Control systems + automation
Close to customers Local presence and regional expertise are key in turning these principles into practice. This includes customer service, maintenance, and close collaboration with local teams. Understanding local challenges, responding quickly to operational issues, and tailoring solutions to specific conditions all depend on local teams in the region. Being close to customers depends on people. Local presence and regional expertise are built by investing in talent – developing the skills needed to operate, maintain, and improve complex food-processing systems continuously under local conditions. This is why Bühler places strong emphasis on training and upskilling local teams, ensuring technical expertise, operational know-how, and service capabilities are available where they are needed. Building talent in the regions it serves, Bühler strengthens customer support, accelerates problem-solving, and thus contributes to reinforcing the long-term resilience of local food systems. One example of this approach is the African Milling School in Nairobi, Kenya. Since 2015, the African Milling School has trained more than 1 600 millers from over 30 countries across Africa, the Middle East, and India. Collaboration across the wider ecosystem Collaboration across the wider ecosystem is equally important. Partnerships between industry, government, and communities bring together expertise, resources, and coordination. Such collaboration enables better planning, shared infrastructure, and joint initiatives that reduce risk and improve efficiency, contributing to a consistent and safe food supply across Southern Africa. Looking ahead, there are clear practical steps that can be taken now to prepare for future disruption. Investment in modern, reliable equipment, digital monitoring, and energy-
efficient technologies will be critical. Strengthening storage and logistics, developing local skills, and fostering closer collaboration across the food system will further enhance resilience. By taking these steps, the region’s food and milling industries can build supply chains that are better equipped to withstand climate, market, and infrastructure challenges, supporting long-term food security for Southern Africa. Bühler teams are ready to support this transition with local expertise and long-term partnerships across the region. Partnerships involving industry, government, and communities bring together expertise, resources, and coordination – helping to reduce risk and improve efficiency.
For more information visit: www.buhlergroup.com
Control systems + automation : Products + services
Automated tracking and management of IT assets
Automation shifts IT asset management from reactive to a proactive capability. Continuous discovery replaces periodic stock takes. Exceptions are flagged immediately. Visibility improves financial control and audit readiness. V-Track embeds automation into daily operations through real time dashboards, usage visibility, and structured lifecycle tracking. Security exposure decreases because assets remain accountable from deployment to retirement. Nagiah avers that manual management does not save money. It defers cost until it appears in audit findings, compliance penalties, or forced write offs. Automation is today the baseline for responsible governance. Organisations that delay will fall behind, and at a.cost, she says. Reference [1] https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/it-asset- management-market
Manual IT asset management is often described as flexible. However, Valene Nagiah, V-Track Head Asset Tracking and Management cautions that in modern hybrid environments, it is a growing liability. Organisations relying on spreadsheets and periodic reconciliations are not cautious. They are operating without real visibility, she says. Research reported by Mordor Intelligence [1] links automation directly to improved control. As IT estates expand across cloud platforms and remote users, manual tracking fails under complexity. The weakness is not only inaccuracy. It is delay. By the time information is verified, audits, renewals, or security incidents are already under way. Studies consistently show that poor asset visibility leads to overspending on licences and avoidable audit penalties. Without real-time reconciliation of ownership and usage, organisations pay for what they cannot validate.
For more information visit: www.vtrack.io
APRIL 2026 Electricity + Control
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