By PATRICK BEJA
The technical and functional upgrade of the Systems Applications Products (SAP) system designed to improve efficiency at the port of Mombasa was launched yesterday. It is supported by the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) and Dock Workers Union.
The union’s National Chairman Jefa Kiti Kalu and Secretary General Simon Sang have been pushing for the introduction of a port manager and performance contracts between port management and the union while KPA has been improving its Information Communication and Technology (ICT) system and undertaking capital projects to enhance efficiency of the port.
The port now becomes the first and largest firm to implement the financial chain supply management, suppliers relations management and the employee/manager self-service platforms in East and Central African region.
This development puts the port of Mombasa at 70 per cent in the journey towards becoming an electronic or paperless port. Officials say adoption of the new solutions also positions KPA as a best in class ports authority with streamlined, cost effective and world-class business processes.
According to the head of ICT Fatma Nabhany, KPA is the leading organisation in the region to deploy more than one new solutions and functionalities in SAP systems at a ago.
“These include the Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) an online portal where suppliers can transact with KPA at the comfort of their respective offices. Through the SRM portal, suppliers would receive purchase orders and participate in tendering process online,” Nabhany said as the system went live in Mombasa yesterday. She said the Financial Supply Chain Management enables customers to request for service, receive invoices, make payments, lodge claims or disputes, and receive statements of accounts electronically. The Employee and Manager Self Service portal enables staff to access and update own HR data. Employees will also be able to request and process leave electronically. Likewise, managers will approve leave requests electronically and access reports promptly via the portal.
Among the benefits to be realised is improved decision making as reports can be accessed via the portal, she said.
“Manual paper based processes will be replaced with electronic automated processes; this will result in a significant reduction in errors and the cost of procuring paper documents,” she said.
