How digital innovators are staying afloat in the AI era

With technology fast evolving, innovators are burning the midnight oil to offer unique solutions, especially in an era when many operations are based on artificial intelligence (AI).

With competition for the widening space getting tougher each day, just as the level of creativity and innovation increases, innovators are working harder to ensure the best they can offer fully solves even the most complex of challenges.

Geoffrey Andama, the Principal of Kisii National Polytechnic, admits that even though AI may seem to be a ready solution to many institutional challenges, creators still have a larger space to command, but with upgraded and above-board solutions that are beyond basic AI.

“Staying afloat, especially in the present times when AI is becoming a solution to most challenges, needs extra creativity and innovation,” Andama says.

That is the same point of view Cossigah Mamboleo, the chief executive of Optimum ERP Systems, had before grabbing an opportunity to offer a solution now serving 213 educational institutions as well as business organisations across the country.

“The secret is developing a unique Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution that is reliable, efficient and sustainable,” he noted.

Mamboleo has created two ERP solutions: Ultimate ERP Solution for educational and business management services, and another one dubbed Medflow for management of medical supplies in healthcare organisations and the government operations.

The apps are mainly tailored to manage finances, human relations, customer care, and educational and business management solutions.

Mamboleo says he is serving a huge client base of educational institutions ranging from technical training institutions, teacher training colleges and numerous business organisations, as well as government agencies with UltimateERP Solutions; the flagship innovation of his company now powering seamless digital transformation across 213 leading institutions, predominantly Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVETs) and technical trainign colleges; delivering integrated admissions, finance, academics, biometrics, and Office of the Auditor-General-compliant reporting.

Medflow is a management system that ensures efficiency in checking the flow of pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical supplies in hospitals as well as helping management to make informed decisions on procurement, sharing or even disposing of the hospital resources.

 Monitoring of finances

So integral is the system that the rate of wastage in hospitals, pilferage and theft of supplies can be best managed at the click of a computer.

The app has resolved the issue of lack of transparency in the handling of drugs and other substances within the hospitals.

The system is designed so that the entire hierarchy in the health department and even the county governor can access all the information in the system, including monitoring of finances.

“With the system, stakeholders in the health department can make system-enhanced procurement decisions like processing of orders and doing stock updates and alerts,” Mamboleo says. The system, which is foolproof, if well embraced, could eliminate cases associated with theft of hospital drugs in facilities and ensure the availability of supplies in their facilities.

Already, the application is working in Elgeyo Marakwet County, and it’s expected that many counties will start utilising it.

Mr Andama says that for innovators to stay relevant, they have to be at the top in keenly addressing challenges if they can survive the market.

Richard Ouma, an ERP innovator based in Nairobi, says the digital innovation world remains competitive but only for innovators who are conscious of contemporary challenges.

Demand for high integrity from the end users is also another aspect that remains challenging to many creators who end up failing the test of sustainability, accuracy and even efficiency.

More often, Ouma says, some clients fail to provide clear and detailed specifications on required features during the initial stages, imposing implementation hitches.

“This frequently leads to continuous customisations and scope creep within the same fixed budget, which ultimately erodes our profit margins and stretches project resources,” he adds.

For Mamboleo, staying afloat in the digital innovation space means that creators understand the various pain points of their clients and tailor their solutions well.

“If a creator fails in the first test with the first client, then that becomes the cursed start because this first client will never recommend you to another one for a job,” Mamboleo says.

With Mamboleo, success with the first client means future success.

“The first consumer of creative works becomes the ultimate ambassador of your solution. That is how I have managed to stay afloat and increase the number of customers I serve,” Mamboleo says.