Achieving Business Success: How Walter Muwandi Gained The Edge In a fast-paced, ever-changing business landscape, ongoing learning and local and international support can give you the edge you need. Walter Muwandi unpacks how ACCA is giving him and his business a competitive advantage.

Vital Stats

• Player: Walter Muwandi FCCA
• Company: CCG Systems
• EST: 2001
• What they do: CCG systems develops systems and supplies and implements enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, currently for Sage, SAP and CaseWare Africa.
• Visit: www.ccgs.co.za

Having a credible accounting leader, like ACCA in your corner can help you to achieve a successful and sustainable business. Walter Muwandi, CEO of CCG Systems has over 27 years' experience in financial systems and project management. He is a Fellow member of ACCA (FCCA) and presents globally on International Public Sector Accounting Standards and Systems.

1. What do you believe accounting skills bring to a business?

Accounting skills bring an objective and pragmatic approach to various business challenges. They provide invaluable information to management for use in critical areas such as strategy formulation, performance measurement, controlling spending, increasing revenue and mitigating risks. When applied professionally, accounting skills help safeguard credibility and protect public interest for a business, a role whose importance can never be over-emphasised.

2. Why is having a firm grasp of numbers important when running a business?

In our fast-paced world data has become a staple commodity. To remain relevant and effective the modern business strategist must be abreast of all the numbers affecting their operations. Much of modern day accounting focuses on analysis of data to forecast strategy and appraise results of operations.

In modern day predictive analysis, the quality of decisions made is largely a function of the data used and the decision- maker's competence. Incomplete or irrelevant underlying data can easily render a decision ineffective and negatively impact a business' top line. All these factors dictate that an accountant should have a firm grasp on all the relevant numbers affecting their business if they are to deliver value and stay competitive.

3. What are the benefits of being associated with ACCA?

Association with ACCA guarantees availability of support and resources needed to maintain a relevant professional skillset for the accountant and his organisation. Credibility of the ACCA brand helps all affiliates command their stakeholders' trust as they are assured of the diligence and professionalism synonymous with the ACCA brand globally. This is largely attributed to ACCA's active role in promoting and enhancing the global accountancy profession whilst representing its members and affiliates.

4. What role does ACCA play in the business environment?

ACCA assists businesses by developing curricula in collaboration with businesses, ensuring its professionals meet the demands of daily business challenges. It also organises workshops for knowledge sharing and CPD, ensuring members and affiliates are kept abreast with changes in the profession, while networking with their peers. ACCA also helps businesses search and select skills appropriate to deliver value, and conducts research to produce industry insights that are valuable for sector performance appraisal and benchmarking.

5. What has been your experience with ACCA?

The support from the South African Office as well as ACCA Global is phenomenal. I truly feel the benefits of being part of a global organisation that updates itself with global trends in business and continues to use the latest technology available to enhance business integration and thinking.