Denis Opudo
Microsoft has launched one of its software apps on 8th December 2017 in Kenya. Kaizala is a mobile app that is developed for large group communication, work management, reporting and analytics integrated with Office 365. Kaizala gives businesses a chance to connect with a good number of people across their whole chain, on one platform on their mobile phone.
According to Sebuh Haileleul, Country General Manager for Microsoft East and Southern Africa, the app solves some challenges faced by many businesses in Africa who work on field staff remotely. Hard laborers like retail shop workers, those on construction sites, ones in manufacturing sites, and other industries don’t have the right workspace, email address or computers this gives a manager a hard task to collect and share information.
Kaizala, therefore, solves almost all these mess by making life easier and minimal time consuming for organizations to communicate, assign and monitor work at the right time, and offer report based on the collected data. The launch comes after a soft launch in February 2017 that gave the users a chance to review and give feedback on the service.
There was a partnership between Unilever, Microsoft’s 4Africa, and Kaizala teams to introduce the app in its Nairobi factory, utilizing the opportunity of going digital in their factories. Unilever’s best team experience that saw improved staff engagement levels and reporting makes it explore various uses of Kaizala in its extended supply chain as a tool for managing its workforce.
Kaizala not only serves as a communication app but it has other critical roles in enhancing agility, partnership, and organizational productivity. According to Rajiv Kumar, Corporate Vice President, Office Product Group, Microsoft, the launch helps to connect the complete chain, including the connected parts of the organizations from small businesses to large enterprises and government who want to connect with their people.
