1. Digital Bridges creates high performance organisations by unlocking the value of the web through the
rigorous application of globally accepted management disciplines, effective process engineering,
innovation and deep experience from around the world.
Digital Bridges “bridges” the traditional divide between Business and IT. We translate the business
and operational requirements of the organisation into strategies, processes and implementation
methodologies that optimise IT investment.
Digital Bridges’ three primary offerings; Strategy, Content Management and Public Relations
Content Management
Strategy
Content strategy and
Translation of Business creation and
strategies into strategies management of content
and specifications for in line with strategy
web based applications
Public Relations
Maintain the business’ public presence
on-line, offline and events.
Digital Bridges Company Profile
2. Web Strategy
We consult on
• Organisational strategy and frameworks for web alignment across the organisation;
• Digital and web based application strategy and delivery on the mandate of the organisation;
• User Adoption Modelling to ensure that the users embrace the technology and the organisation
gets the optimal return on its IT investment;
• Security and Risk Mitigation to reduce the risks associated with all stakeholders having the power
to communicate through web based technologies;
• Customised application development for specific audiences and segments which maximise
revenue streams;
• The ongoing management and development of the applications as they mature and grow to meet
the organisations changing needs;
o Develop roadmaps for ongoing delivery and project prioritisation
o Manage Performance Improvement Points
• Relationship management methodologies that enhance communication and collaboration
between stakeholders in a business to Business or Business to Consumer environment using
systems theory;
• eMarketing and communication strategies for 21st century business models, developing Web
oriented value propositions, defining the business case and revenue models, brand building,
optimising the network effect, managing community dialogues, setting up quantifiable
measurement systems etc.
• The development and deployment of Business Intelligence reports and Geographical Information
Systems (GIS) into workable business activities
We create
• Workable strategies with robust, clearly defined implementation plans;
• Human Capital Management Strategies that leverage the value of technology and web 2.0 based
Intranets;
• Marketing Strategies that lead to Extranets and useful functional Websites;
• User Requirement Specifications which define the business needs from IT, platforms and
applications;
• Content strategies which optimise the organisation’s consumption of information and news;
Digital Bridges Company Profile
3. • Functional Specifications which model the user’s processes during their interaction with the
software, platforms and applications; and
• Use case and test data.
Our Solutions
Our solutions deliver value internally into the organisation, or externally to the organisation’s customers
and clients.
Solutions internal to the organisation
Our solutions are integral to successful HR programmes designed to win the war for talent through
managing employee relationships, collaboration, communication, engagement, learning and
performance using technology.
They can be deployed through Intranets which results in the Intranet becoming a strategic asset in the
organisation because there is a high level of adoption by employees who see the value and experience
it as easy to use. Internal solutions include communication portals, eLearning, environmental scanning,
performance management, project optimisation and knowledge management.
They can also be integrated with, or optimised for mobile applications for employees who don’t work in
a centralised location.
We also develop project management and other collaboration tools on the Intranet
Externally facing solutions
Externally, our solutions add value to brands and communication programmes. They can form the
backbone of the organisation’s product or service delivery, or they can be integrated into client service
and CRM tools.
We also develop integrated Social Media Strategies which leverage the existing Enterprise technologies.
Digital Bridges Company Profile
4. Our Business Oriented Solutions
eMarketing Stakeholders
Brand Building Alliance Partners
PR Service Providers
Brand Enrichment Suppliers
Customer Acquisition Investors
Communication Community
CRM Media
Mobile
Technology
Website
2 Way Extranet 2 Way
Communication Communication
Intranet
People
Innovation Clients
Relationships Relationships
Communication Share Documents
Performance Management Mobile Project Management
Succession planning Knowledge Management
eLearnng
Internal Projects
Behavioural Alignment
Knowledge Management
Content and Environmental Scanning
Digital Bridges Company Profile
5. Content Management
Great web based applications require dedicated content management to keep the applications
meaningful, useful and strategically in line with the core objectives.
We also assist our clients in search engine optimisation and creating semantic search.
Our clients can outsource their content management to our dedicated team of web content and
specialised competency experts.
We can assist you with the customisation of your information, trends, knowledge and news feeds and
reports as part of your environmental scanning strategy, using content delivered through the Dow
Jones.
Digital Public Relations
Digital Bridges also provides end to end public relations services:Translates Organisational
Strategy into a Robust PR Strategy
o Business Objectives,
o Monitoring;
o Analysis and Research; and
o Creates Messaging matrixes and positioning framework which forms the
backbone of all external communication throughout the organisation;
• Develop a Crisis Communication Strategy;
• Provide Reports
• Develop digital PR Policies;
eMarketing
Digital Bridges provides sophisticated Social Media Strategies for customer and client engagement
including:
• Avatar development and Management
• Community Management
• Integrated Social Media (Twitter, Facebook Flikr etc)
Digital Bridges Company Profile
6. Our Philosophy
At Digital Bridges we believe that technology should enable organisations to use resources more
efficiently and effectively and create distinctive competencies by the unique way that they enable
innovation, efficiency, communication, quality and responsiveness.
People optimisation
Skills shortages have reached a critical level in South Africa. Competing for talent doesn’t just mean
attracting and retaining the best people, it means ensuring that employees are actively engaged with
the organisation. This implies that they are motivated to bring their passion to bear on acting in the
best interests of the organisation, whether it is innovation, agility and responsiveness to changing
environments, relationships or operational efficiencies.
