The Wonderware Southern Africa User Group Committee (UGC) represents a large faction of industrial automation and MES users in the mining and manufacturing industries. Its members, elected by end users, reflect the range of expertise required for the job. The UGC is an accessible conduit for Wonderware users in the territory, and its members make themselves available as much as possible. End user and system integrator issues are formally addressed at regular meetings with Wonderware Southern Africa.
“Largely, Wonderware Suite products are delivered by third party solution provides and system integrators. These organisations are highly skilled and adept in the fields, but are rarely the end customers of the products and solutions they deliver. The Wonderware User Group Committee is formed entirely of customers and therefore provides a powerful voice to express our needs and requirements directly to Wonderware Southern Africa,” says current UGC chairman John Coetzee.
The 2010 Committee was elected during X-CHANGE 2010, Wonderware Southern Africa’s annual event that, in its 18th year, attracted more than 300 industry professionals from across the region. The committee members are:
* Alex Pelser – MES specialist at Sasol Polymers with 14 years’ experience in engineering, two years in continuous improvement and 10 years in automation and MES.
* Flip Schutte – senior solutions specialist at Exxaro Resources with experience in pyro-metallurgy, minerals processing, control systems and general IT.
* Geoff Bernard – senior solution specialist, plant automation, at Kumba Iron Ore with 40 years’ experience in plant automation.
* John Coetzee – current UGC chairman and the business systems manager, manufacturing, at SAB with 12 years’ experience in SAB manufacturing systems. John was the chairman in 2009 and was re-elected to that position in 2010.
* Kevin Lawrence – senior technical advisor, process automation, at Nestlé South Africa with 26 years’ experience in project engineering and instrumentation.
* Rashid Jouley – assistant chief automation engineer at Rand Water with seven years’ experience on the company’s systems ranging from installation to maintenance. Prior to this, Rashid worked with a leading system integration company.
* Roland Verwey – lead process control specialist in the maintenance department of the Richards Bay Coal Terminal Company with 13 years’ experience in material management systems.
* Vicki Naude – senior advisor, architecture, at the generation division of Eskom with seven years’ experience in power generation and solutions architecture.
“We are confident that, with UGC members representing such a wide range of expertise and lengthy experience, Wonderware end-users and system integrators are in excellent hands,” says Wonderware Southern Africa MD, Deon van Aardt.
For more information contact Jaco Markwat, Wonderware Southern Africa, 0861 WONDER, jaco.markwat@wonderware.co.za, www.wonderware.co.za
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