

“It’s really rewarding when you see these young people come through and start making a real difference in the market,” he added.

Importantly, Dimension Data’s people focus is not just recognised internally. The company has been labelled, yet again, as one of the country’s Top Employers by the Dutch-based Top Employers Institute.

“Our comprehensive independent research revealed that Dimension Data provides exceptional employee conditions, nurtures and develops talent throughout all levels of the organisation and has demonstrated its leadership status in the HR environment, always striving to optimise its employment practices and to develop its employees,” explained the Institute.

The perfect example of this nurturing nature comes from the Dimension Data partnership with dialogue – a communications training company that has been delivering high-quality service to the tech giant for almost two decades. “We have been a service provider for Dimension Data since 2001, coaching managers and running group workshops. Most recently, we have been running ‘Facilitating Change’ workshops and ‘Design Thinking’ workshops with them,” details dialogue Managing Director, Amanda Holt.

COMENSA, SACE and Services SETA registered, dialogue is a transformed, dynamic team of specialist facilitators and coaches covering various disciplines. Investment into this type and quality of upskilling proves Dimension Data’s commitment to consistent and sustainable HR improvement.

CEO at the Top Employers Institute is David Plink and he paid tribute to those that managed to achieve the internationally recognised status, saying: “This achievement is highly respected in the world of HR certification recognition and we are extremely proud to recognize these companies as the pioneers in people practices. As globally certified organizations, these companies sit at the forefront of the world’s leading employers owing to their dedication to HR excellence.” 

Bodley was understandably proud of the recognition and hoped that it could be used as a tool when going out and finding the best new people.

“We have been recognised as a Top Employer for a number of years, and this is a really critical part of our culture and how we do business.

“Being recognised is a great accolade, and one that helps us attract new young, bright talent.

“I am confident that with our engaged workforce, we will continue to grow from strength to strength. It’s our intention to stay at the forefront,” he said.

REORGANISING

A people reshuffle will help Dimension Data to lead the market in the Middle East and Africa and comes as parent company NTT Group forms the new NTT Ltd business as an integrated global group. Dimension Data and its subsidiaries will represent the NTT brand within the Middle East and Africa. As such, a management reshuffle was required to streamline operations.

Bodley continues as CEO while the new executive team is targeted with delivering on strategy of enabling growth and scalability, while retaining focus as a leading systems integrator and managed services provider to the region.

“The recent NTT Ltd announcement presented an opportune time to introspect and ensure we are set up to best respond to the demands of the market and our clients. We are incredibly excited at the opportunity that lies ahead of us.

“With this announcement, I am also extremely pleased to advise that our founder Jeremy Ord remains in his role as Executive Chairman of this business and Moss Ngoasheng, previously non-executive chairman of Dimension Data South Africa, is now deputy independent, non-executive chairman,” said Bodley.

The new NTT Ltd business combines the expertise of 28 companies into one $11 billion organisation. “This is an important step forward for Dimension Data, which started as a homegrown South African ICT company. We’re so proud to be able to move this brand forwards in the region, while also retaining our strong links with NTT, enabling us to continue to deliver world-class services, technology and expertise,” said Bodley.

In December, there was also a change in ownership structure following a BBBEE transaction which introduced new shareholder arrangements. The transaction was concluded leaving Dimension Data with 51% black ownership, moving its status from Level 4 to Level 2. The transaction saw the Dimension Data campus in Johannesburg sold to a black women-owned company which is part of the recently established Identity Property Fund (managed by Identity Fund Managers, a division of Identity Partners). Dimension Data will continue to operate from the campus which has been its home for 17 years and under its ownership since 2006. The sale of the campus was an obvious choice considering the fact that Dimension Data was occupying less than 50% of the space.

“Dimension Data and NTT are committed to furthering our transformation journey and the pursuit of a sustainable South Africa. This is a significant accomplishment and we are extremely proud of our level 2 BBBEE rating. We look forward to growing our business further in South Africa,” said Bodley.

“Together with this new BBBEE transaction, Dimension Data has restructured its operating model driven by a new Go-To-Market strategy, which is well positioned for the future needs of its clients. Dimension Data aims to provide a combined value proposition that enables data driven decisions, provides digital customer experiences, creates connected workplaces for their employees, and provides software-defined infrastructure,” the company stated.

Also in December, Dimension Data launched a new security business, aptly named Dimension Data Security, to help its clients combat growing digital threats. The new business is the result of combining all security divisions of the four brands under the Dimension Data umbrella.

“Dimension Data has always been a leader in providing security solutions for its clients,” said Bodley.

“By combining all of the expertise across our businesses, investing in developing locally tailored solutions and leveraging the global expertise from our relationship with NTT, we’re building a business offering that truly sets us apart on the continent.”

The new company will be led by Tony Walt, a seasoned veteran in the digital security space and a longstanding Dimension Data professional. “We are committed to protecting our clients at every incident invocation, from minor issue to full-scale crisis. We strive to be a trusted partner to our clients no matter what the circumstance,” he said.

The idea for a new security company is driven by NTT’s focus on giving clients access to a more comprehensive range and greater depth of skills across multiple technologies and capabilities, offering global technology and managed services that are world leading in scale and depth, and improving ability to deliver more in-depth industry solutions for clients.

In a time when sub-Saharan Africa is looking to its people to drive innovation that builds economic development, Dimension Data is at the heart of a thriving technology industry.

President Ramaphosa has put out the call to all to take part in the oncoming Fourth Industrial Revolution. “You are wonderful dreamers and visionaries that want to be creators. You are deeply immersed in the future and understand the power of turning dreams into reality,” said the President at a government and business technology summit focussed on the Fourth Industrial Revolution in July.

Dimension Data is already deeply entrenched in the digital landscape and ready to contribute wherever there is demand, all over Africa and the Middle East, and globally through its affiliation with NTT Ltd.

“We invest heavily in innovation to bring together the world’s best technologies, from consulting, technical and support services to a fully managed service, to our global client base,” said Bodley.