Business Process Re-engineering

Business process reengineering (BPR) is the practice of rethinking and redesigning the way work is done to better support an organization’s mission and reduce costs.

However, at AFRITAM, we reengineer two key areas of our businesses. First, we use modern technology to enhance data dissemination and decision-making processes. Then, we alter functional organizations to form functional teams. Reengineering starts with a high-level assessment of our mission, strategic goals, and customer needs.

Basic questions are asked, such as “Does our mission need to be redefined? Are our strategic goals aligned with our mission? Who are our customers?” And so, we find our organization operating on questionable assumptions, particularly in terms of the wants and needs of the customers. Only after the organization rethinks what it should be doing, does it go on to decide how best to do it.

Within the framework of this basic assessment of mission and goals, re-engineering focuses on the organization’s business processes, the steps and procedures that govern how resources are used to create products and services that meet the needs of particular customers or markets.

If process reengineering is to work, priorities must change and however at AFRITAM, we focus on the following:

· From boss to customer focus;

· From controlled workers to empowered, involved process owners and decision makers;

·       From activity-based work to a results orientation;

· From scorekeeping to leading and teaching so that people measure their own results;

·  From functional (vertical) to process (horizontal or cross functional) orientation;

· From serial to concurrent operations;

· From complex to simple, streamlined processes;

· From empire building and guarding the status quo to inventing new systems and processes and looking toward the future.

Risk analysis and Management

In many projects, risks are identified and analyzed in a random, brainstorming, fashion. This is often fatal to the success of the project, as unexpected risks arise, which have not been assessed or planned for and have to be dealt with on an emergency basis, rather than be prepared for and defended against in a planned, measured, manner.

Risk Analysis and Management is a key project management practice to ensure that the least number of surprises occur while your project is underway. While we can never predict the future with certainty, we can apply a simple and streamlined risk management process to predict the uncertainties in the projects and minimize the occurrence or impact of these uncertainties. This improves the chance of successful project completion and reduces the consequences of those risks.

Very early in the preparation and planning stage, it is essential that potential risks are identified, categorized and evaluated.

Let’s present the structured Risk Management process followed at AFRITAM that helps avoid crisis situations and incorporate learning from past mistakes. It highlights that effective and early risk identification and management secures the achievement of project objectives, leading to reduced rework costs.

Risk Management Plan

The organization-mandated risk management framework is reviewed and tailored to define the project risk management plan when the project is initiated. The risk management plan includes these definitions and guidelines:

·       List of possible risk sources and categories

·       Impact and probability matrix

·       Risk reduction and action plan

·       Contingency plan

·       Risk threshold and metrics

Risk Identification

Risks are to be identified and dealt with as early as possible in the project. Risk identification is done throughout the project life cycle, with special emphasis during the key milestones.

The following are the tools and guidelines that we (AFRITAM) use to identify risks in a structured and disciplined way, which ensures that no significant potential risk is overlooked.

• Documentation Reviews.
• Information Gathering Techniques.
• Brainstorming.
• Delphi Technique.
• Interviewing.

Strategy and Consulting Services

Strategy consultants are regularly brought in to support the design of vision and mission statements, the development of strategic plans, and the setup of implementation roadmaps (which outline activities and resources required to implement the plans)

However, at AFRITAM, we found out that companies need help in the following areas.

1.     Strategy Consulting

This is one of the most critical forms of business consulting is, where our consultants act as advisors to your company in the sense of helping the organization to create and follow a long-term blueprint or strategic plan. Such a plan helps to establish the direction that your company will take in the long-term, along with creating a map that defines the direction that your company will take in the short-term in order to fulfill all long-term goals.

