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Technology and Operational Excellence: Enabler, Not a Panacea (By Michael Okwusogu)

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4 years ago

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Technology

Create a modular platform that enables you to use the right tech tools at the right time to meet your long-term goals and objectives

LONDON, United Kingdom, December 9, 2022/APO Group/ — 

By Michael Okwusogu, Founder and Managing Partner of ValueX Partners (www.ValueXadvisory.com)

Albert Einstein said: “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.”

It is the leadership team’s role to set the vison and boundaries as to what is practical, achievable and within what time

In the case of technology and operational excellence, it could be argued that it has taken far too long. Techno-optimism is one of the greatest misconceptions when it comes to solving problems. Many of the problems that the world faces today are more complex than looking to some technological innovation to fix them.  As a start, we must delineate technology and technological tools. The two are not the same especially in this context.  I will explain why. Technology has been with us since the beginning of time. The wheel is a marvel of invention and a tool of technological ingenuity that has served humankind for millennia and will continue to do so. It is a technological tool that has enabled humankind in addition to other tools, to build the world we live in today. Technology’s greatest asset is its applicability and utility depending on what we are looking to achieve. One should always choose wisely when using technology.

In my experience, within the confines of operational excellence, there are four key points that should form your decision making.

  1. What are your key strategic long- term goals?  Usually, the objective has been to set goals for the short-term. To “put out the fires,” or meet the yearly objective, for example. Yet, this mentality usually leads the smouldering embers to flare up at a later stage. One should build for the future. Create a modular platform that enables you to use the right tech tools at the right time to meet your long-term goals and objectives –  it is a methodical and disciplined approach to building operational excellence.
  2. Do you need a digitised environment at the initial stage? In certain cases, what is required is not digitisation, but innovation and thinking around creating an environment that will prosper in a digitised format. That means conducting a thorough rip exercise and audit. Adopt the Five Why questioning methodology if need be, or any other similar framework. I have always found this to be particularly insightful when taking on new roles or dealing with ‘business as usual’ issues. It tends to be the case that what is required, amongst other things, is training, development, organisational restructure, elimination of redundant processes, procedures and documents, a back-to-basics approach – i.e. what exactly is our core function – delivering on that, and making everyone accountable and responsible for each and every action in their respective areas and also, across the value chain which they touch.
  3. Mission: Who are we? What do we do? How are we supposed to do it? It is critical that the right technological tools be used to support the whole organisation for the long-term. Leadership has an instrumental role to set the vision and strategy of the organisation, engage and align all stakeholders to the future target operating model or achievement of the strategic goals and objectives. It may come across as elementary, but leadership’s role is to understand the technological and business environment over the course of each stage in the long-term. A structure must be put in place that allows teams to perform as best as they can in their respective roles and in their careers with the utilisation of the most appropriate tech tools.
  4. Choosing the right tech at the right time. For this to be a successful endeavour you need to align several key stakeholders. These include technology, your teams, and key stakeholders (e.g. front office/business facing) and your leadership team. Each party has a crucial role to play.
  5. Technology. Their key role is to give advice and support to the business.  Technology should account for the current business infrastructure and the proposed infrastructure for the long-term. This will give the business an idea of available opportunities and any imminent challenges.  In addition, technology should support the business in identifying suitable vendors for any infrastructure programme and be part of the selection process at contract award time.
  1. Teams/end users. The end users are regarded as the most important stakeholder.  They must be part of the journey from the time of its inception. They must be thoroughly briefed, have accountability and ownership as to the objectives and what a successful outcome is expected to look like. Smart knowledgeable, and experienced individuals with a good work ethic and an ability to think out-of-the-box should be chosen across a wide spectrum of the organisation’s areas of responsibility (depending on the scope of the initiative), to be part of the core departmental project team.
  2. Leadership team. It is the leadership team’s role to set the vison and boundaries as to what is practical, achievable and within what time.   Transparency and honesty are key here. A roadmap must be developed that has clear quantifiable and qualifiable goals. Usually, end users will compromise if they can see some sort of progress for a better future. All senior management, as the budget holders, should be regularly updated.  These updates must be short, sharp and to the point. Furthermore, they will need to include key metrics, milestones, highlights, and lowlights in their regular reports.  This builds trust and credibility within the organisation and provides transparency for external stakeholders.   

These suggestions and recommendations are not prescriptive – they are my observations over the years and what has worked in many instances, and should be considered as rough and ready solutions. I have used these in many instances to achieve my goals and objectives, and I hope I have given you some insight that may prove to be of use in your respective roles.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of ValueX Partners.