Modern technology’s collaborative nature enables organisations to create a meaningful dialogue
when managing performance, mentoring and developing employees and in the way that strategy is
contextualised in order to realise the best return on human capital.
Process Optimisation
Processes, in the past, were designed to standardise and aggregate human skills. This was
necessary in the industrial era when labour was primarily engaged in manufacturing things. The world
has changed and the knowledge worker has emerged as the primary resource for wealth creation.
Processes are required for value creation, rather than standardisation in the 21st century.
Modern web based applications enable knowledge workers to explore their work environments
interactively and enhance the network effect of teams. This is essential for creating mutually profitable
working relationships. As knowledge workers engage with the organisation and understand the
strategic context of their work; processes equip people to act in the best interests of the organisation
and exceed expectations.
Technology Optimisation
Many technology projects fail to deliver the expected return because employees resist change and
the systems do not realise their full potential. With proper strategic planning, Digital Bridges makes
Digital Bridges Company Profile
7. change attractive and IT intuitive to use because it harnesses the power of the web and creates
customised people friendly interfaces and workable processes that employees are motivated to use.
Partnering for end to end delivery
Digital Bridges partners with technology vendors and companies who deploy technology solutions
into corporates, in order to enhance the business value of the technology platform. We work closely
with the software vendor in order to ensure that together we deliver on the client’s expectations.
We also have a working relationship with the DOW Jones and can customise your environmental
scanning requirements.
Why Digital Bridges?
There are many reasons why businesses choose Business 2.0 solutions developed by Digital
Bridges:
• Our Solutions have strategic relevance
o They are designed within the macro strategic context of the organisation
in order to ensure that they deliver on the mandate
o Best practise business solutions are employed in their design
o Our clients realise an increased return on their technology investments
• Customisation
o We customise our solutions in creative and innovative ways
o Business processes is an integral part of the solutions we develop
• Working Relationships
o GOOGLE’s Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) tools and Enterprise
Applications are built into our solutions.
o Microsoft supports us in the translation of business ideas into specs for
SharePoint
o The Dow Jones is the world’s best provider of content and business
information services.
Digital Bridges Company Profile
8. Many of our clients say that they enjoy working with Digital Bridges because we become intimately
involved with the organisation, working with the same passion at every level from the coal face
through middle management to the C suite.
Digital Bridges Company Profile
9. Leadership
Digital Bridges is headed up by Kate Elphick. Kate has spent twelve years in the IT Sector, working
on both the business and the technical side of organisations such as Datatec, Didata, Business
Connexion and Primedia. She has an MBA from GIBS. Her business interests include Innovation and
Growth Strategies and their successful technology deployment for material returns on invested capital
Our Home
Digital Bridges is based at the Innovation Hub which houses a community of pioneers, inventors,
entrepreneurs and free thinkers - challenged and inspired, breaking new ground, collaborating and
inventing new technologies. Our web address is www.digitalbridges.co.za and you can contact Kate
Elphick on katee@digitalbridges.co.za.
Our History
Digital Bridges was started three years ago at the beginning of 2007 and has some very prestigious
clients including Naspers, The Jo’burg Roads Agency, iPlace, Goal Technology Solutions,
Worldsview Consulting, Pfizer, FinWorx, The Legal Provident Fund, Old Mutual, Sun International,
Comair, Airports Company South Africa (ACSA), Knowledge Factory and the South African Institute
of Professional Accountants (SAIPA) amongst others.
BEE Accreditation
Digital Bridges is an independently rated Broad Base Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) level 3
contributor in terms of Empowerment Act No. 53, 2003.
Mentorship
Kate Elphick mentors three MBA students from historically disadvantaged backgrounds at GIBS.
Enterprise Development
Digital Bridges provides support to young start up BEE IT Companies. We are currently working with
BI Technology Solutions and their product V-Planes in order to assist them to fulfil their dreams of
becoming a great South African company.
Digital Bridges Company Profile
10. Part of the South African Community
Corporate Social Investment
In order to participate in the creation of a sustainable future for South Africa, Digital Bridges has
embarked on a programme designed to assist our country bridge the Digital Divide.
Research has shown that in developing countries, when the Internet reaches the masses, it results in
significant growth in the economy of that country, because entrepreneurs start up Internet businesses
without being hampered by faulty infrastructure and governments can deliver services online to citizens.
The biggest barriers to Internet uptake are a fear of the unknown and a lack of understanding of the
value that the Internet can bring. Digital Bridges provides value generating solutions for communities
who have traditionally not used the Internet, in order to encourage participation in the Digital Age.
Using a combination of Web and mobile phone technologies we deliver the virtual world of the Internet
to people in the real world through their cellphones. The “Memorial Wall” is the first such project
The Memorial Website, www.memorialwall.co.za is a service which enables people to create memorials
to their loved ones, with a photograph and an obituary. Friends and relatives can SMS their
condolences, memories and thoughts directly onto this site, which can be visited online at any time in
the future.
The website provides a cost effective way to create a collection of family memories. Parents will be able
to show their children what their ancestors looked like and how they were remembered. The Memorial
can also be printed out as a beautiful document which can be used as handouts at funerals, posted or
eMailed to people living far away.
In time, additional services will be provided such as advice on what to do in the case of a death; who to
notify and how a deceased estate is administered. The idea is to take away the unnecessary pain that
comes with not knowing what to do next.
Pro Bono Work to help the under privileged
Digital Bridges is also doing pro bono work for iPlace, an application designed to assist NGO’s to meet
their mandate by providing them with the skills and applications to manage their day to day activities.
Digital Bridges Company Profile
