Case Study

Adoption of Mifos as a Platform for Mobile Money at Kenya Entrepreneurship Empowerment Foundation (KEEF)

Learning lessons from the adoption of new technology
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This case study is one in a series that analyzes the cost benefits realized by deploying Mifos, an open-source software for microfinance, at four MFIs. It examines lessons learned by Kenya Entrepreneurship Empowerment Foundation (KEEF) through its implementation of Mifos.

KEEF became a Mifos consortium member in 2010. Grameen Foundations Mifos team helped KEEF optimize its current business processes and develop an IT strategy for the longer term. KEEF also engaged Grameen Foundations Mobile Financial Services team to help integrate Safaricom's M-PESA mobile payments service into KEEFs operations. The two efforts merged into a single project to develop and pilot a mobile money system as part of a larger IT strategy and process improvement. The projects reinforced Grameen Foundations evolving open-source hypothesis and helped KEEF and Grameen Foundation learn that:

  • Proper implementation of Mifos can bring considerable benefits;
  • Mobile money is a viable technology for serving microfinance clients in Kenya, if implemented properly.

The case study illustrates that success in technology implementation requires careful consideration of people, processes and the technology. It demonstrates that the fundamentals of business operations must be in place before automation and innovation can succeed.

About this Publication

By Valdez, M.
Published