2.     Business Consulting

Business consulting is a form of corporate consulting where our specialists assist you with optimizing internal workflow and the internal inner workings of the business as a whole, including:

o   Hierarchy: The manner in which a business operates includes the management & executive hierarchy. Optimizing and tweaking the business hierarchy can help to effectively streamline how teams work, which can positively alter how the business operates.

o   Structure: The business structure of an enterprise can be optimized so that every department is working at full capacity.

o   Organization: Our business consultant will help an enterprise optimize its organization, which includes both macro-level organizational factors and micro-level organizational factors (e.g. how different teams within specific departments are organized, and how teams carry out workflows within the business ecosystem).

o   Teams: Our business consultant will suggest that more teams within a department be created, or that some teams be dismantled.

o   Business environment: Our business consultant will help your business to draft a code of ethics.

3. Financial Consulting

Our financial consultants often work with your company’s CFO and/or a strategic consultant to help the business align its financial goals (e.g. profit margins, overhead, spending habits, ROI, etc.) with all tactical short-term goals, and strategic long-term goals.

4. Information Technology Consulting

Our IT consultants include a vast array of experts that work within many different areas, all of which may help a business better leverage their IT infrastructure. Typically, IT consultants are split into two groups:

a.     Upgrading/Change: These consultants are concerned with IT change management, and work with changing the IT systems of your business. This includes upgrading to cloud systems, migrating data, replacing legacy systems, and more.

b.     Non-upgrading/Maintenance: Other IT consultants are, broadly speaking, not associated with changing the IT infrastructure of the business, but are usually hired to optimize existing systems in some way. This includes software engineers, security testers, and technicians.

5. Management Consulting

Management consulting includes a robust set of practices whose purpose is to optimize how senior personnel manage teams, projects, and departments on a day-to-day basis.

6. Sales Consulting

Our Sales consultants can help your business optimize a company’s internal sales pipelines, and can also present to a company novel ways for optimizing the entire sales/marketing system that a company utilizes to convert more leads into customers.

7. Marketing Consulting

Marketing consultants are effective thought-leaders and experts who can help your business radically revolutionize the marketing pipeline and systems.

Change Management and Implementation

Change management is the process of systematically managing how well employees accept and adopt organizational changes. It’s about ensuring your employees buy into and champion the changes your business makes. 

Research has shown that if your organization has excellent change management chops, you are six times more likely to meet your objectives. It is one of the key predictors of success and it affects your employees.

However, at AFRITAM we focus on 3 critical phases of change management

1. Prepare for change

In the first phase of change management, we will lay the groundwork for your entire change management plan. During this phase, we’ll develop a situational awareness, identify potential challenges with leadership, and perform an impact assessment. 

2. Manage change

 Once you have your strategy developed, you can create and implement plans to support your overall strategy. 

3. Reinforce change

The final phase of change management takes place after you implement your changes. This phase ensures your organization maintains the changes and you get the results you expect. 

In this phase, you’ll measure and reinforce behavior changes, correcting any gaps that arise.

However we shall help you implement change management through the following ways

• By transformational leaderships
• By use of group forces
• By providing a rationale for change
• By participation
• By sharing rewards
• By ensuring employee security
• By communication and education
• By stimulating employee readiness

Enterprise Project Management

Large enterprise organizations typically run multiple complex projects simultaneously. Although these projects do not necessarily seem connected, they all impact the same enterprise organization. Enterprise project management (EPM) refers to the practice of managing projects on a companywide scale. It generally involves implementing strategies and processes to streamline and improve the effectiveness of project management on a large scale

At AFRITAM, we focus on your organization, prioritizing and highlighting your business goals, managing and grouping projects to ensure they meet those broader company objectives.

This will enable your organization benefit the following;

·       Higher-quality output

·       Improved productivity

·       Reduced impact of skills shortage

·       Reduced project risks

·       Enhanced reliability of delivery

AFRITAM also helps you implement the Enterprise Project Management since focuses on the organization’s core mission and strategic objectives, implementation of an EPM system begins with a thorough look at the company’s existing projects and organizational culture. After all, EPM will require adaptability and openness to change.

