A Tribute to the Argility Technology Group and the ATG family by Tanya Long, ATG Chief Operating Officer.

I always smile when I see our monthly internal posts celebrating the Argility Technology Group (ATG) staff work anniversaries, even more so in these times when the war for talent is a reality. The fact that collectively the tenure of the current team recently clocked in at 1078 years, speaks volumes about a business that in 2023 is celebrating 45 years since its founding.
In the evolving technology arena where companies come and go – do you remember the .com bubble that shot up in the ’90s when Argility was already rounding off its second decade of operations – many of those organisations are now firmly in the realm of ‘whatever happened to them’. Businesses came and went with what was later referred to as .bomb – a burst bubble indeed. But a few shining stars continued to develop and endure the test of time – Argility is one of those rare performers. The business has withstood and grown through a remarkable journey of 45 years of innovation, technological advances, and in doing so, delivering a transformative impact on our world and the success of our customers.

Since its inception Argility has been at the forefront of retail technology advancements, consistently pushing the boundaries of what is possible. Decades of long, prosperous customer relationships bear testament to ATG’s customer-centric culture, exceptional service, and innovative thinking. With each passing year, the company has risen to new heights shaping the digital landscape, and revolutionising various industries through the supply chain including retail, fleet and warehousing. All of this has filtered down to the enhancement of daily lives of both ourselves and our customers, in ways we could have never imagined.

Let’s take a quick walk down memory lane.

• Circa: 1978 – point of sale (POS) – where it all began.
• Circa: 2011/2012 – By this time, the company’s software was powering more than 6,000 retail operations internationally.
• Circa: 2015 – Argility was a driving force behind digital eCommerce. Argility’s Omni Channel Business Solutions Framework and Single Customer View were providing a single customer data repository augmented by consistency of customer data across multiple channels.
• Circa: 2016 – Argility was firmly established as a driving force in digital transformation.
  Through IoT and real-time analytics, Argility became an enabler for customers to acquire a single view, across all channels including mobile, online, in-store and call centres. Argility was not only a leading digital transformation specialist but the first choice provider of converged traditional and digital commerce capabilities across a wide range of industry sectors including: financial services, retail and enterprise.
• By 2017 – The Argility Technology Group was solving complex business problems by supplying and supporting various customised software solutions such as POS, ERP, Warehouse, Fleet and IoT management software, Proximity Marketing and more.
• Circa: 2018 – ATG was the leading innovator and implementer of customised enterprise software solutions including all the foregoing plus Prescriptive Analytics and more.
• By 2019/2020 – Artificial Intelligence (AI) had entered the picture and ATG was supplying and supporting various customised software solutions including all the foregoing plus Data Science/AI and Machine Learning (ML) solutions.
• By 2021 Smollan entered the picture and in 2023 finalised its acquisition of ATG into the global group.

At the heart of ATG’s success lies a relentless commitment to excellence. Argility has been unwavering in the pursuit of retail and digital commerce solutions, which has yielded game-changing products and services that have become integral parts of our lives and advancements for our customers that enabled them to stay a step ahead of the competition.

The path we’ve walked since the early days has been nothing short of extraordinary. We’ve seen software evolve from punch cards and huge data centres to cloud computing, AI and the intricate, digital ecosystem we navigate today. We’ve embraced change, adapted to new technologies, and continuously redefined our offerings to meet the ever-evolving needs of our customers.

Impressive technological achievements aside, the Argility team has also been a champion of positive change. Through our corporate social responsibility initiatives, we have demonstrated a deep commitment to making a meaningful difference in society. Whether fostering diversity and inclusion, addressing socio-economic challenges of the previously disadvantaged, supporting the growth of our nation’s youth or empowering communities, Argility has consistently shown that our vision extends far beyond a balance sheet.

Beyond the code and the algorithms, what truly sets ATG apart is the people who have been the heart and soul of the organisation. The driving force behind the remarkable ATG story has always been our talented and resolute workforce. Comprising some of the brightest minds in the industry, our people have embodied the spirit of collaboration, pouring their creativity and passion into solving complex problems, pushing boundaries together and bringing their collective capabilities to bear on shaping the future with technology. Each individual past and present, has made ATG a great place to work and their contributions to our success, sustainability and growth, have been immense. Through their countless hours of dedication, passion, expertise, creativity, and unwavering commitment to excellence, they have propelled ATG to become the successful business it is today. Armed with experience, wisdom and a clear vision, we are enthralled with the possibilities that lie in the future.

In conclusion I would like to borrow a phrase from the great 19th century poet Robert Browning:
“The best is yet to come.”