About

About Us

Who we are

Essense is a Business Analysis and Foresight services company that:

  • Assists businesses to ensure their information technology (IT) solution can address their current and future needs;
  • Assists IT solution providers to ensure they have clear requirements, well defined scope and well-managed expectations to satisfy their clients; 
  • Has extensive business knowledge, combined with end-to-end IT project lifecycle experience; and 
  • Provide the link between business problems and sustainable technology solutions.

Johannes Louw

Founder & Head of Solutions

Johannes studied computer programming (Dip. Comp Prog.) and graduated Cum Laude from the University of Cambridge. He then furthered his career as a Futurist and completed his PGDip in Futures Studies (Cum Laude) at Stellenbosch University.

He started his career as a Software Developer and continued to acquire expertise in various disciplines by working as a Systems Analyst, Business Analyst, Systems Manager and Programme Manager. He has 19 years corporate experience, worked extensively in the information technology industry, retail sector and professional services sphere across 8 countries.

He has the unique ability to understand the interconnectedness of processes and to dis-aggregate problems within a complex environment. His “T-shaped” knowledge provides a unique combination of breadth (cross-functional, strategic and high-level understanding) and depth (detailed, specialist knowledge). As a strategic and futures thinker, he has the ability to translate an organisation’s strategic vision into executable actions. His analytical and problem-solving skills makes him a passionate pursuer of functional and sustainable solutions.

Reasons for using us:

We provide a turnkey solution to businesses and organisations that:

  • Are looking to transform digitally or implement an information technology (IT)system, but not sure where to begin or who to approach;
  • Feel overwhelmed by the complexities of implementing a new technology solution;
  • That want to ensure their strategic vision can be enabled by their technology infrastructure;
  • Are uncertain what the critical questions are to ask to in order to effectively evaluate and compare all the available technology solutions out there;
  • That want to objectively analyse their business processes, get future-ready and match their business needs to best-fit technologies;
  • That do not have the internal capacity to gather requirements, engage with technology providers or manage IT projects;
  • Have difficulty scoping and scaling their business problem(s) and determining their foundational building blocks (“must-haves” vs. “nice-to-haves”);
  • Are wary of technology solutions with hidden costs, exclusions and hefty support and maintenance fees;
  • Are aware of inefficient and costly processes in their business, but unsure how to address it;
  • Need to build multiple possible scenarios when facing trade-off decisions and understand the proportional impact and risks of such scenarios (“cost vs benefit", “risk vs benefit"); and/or
  • Are looking to transform their business ideas from concepts into executable actions; to move from talking to doing.

We provide essential business services to IT Service providers that are:

  • Looking to bridge the gap between expectation and execution for their clients;
  • Having to constantly rework their solution due to unclear or ambiguous business requirements;
  • Using their valuable technical resources to sit in business meetings whilst trying to figure out what the client’s needs are;
  • Struggling with business requirements that are ever-changing, unreasonable or technically unimplementable and how to communicate that to the client;
  • Delivering a project within the provided scope and according to requirements, just to find the client being unhappy with the deliverables;
  • Running the risk to jeopardise a good product and a well-earned reputation by executing on insufficient specifications; and/or
  • Investing in the effort up front to get accurate business requirements, a well-defined scope and clear expectations to set themselves up for success.

Insights & Lessons learned

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Managing expectations:

Expectations are managed by listening to all stakeholders and assuming the responsibility of connecting the boardroom with the factory floor. Value the knowledge and opinions of people on the ground; they are your business!

Intention is everything:

Know the true reason and value for doing what you are doing. Our mental models (interpretation of the world) give rise to organisational structures, patterns and events. Failing to reflect, understand and change our thinking, we are bound to recreate the same structures and repeat previous patterns.

Quantifying outcomes:

An organisational change (such as automation) can have a relatively small effect on the bottom line, but can have a massive effect on a company’s personnel, their morale and creating a positive climate. 

Balancing an organisation’s financial prosperity with people’s development and self-actualisation is key!

Working environment:

Egos, bureaucracies and corporate politics are everywhere – see it for what it is and accommodate it. Do not get consumed by power plays, stay focussed on the task at hand and persist to achieve your intended goal. 

The best way to prove your credibility is getting the job done!

A changing world:

Improving your organisation through a certain initiative is a “living” and constantly evolving experience…. what makes sense today might not make sense tomorrow. The value-add of processes should constantly be re-evaluated with critical thinking, and be adapted to stay relevant and be sustainable.

Multiple viewpoints:

There is a right time to keep doing what others have done before you and a right time to innovate, rethink, experiment and be bold. Any one approach is not always right; ensure you are flexible enough to consider multiple solutions and have a free mind to select the option that fits your particular situation.

The full picture:

Getting a holistic understanding of a business problem is not dependent on people giving you the right answers, it requires you to ask the right questions.

Success:

The success of a project is not defined by the completion thereof; it is defined by the difference it makes in creating real-world solutions where there once were problems. 

Success is the outcome of making things better!

Process before system:

You need the right people (and attitude) with the right processes for a system to have any impact. Critically evaluate your business processes, find the gaps and visualise those desired processes. Find a system that will enable and support those processes. 

No system can fix a poor process! 

Systems thinking:

The importance of connecting the dots to understand what actions will impact which systems – especially if it is outside your silo. Alignment is key: know when to include the right people in your communication.