ICT Consulting Services

In the current highly competitive and dynamic business environment, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) are more than ever a critical enabler for an organization’s success, since it constitutes a source of competitive advantage and an important tool in the effort to automate and streamline business operations.

AFRITAM provides ICT Consulting services that help organizations to put ICT assets at the service of their business needs and strategic vision. From the small private enterprises to major public entities, finding the best way to integrate IT systems and align them with the business needs and strategic goals, is central to an organization’s success. By supporting the entire Information Systems Life Cycle, AFRITAM strives to enable its clients to maximize their value from ICT by exploiting a multi-dimensional approach and providing services along the following axes:

·       ICT Strategy & Transformation

·       Enterprise Architecture Design

·       IT Programme & Project Management

·       Information & Systems Security

·       IT Solutions Delivery

AFRITAM’s ICT Consulting services lead to value generating propositions based on the clients’ mission and objectives. Working in a collaborative manner with client organizations, combines the specialized skills of its personnel with proven methodologies, widely adopted standards and best practices, to maximize expected value for its clients.

Training and Development

Aiming at a smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, in a globalized economy based on competitiveness, social cohesion and sustainable development, the governmental, regional and local authorities involved in policy formulation and in OPs planning and implementation are seeking for specialized technical assistance in order to promptly, effectively and efficiently utilize the available funding according to the terms and conditions of international regulations.

Private enterprises, as potential beneficiaries of state aid initiatives, need fit for purpose consulting support services in order to prepare and implement viable projects eligible for funding from the OPs and at the same time corresponding to their actual needs and current market conditions.

AFRITAM is a key actor in the provision of Training Development Consulting Services, with strong experience in the implementation of important projects of the country, having developed specialized tools and methodologies and possessing a unique know-how and experienced staff and collaborators.

The scope of services we offer to public administrations (at national, regional or/and local level) and private actors from various industries cover the whole span of the development process. From policy/ strategic planning and financing to monitoring, control and evaluation, we focus on the unique operational capabilities that each entity needs to fulfil its mission and vision.
For each assignment, we provide a complete package of consulting services, to suit the needs of the respective client. Specifically, our Development Consulting Services are falling into one of the following categories:

For each assignment, AFRITAM provides a complete package of consulting services, to suit the needs of the respective client(s). Specifically, Development Consulting Services offered by AFRITAM are falling into one of the following categories:

Regional Strategy & Policy Development

Co-funded Private Investments Screening

SMEs Development Support.

Enterprise Resource Planning

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems helps improve enterprise efficiency and effectiveness in a number of ways. Just like it will help other companies and organizations, AFRITAM as an institute the ERP systems helps us to unify our financial reporting accordingly. This kind of service also helps to integrate order management, making order taking, manufacturing, inventory, accounting, and distribution a much simpler and less error-prone process. The ERPs also include customer relationship management (CRM) tools to track client’s interactions, they can also standardize and automate manufacturing and supporting processes, and unifying procurement across an organization’s different business units. An ERP system can also provide a standardized HR platform for time reporting, expense tracking, training, skills matching.

Types of ERP

 These ERP systems in the organizations can be categorized in different tiers that can help develop organizations they include the following: –

·       Tier I:    ERPs support large, global enterprises and handle all internationalization issues, including currency, language, alphabet, postal code, accounting rules. Tier I Government ERPs support large, mostly federal, government agencies. These vendors support the nuances of government accounting, HR, and procurement.

·       Tier II ERPs support large enterprises that may operate in multiple countries but lack global reach. Tier II customers can be standalone entities or business units of large global enterprises. This tier in the Government ERPs focus mostly on state and local governments with some federal installations.

·       Tier III ERPs are designed for small enterprises and often focus on accounting.

