Open Source Technology for Social Impact

Ever wondered about the types of technology used by organisations and communities in the social sector? Has the concept of open source made its way to the organisations that need it, allowing them to see the benefits of switching from proprietary tools? How can tech enthusiasts leverage their skills to foster collective action through open source for the betterment of the community? These are some of the points I'll be addressing.

In addition, I'll share our experiences at Tech4Good Community (T4GC) in working with nonprofits and and how less is big many situations we've encountered. As a nonprofit organisation who have been catering to the tech needs of the social sector for five years, I'll discuss why T4GC transitioned to open source champions and made this approach the core of all our engineering and research work.

I'll be presenting few case studies, one of which is highlighted below:

Case Study: IMAGO

Background

IMAGO, founded in 2014, focuses on gender equity and sustainable economic opportunities for local communities through a participatory and adaptive approach. Their Unnat Agri Enterprise Program empowers rural women (Unnat didis) by connecting them with agro-processing enterprises to enhance their income opportunities.

Challenge

They  faced significant challenges with manual data management, leading to inefficiencies and inaccuracies in tracking business operations. The need for a robust system to capture data related to purchases, production, sales, stock, inventory, and accounts was evident. Additionally, managing member-level data for the extensive network of Unnat didis was cumbersome and error-prone.

Intervention

To address these issues, T4GC  developed a customised Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system for IMAGO. This system provided the following capabilities:

• Operational Data Capture: Detailed tracking of purchase records, production volumes, sales data, and stock inventory.
• Member Information Management: Tracking demographic profiles and sales performance of Unnat didis.
• Financial Data Tracking: Incorporating all accounts-related data such as expenses, cash flow, and balance sheets.
• Data Visualization: Dashboards and report generation for a comprehensive view of operations.

Impact

Witnessing the benefits, IMAGO decided to deploy the ERP system across all 50 centres in Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh. The tech expansion began with an initial rollout in 3 centres and now covers all active centres. Key impacts include:

• Holistic View of Operations: Centralised dashboards provide real-time visibility into operations and performance metrics.
• Improved Operational Efficiency: Streamlined processes and better coordination among field staff.
• Enhanced Inventory Management: Accurate and timely tracking of stock and inventory.
• Financial Health Tracking: Improved management of financial data, leading to better decision-making.

There exists abundant potential that is yet to be realised here. Integrating open-source tools can enhance the operational efficiency of the nonprofit community.