Business apps; the next wave in Kenya's mobile revolution

The mobile phone is on the verge transforming the way entrepreneurs and employees manage business operations following a raft of resource planning innovations that can be integrated with mobile phones to help works access business applications and data wherever they are.

Mohammed Mosam,
Divisional Director for Sage Evolution

This is according Mohammed Mosam, Divisional Director for Sage Evolution who was speaking during the launch of Sage Evolution Version 7, an end-to-end business management system.

He said the mobile phone has changed the way Kenyans manage their money, thanks to the runaway success of mobile money solutions such as M-Pesa and business applications are looking to replicate this success. 

He said the growing penetration of smartphones in the Kenya market, paired with cheaper, more reliable and faster mobile connectivity, means that companies of all sizes can enable on-the-go productivity for their workforces. Mr Mosam was speaking whne Sage Evolution ERP and Sage HR Africa presented the latest innovations in their software

"According to Safaricom, 67% of new mobile phones sold in Kenya are smartphones and 100 000 new smartphones are shipped to customers each month. Our customers want to use these smart devices to transact and work anywhere and anytime. We have built our Evolution ERP and HR solutions for this new mobile world," said Mosam.

Sage's mobile applications allow users to access a real time bird's-eye view of the business's financial status, including sales and purchases. Employees can see customer and inventory information in real-time, allowing them to be more productive and responsive, says Mosam.

"Imagine the flexibility it will give you if you are able to log on to your accounting software from your smartphone to view a dashboard to see how your company is performing, view customer information, record notes and create quotes or invoices, wherever you are," says Mosam. Sales teams can create on-the-spot quotes and take instant orders.

They're always working with the latest information so it's virtually impossible to promise the customer something that can't be delivered. Plus, because orders are received so quickly, delivery is faster. And in the human resources space, employees could be empowered to make applications for leave, salary advances, loans, bursaries or other financial assistance, online or via their smartphone, no matter where they are in the world.

Adds Nikki Summers, Sage Pastel's East Africa Regional Manager: "Kenya has pioneered mobile technologies such as mobile payments, and we're expecting the market to be as excited about the possibilities of mobile business software.