Practice 01
Technology and Systems Engineering
Custom business systems for organisations whose work does not fit off-the-shelf software: ERP and CRM, healthcare information systems, financial integration, automation and dashboards.
The problem
Important work running on tools that do not hold the full record
Many organisations in Somalia run critical processes across paper forms, spreadsheets, messaging groups and software designed for a different market. Each tool covers part of the work. None holds the whole record, so staff re-enter information, managers wait for figures to be compiled, and errors surface late, usually when cash or stock does not reconcile.
Buying a larger package rarely solves this. Licence costs, language, connectivity and local working practices mean expensive systems are often only partly used, while the real work continues on the side.
Capabilities
What this practice covers
- Custom ERP and CRM development
- Systems built around the organisation’s own customers, services, stock and approvals.
- Healthcare information systems
- Patient registration, visit management, clinical workflows, billing and reporting.
- Financial systems integration
- Operational transactions posted consistently into accounting and reporting.
- Business process automation
- Manual hand-offs, re-keying and reconciliations replaced with logged, repeatable steps.
- Data analytics and dashboards
- Management reporting drawn from the same records the organisation operates on.
- Secure, role-based workflows
- Permissions, approvals and audit trails that make each user accountable for their actions.
What we deliver
Systems that follow the organisation’s real sequence of work
We design and build web-based systems that follow the work from the first point of contact to the financial record that results from it. Requirements come from the people who do the work, not only from management, so that screens, roles and approvals match daily practice.
Our engineers work across backend services, databases and user interfaces. We favour well-understood, maintainable technology, clear data models and role-based access, so that the system can be supported and extended after its first release rather than replaced.
Typical deliverables
- Process map and requirements agreed with the client
- Data model, user roles and permission design
- Web application modules with backend services and database
- Interfaces in English and Somali where required
- Test scenarios and acceptance records
- Technical documentation and handover of source code and access
Typical scope
How the work is usually structured
- 01
Discovery
Map the current workflow, records, roles and failure points with the teams involved.
- 02
Design
Agree modules, data model, roles and the first release that delivers value.
- 03
Build
Develop in short iterations, reviewing working screens with users as we go.
- 04
Acceptance
Test against real scenarios, correct issues and confirm readiness for use.
Scope, timing and cost are agreed for each engagement after an initial conversation.
Existing systems and staff
Working with what is already there
We review what the organisation already holds — spreadsheets, registers and existing software — and plan how that information is migrated, referenced or left in place. Where an existing system works, we connect to it rather than replace it.
Supervisors help define approvals and exceptions, and front-line users review screens before they are finished. This reduces training later and means the system reflects how the organisation actually runs.
Relevant experience
What this is based on
Our healthcare CRM and operations system for Bidhaan Clinic and our management information work for Waaberi Hospital are both in development. We do not describe either as deployed.
Next step
Start with a workflow review
Describe the process you want to move off paper or spreadsheets. We will propose a first release small enough to deliver and useful enough to matter.