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Business

First WATT Renewable Limited and MTN Nigeria Launch Renewable Energy Infrastructure Programme for Critical Operations and Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Sites

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2 hours ago

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June 15, 2026

By

WATT Renewable Limited

The programme is expected to support the avoidance of an estimated 25,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions (tCO ₂e) over five years, subject to operational performance and final emissions calculations

LAGOS, Nigeria, June 15, 2026/APO Group/ –First WATT Renewable Limited (www.WATTRenewables.com) and MTN Nigeria have announced a strategic renewable energy infrastructure partnership designed to reduce diesel dependence, improve operational resilience at MTN’s critical facilities and supply renewable energy systems to power electric vehicle charging infrastructure across selected MTN locations in Nigeria.

 

The programme comprises two major project components. The first is an Energy- as- a- Service deployment that will provide approximately 34 MWp of solar photovoltaic as a generation capacity and 40 MWh of battery energy storage across selected MTN facilities nationwide. These sites include data centres, switch facilities, cable landing stations, customer service centres and other network critical locations.

The second is the supply of renewable energy infrastructure to power 60 kW EV charging stations across eight MTN facilities located at Ikoyi, Matori, Ojota, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Asaba, Kano and Ibadan

Together, both components are designed to reduce dependence on diesel-based systems, lower operating emissions, support operational uptime, strengthen business continuity, and increase the contribution of renewable energy across MTN’s operational sites, including selected EV charging locations.

As digital demand continues to grow, reliable energy infrastructure remains critical to the performance of telecommunications networks and the wider digital economy. This partnership will support MTN Nigeria’s efforts to strengthen the resilience of critical operations while increasing the use of renewable energy across selected facilities.

This programme helps address one of the key requirements for wider EV adoption: reliable and cleaner energy supply

Based on current project assumptions, the programme is expected to support the avoidance of an estimated 25,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions (tCO ₂e) over five years, subject to operational performance and final emissions calculations.

Commenting on the partnership, Oluwole Eweje, Chief Executive Officer of WATT Renewable Corporation, said:

“This partnership is a defining milestone for First WATT and an important step in strengthening the energy infrastructure that supports Nigeria’s digital economy. By deploying solar photovoltaic generation and battery energy storage across selected MTN facilities, we are helping to improve energy reliability at critical locations where uptime is essential.

“The EV charging component also demonstrates how renewable energy infrastructure can support Nigeria’s transition to lower-carbon mobility. By providing renewable power systems for EV charging sites, this programme helps address one of the key requirements for wider EV adoption: reliable and cleaner energy supply.”

Speaking on the initiative, Tobechukwu Okigbo, Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer at MTN Nigeria, said:

“As Nigeria’s energy and mobility landscape evolves, renewable energy will play an important role in building cleaner and more reliable infrastructure. This partnership supports our efforts to reduce diesel dependence, improve operational efficiency, and strengthen the resilience of the systems that power connectivity.

“It is also aligned with Project Zero, under our Doing for Planet sustainability pillar, through which we are focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving energy efficiency, and increasing the use of renewable energy across our operations.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of WATT Renewable Corporation.

 

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Business

RusselSmith Formally Transitions to Arridex

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5 hours ago

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June 15, 2026

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Nigeria

The change reflects the significant expansion of the organisation’s capabilities and the breadth of industries it now serves

LAGOS, Nigeria, June 12, 2026/APO Group/ –Arridex (www.Arridex.com), formerly RusselSmith, recently announced its formal change of name, registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission of Nigeria. The change reflects the significant expansion of the organisation’s capabilities and the breadth of industries it now serves, which extend well beyond the oil and gas services with which it began operations in the early 2000s.

 

Founded as an asset integrity company serving Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, the organisation has grown into a multi-sector industrial technology group operating across oil and gas, maritime, aerospace, defence, construction, and manufacturing. Its subsidiaries cover engineering and construction delivery, autonomous systems development, and advanced technology products, in addition to its industrial additive manufacturing and asset integrity operations.

Arridex is the name of the company built over two decades and raised intentionally to enable industrial resilience in Africa

The organisation holds Pioneer Status in additive manufacturing, granted by the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), and is the first company qualified by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) for additive manufacturing deployment in the oil and gas sector. Both represent formal recognition of Arridex’s capabilities and its role in building indigenous industrial capacity at scale. With more than twenty years of continuous delivery, Arridex holds certification to ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 45001:2018, underpinning an integrated management system that governs its operations across all sectors, and has recorded zero lost time incidents across over seven million man hours of operations.

The name change coincides with a significant operational milestone. The Arridex Omnifactory, West Africa’s first multi-technology industrial additive manufacturing facility, has been commissioned in Lagos. The Omnifactory integrates multiple additive manufacturing technologies including Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF), Cold Spray, Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF), and Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) under one roof, enabling on-demand production of industrial components, spares, and improved part designs for critical industries. The Omnifactory’s large-format additive manufacturing capabilities also enable the production of large-scale structures, including full-size marine components. Its commissioning is the clearest measure of the distance that Arridex has travelled from its origins.