ERP implementation

 These implements, AFRITAM uses these implements to help its clients to develop their businesses from scratch to the top, to also give them good business skills that can them for the best.  During the implementation process it follows 5 major steps that can be followed they include;

1. Gain approval

The executive sponsor oversees the creation of any documentation required for approval. This document, usually called a business case, it typically includes the following:

·       Problem definition

·       Description of the program’s objectives and scope

·       Assumptions

·       Implementation costs

·       Implementation schedule

·       Development and operational risks

·       Projected benefits

Once the business case is complete, the executive sponsor presents the business case to the appropriate group of senior executives for formal approval to spend money and direct staff to implement the ERP.

2. Plan the program

The high-level timeline created for the business case is then refined into a work plan, which should include the following steps:

·       Finalize team members. Key internal individuals should be identified by name. Other required staff should be identified by role. External partners need to be selected. Typical partners include: ERP implementation specialists, organizational change management specialists and technical specialists.

·       Complete contracts. Contracts for new software, technology, and services should be finalized.

·       Plan infrastructure upgrades. On-premises ERP systems frequently require faster processors, additional storage, and improved communications. Some organizations can minimize infrastructure upgrades by using a cloud ERP. But even cloud ERPs can require infrastructure upgrades.

·       Create a work plan and timeline. Tasks, dependencies, resources, and timing need to be made as specific as possible.

3. Configure software

This is the largest, most difficult phase. Major steps include:

·       Analyze gaps. Understanding the gaps in current business processes and supporting applications helps the project team determine how to change business processes to conform to the software.

·       Configure parameters. Parameters in the ERP software are set to reflect the new business processes.

·       Complete required programming. Ideally, no changes are needed for the ERP software. However, some programming may be required for interfaces to other systems or for data migration.

·       Migrate data. The team standardizes data definitions and examines existing files for data completeness, quality, and redundancy. Finally, existing data is cleansed and migrated to the new ERP.

·       Test system. The system is tested to ensure it delivers the needed functionality and required responsiveness.

·       Document system. Required functional and technical documentation is created. Typically, the vendor has documentation that can be tailored to enterprise standards.

·       Upgrade infrastructure. Complete any required upgrades.

4. Deploy the system

Prior to the final cutover when the new system is in production, multiple activities have to be completed. These include:

·       Train staff. All staff need to be trained to operate the system and be given access rights. At AFRITAM we offer Training and consulting at our firm.  we also take Training of our staffs very important because it helps us to develop our employees’ skills in the working environment and also helps the organization to develop since we all do work at the same pace with one aim to develop the company. 

·       Plan support. A support team will be needed to answer questions and resolve problems after the ERP is operational.

·       Test the system. The new system must be thoroughly tested to ensure it is secure, responsive, and delivers the functionality described in the business case.

5. Stabilize the system

·       Following ERP deployment, most organizations experience a dip in business performance as staff learn new roles, tools, business processes, and metrics.

Research and Surveys

This service helps ensure that you maximize your returns on the type of research, it is important that you develop an appropriate question set and analyze the results in a way that will allow you to identify key differences and preferences in your organization. It enables organizations and businesses to access very useful information and features relating to the type of business they conduct. The information gathered in research and surveys is essential when making strategic decisions and also helps the management to clarify and understand their product or service offered to their target market. AFRITAM has a good record of conducting different types of research and surveys for different NGOs, Government agencies, private business etc. Research and surveys helps in the determination to development of your company’s products and services, facilitate strategic development, improve profit margins, and help guide organizational change.  Our research and survey services we offer at AFRITAM include the following;

·       Qualitative studies;

It involves collecting and analyzing non-numerical data like ( text, video, or audio) to understand concepts, opinions, or experiences. It can be used to gather in-depth insights into a problem or generate new ideas for research.

·       Quantitative studies;

It’s a process of collecting and analyzing numerical data. It can be used to find patterns and averages, make predictions, test causal relationships, and generalize results to wider populations. 

·       Social research;

This research is based on logic and empirical observations. It’s a method that is used in discovering new facts or verifying old facts, their sequences, interrelationships, causal explanations, and the natural laws which govern them. 

