Digital Age Exposes Flaws In Kiwi Ingenuity

Wednesday, 27 November 2024, 9:28 am
Press Release: Convergence

New Zealand’s ‘make-do’ attitude and reliance on
quick fixes, once strengths, are a liability for eCommerce
retailers and other SMEs in this age of digital and
globalisation.

Mark Presnell, managing director of
eCommerce Integration Specialists Convergence, says New
Zealand is no longer so isolated that we have to ‘make
do’ and, if anything, it makes us vulnerable to smarter,
faster, more efficient and sustainable
competitors.

“Technology means we can scale and
innovate at unprecedented speed,” says Presnell. “Most
clients we work are chock full of manual workarounds —
where owners and employees compensate for system
weaknesses— and many are not aware of the vast
inefficiencies these create.”

An example of a manual
workaround is when an employee regularly adjusts customer
orders to account for inconsistent data in the
system.

For instance, if a product is sold both
individually and as part of a bundle, but the system
doesn’t properly recognise the bundled pricing, the
employee manually edits the invoice or order details each
time such a scenario arises. This temporary fix masks the
issue without addressing the underlying need to automate the
process to handle both cases
seamlessly.

“Embarking on automation
often exposes the cracks in existing systems,” says
“Manual workarounds become visible, and businesses realise
that what’s been ‘working’ isn’t sustainable in the
long term.”

The strain of quick
fixes

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Presnell says these practices often persist
because employees, managers, and decision-makers have
conflicting goals. Staff executing tasks may favour manual
processes for job security or simplicity, while executives
seek budget efficiencies, sometimes overlooking hidden
costs.

Risks of falling behind

The global
eCommerce landscape is accelerating, driven by massive
consumer demand and constant innovation.

“New
Zealand businesses risk falling further behind, particularly
because our country’s smaller market size often results in
companies delaying investment in transformative
technologies. This reluctance could prove
costly.

“In a global, real-time market, being ten
years behind your competitors isn’t just a
disadvantage—it’s fatal,” he says.

While the
upfront costs and learning curve of automation can seem
daunting, the alternative is often worse. Inefficiencies
grow over time, leading to higher error rates, wasted
resources, and a declining ability to compete with
international players who are more agile and digitally
advanced.

Turning the ride

To break the cycle,
businesses need to adopt a strategic approach to
automation:

Audit workarounds:
Interview staff to identify hidden inefficiencies and manual
interventions in day-to-day
operations.

Collaborative process
redesign: Involve those using the systems in
designing more efficient, automated
workflows.

Cost-benefit analysis:
Evaluate the long-term savings and gains from automation
against the upfront investment required.

Presnell
emphasises the importance of choosing the right partners for
implementation.

“Automation isn’t just about
technology; it’s about aligning processes and people.
Picking the right collaborators ensures the solution fits
the organisation’s needs.”

He says that New
Zealand’s entrepreneurial spirit remains a strength, but
in today’s digital economy, success demands more than
resourcefulness.

“Businesses must prioritise
sustainable solutions over short-term fixes, embracing
automation to remain competitive and
thrive.”

ABOUT 

Based in
Auckland but working with New Zealand companies nationwide,
Convergence makes
business in eCommerce simple. Experts in eCommerce
integration, Convergence is responsible for creating the
links between an eCommerce website and key business software
systems in the cloud or on-premises. Convergence has
developed its own cloud-based integration platform, CODI
[Convergence Optimised Data Integration], which essentially
acts as the hub between client systems and connects
them.

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