Africa’s critical industries have for decades depended on components and specialist expertise imported from outside the continent, with supply chains that routinely extend across multiple jurisdictions and lead times that affect operational continuity for asset owners when dealing with legacy parts. The Omnifactory manufactures industrial components and parts on demand in Lagos, helping to build operational resilience in critical industries.

Kayode Adeleke, Group Chief Executive Officer of Arridex, said: “The name RusselSmith defined what we were at the start. Arridex defines what we have built. The dependency of African industry on fragile supply chains is a structural problem that this continent has accepted for too long. The Omnifactory is a concrete answer to the challenge of manufacturing sovereignty. Arridex is the name of the company built over two decades and raised intentionally to enable industrial resilience in Africa.”

Arridex is a Designated Strategic Partner of the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC) and serves clients across Nigeria and the wider African region. The organisation has a joint venture partnership with the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) for military-grade additive manufacturing, is a member of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) and is also a member of the Defence Industries Association of Nigeria (DIAN). With the Omnifactory commissioning in June 2026, Arridex enters its next phase of operations under a name that reflects the full scope of what it has built.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Arridex.

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New Quality, Shared Future – Beijing CBD Extends a Global Invitation for Cooperation

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5 hours ago

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June 15, 2026

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Beijing

If there are only three days to understand China’s economic development, Beijing CBD is a good place to start.
BEIJING, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 12 June 2026 – In mid-June this year, 2026 Beijing CBD Forum Annual Conference will be held as scheduled. Nearly ten thousand participants from five continents will gather here, with international speakers accounting for more than 50% of the lineup. Yet the Forum is but a window; the true landscape worth the world’s attention lies just outside – the central business district itself.

“International Density” on Seven Square Kilometers

In the core area of Beijing CBD – a mere seven square kilometers – nearly 16,000 foreign-funded institutions and 125 regional headquarters of multinational corporations (MNCs) are located. This represents half of all MNC headquarters resources in Beijing.

This is no coincidence. The district is one of China’s most internationally oriented, service-rich, and mature international business zones. From law firms and consultancies to financial institutions, the world’s top professional services firms have formed a complete ecosystem here.

What makes the area even more valuable for overseas companies and organizations is that policies here are not just written on paper – they are embedded in actual processes.

From pilot schemes on cross-border data flows, to facilitated access for foreign financial institutions, to one‑stop service desks for international talent – Beijing CBD has long served as a pilot zone for institutional opening‑up. Foreign enterprises find that issues they encounter here tend to be addressed and resolved more quickly.

During this year’s Beijing CBD Forum annual conference, the Ambassadors’ Roundtable Dialogue will establish a regular communication mechanism, and the “International Delegations’ China Tour” will allow overseas business representatives and zone managers to conduct in‑depth site visits and exchange experiences. What is even more noteworthy, however, is that such exchanges are not confined to the Forum – they continue year-round here.

Beijing CBD: A Sincere and Pragmatic Invitation

Artificial intelligence, the digital economy, green technologies – these areas, known as “new quality productive forces,” are not empty buzzwords here. The Forum includes dedicated sessions on technological innovation, financial opening‑up, law-business integration, cultural industries, and international consumption. Yet what truly deserves the attention of potential international partners is the industrial foundation behind these topics.

Beijing CBD is home to the densest concentration of foreign financial institutions and cross‑border capital in China. A large number of tech companies are engaged in cross‑sector collaboration with traditional industries here. High‑end professional services – international law, arbitration, compliance – are highly concentrated, providing support for both inbound and outbound business activities. Moreover, as the starting area of the city’s international demonstration zone for law-business integration, the district continues to focus on strengthening the rule of law in commercial affairs, improving its legal services framework, enhancing the resolution of international commercial disputes, and fostering a stable, transparent, predictable, and internationally competitive business environment. In the future, Beijing CBD will build a one‑stop legal and commercial service platform that integrates legal, auditing, intellectual property and other professional resources to precisely serve companies going global and managing cross‑border operations.

Here, you will find that its vitality derives mainly from genuine business judgments about market opportunities. For enterprises, the cooperation logic here is predictable, commercial, and sustainable.

Beijing CBD is not merely a striking poster – it is a real‑world district where hundreds of thousands of business people move every day, thousands of foreign‑funded institutions operate, and countless cross‑border transactions take place.

If you are looking for a stable gateway to the Chinese market, or a high-level hub to connect global resources with local applications, it deserves your consideration.

The Forum’s 2026 annual conference lasts only three days. But Beijing CBD is open all year round.

 

 

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