The real threat to your business is old habits

IN JULY, a mid-sized South African business lost one of its most experienced employees.

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The impact was catastrophic. Not because of his seniority, but because he was the only one who knew how everything worked.

Systems, processes, and compliance routines were all inside his head, underscoring the company's internal fragility thanks to undocumented processes.

This wasn't an isolated case. Many companies struggle with having their operational knowledge scattered or inaccessible, often written in personal notebooks or stored on individual desktops or held in the memory of key employees.

The human dependency risk is a very real challenge because when people leave, they take with them a significant chunk of institutional knowledge.

The impact is twofold. On one hand, the lack of centralised and accessible knowledge impacts productivity and operational efficiencies.

According to a Pyron and Unisphere Research study, 70% of respondents spent an average of one hour looking for information - 23% spent more than five hours.

On the other hand, it has a direct impact on how well a company can embark on a cohesive AI strategy.

The SAP AI Skills Development in Africa report found that up to 90% of companies surveyed were feeling the impact of a lack of AI skills and accessible knowledge. The result is a brittle business model, vulnerable not just to malicious actors but to attrition, burnout, retirement, or human error.

Siloed systems. Siloed people.