·       Market research;

This is the process of determining the capability of a new service or product through research conducted directly with potential clients. Market research allows a company to discover the target market and get opinions and other feedback from consumers about their interest in the product or service. 

·       Data collection and surveys;

Data collection surveys are used to collect information from a targeted group of people about their opinions, behavior, or knowledge. 

·       Baseline studies;

The baseline study is an analysis of the current situation to identify the starting points for a program or project to the end of the project or a program.

Customer Relations Management

Customer relationship management is the combination of practices, strategies and technologies that companies use to manage and analyze customer interactions and data throughout the customer lifecycle. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is often perceived as a software system and is essential for companies with more complex operations. CRM services provide companies with a suite of tools to analyze customer trends and behaviors.

CRM services transform initiatives to increase sales, boost productivity, and improve customer service. It enables employees to create, assign, and manage requests made by customers, while reducing operational cost and increasing time-to-market.

What are The Benefits of Customer Relationship Management?

Here at AFRITAM our goal is to improve customer service relationships and offer them a foremost quality of expertise together with extensive experience of industry practices. Among others include the following;

1. Building up a contact management

2. Cross-team collaboration and communication

3. High level of productivity

4. Empowered sales management

5. Accurate sales forecasting

6. Reliable reporting and analytics

7. Upgraded sales metrics

8. Increased customer satisfaction and retention

9. Boosted marketing ROI

10. Enriched products and services

Here at AFRITAM our goal is to improve customer service relationships and offer them a foremost quality of expertise together with extensive experience of industry practices.

Monitoring and Evaluation Of Projects

Your Evaluation, Managed by our Experts. We offer:

• Mid-term (formative);
• Final (summative) evaluation types;
• Experimental;
• Quasi-experimental; and
• Non-experimental designs.

We offer high-quality and participatory evaluations using

• Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods approaches,
• Including the design, implementation, and analysis of instruments such as surveys, focus groups, and interviews.

We are experienced in a wide variety of evaluations:,

• Including Needs assessments;
• Process Evaluations;
• Outcome or Performance evaluations; and
• Impact evaluations.

We regularly undertake monitoring and evaluation of projects for a variety of clients from the community sector to public sector to private. Some of the tools and methods we draw on includes desk reviews, surveys, interviews, focus groups discussions, Telephone/online surveys, Hall Tests, observations and network mapping.

“AFRITAM, we support NGOs, FBOs, CBOs, Institutions, Associations and Governments to  Monitor and Evaluate their Projects, Programs and Performance”

Feasibility Studies & Project Development

A feasibility study is a practicality assessment for a proposed plan, product, project management tool, or new execution method.

The importance of a feasibility study is to establish whether or not a company, team, or organization will deliver on its promises in a satisfactory manner and a reasonable period of time.

This is one of the most important project management techniques you’ll want to learn from AFRITAM to save your organization’s time, money, and lots of headaches.

The final feasibility report is a part of the fifth step of your project management plan and is presented after you’ve made your initial business case to your stakeholders.

However, at FRITAM, we shall help your organisation to conduct a feasibility study through;

1.       preliminary analysis

2.       Creating a project scope outline

3.       Performing your market research

4.       Calculate the financial cost

5.       Review your research and present your findings to the project stakeholders

It is necessary to conduct a feasibility study, using models, to reduce the risk of failure. A feasibility study of the business model should be centered on the organization’s value creation processes. We shall help you conduct the feasibility study within the following categories;

1. Technical feasibility

·       Technical: Hardware and software

·       Existing or new technology

·       Manpower

·       Site analysis

·       Transportation

2. Financial feasibility

·       Initial investment

·       Resources to procure capital: Banks, investors, venture capitalists

·       Return on investment

3. Market feasibility

·       Type of industry

·       Prevailing market

·       Future market growth

·       Competitors and potential customers

·       Projection of sales

4. Organizational feasibility

·       The organizational structure of the business

·       Legal structure of the business or the specific project

Management team’s competency, professional skills, and experience