1. Software Implementations:What have we learned? By Normand Arsenault

2. Successful software implementation • Technology is not the problem • Quality needs assessment • Building MIS around the needs

3. Step-by-step process • MFIs need to adhere the following process Participatory Needs Assessment Design of MIS Product Selection Implemen- tation Maintenance and Development

4. Participatory Needs Assessment Participatory Needs Assessment Design of MIS Product Selection Implemen- tation Maintenance and Development • Cause for most IT project failure • Knowing what you want • Identifying the real issue • Buy-in from the users

5. Design of MIS Design of MIS Participatory Needs Assessment Product Selection Implemen- tation Maintenance and Development • Different Languages • Discrepancies b/w Accounting and Loan Tracking systems • Integrated Software • IT support for “Integrated Software” – the misunderstanding

6. Product Selection Product Selection Participatory Needs Assessment Design of MIS Implemen- tation Maintenance and Development • The security Issue • Using open source software • Learning to walk before running • Trapped by technology • Developing a custom based solution

7. Implementation Implemen- tation Participatory Needs Assessment Design of MIS Product Selection Maintenance and Development • Strategy to implement the software • Problems with running systems in parallel • Training • Support from the software provider

8. Maintenance and Development Maintenance and Development Participatory Needs Assessment Design of MIS Product Selection Implemen- tation • Iteration of the whole process over

9. Conclusion • Information technology • Important for microfinance sector • But it need to be applied the right way • User centered design • Technology adapting the user rather than the other way • Otherwise it’s hard to get quality service

10. Discussion • Using off-the-shelf systems • The gap b/w the MF management and technologist? Narrowing the gap?

11. Discussion • “integrated software will not make up for the absence of staff with proper accounting skills.”

12. Rural Microfinance Service Delivery: Gaps, Inefficiencies and Emerging Solutions Tapan S. Parikh

13. Rural Microfinance • Microfinance is transitioning to a commercial and profitable business model • Must be efficient so that it will scale • Three major obstacles • Exchange of information with remote clients • Data management at the industrial level • Collection and delivery of money to rural areas

14. Rural Microfinance - Info. exchange • 12,000 staff for 3.2 million clients in 45,000 villages • Thousands of transactions captured and processed every week in a timely manner • Unpredictable growth • Massive amount of data to update and maintain

15. Rural Microfinance - Info. exchange • Several handheld-based solutions • All increased accuracy and saw increases in productivity and efficiency • Many discontinued pilot programs due to high software and hardware costs • Expensive and time-consuming process • Should we be using handhelds? • Is there another piece of technology that would be more appropriate?

16. Rural Microfinance - Data management • Visited eight MFIs • Six used VB and MS Access • One used custom PHP/MySQL software • One used only paper

17. Rural Microfinance - Data management • VB/Access • Easy to implement • Easy to learn • Does not scale well • No modularization of application • Leads to redesign and reimplementation • No industry standards • Need reports and information • Investors, donors, creditors…

18. Rural Microfinance Money transportation • Unsafe for loan officers to travel with large sums of money • Cash increases potential for fraud • Relying on regional banks • CASHPOR working with ICIC bank • 5% service fee for loans • Low-cost ATMs and POS devices

19. Discussion Questions • How would we design standards and systems that are general enough? • What types of systems will emerge? • What other parts of microfinance can technology help out with? • Comments?