Page 16 - EngineerIT August 2022 Digital

ICT INNOVATION

How innovation can drive

meaningful impact

The Aurum Institute is an African organisation that generates evidence for policy and translates
policy into practice to positively impact the health of communities globally.
As part of its ongoing digital transformation journey, it successfully launched a new data centre and

implemented Microsoft Dynamics 365, which has enabled it to automate more business processes
and consolidate technologies. This has streamlined the organisation to execute even more
efficiently against its strategic mandate.

he Aurum Institute is dedicated to researching, supporting and implementing
innovative, integrated approaches to global health. The institute partners with
Tgovernments, the private sector and civil society to design and deliver high quality
care and treatment to people in developing communities.
In a high paced world with diverse audiences and benefactors, Aurum Institute needs
on-the-pulse visibility of its processes and end-user interactions in order to best deliver
on its mandate of advancing health science and innovation and creating a healthier world
for future generations.
As part of the Aurum strategic directive and vision, and to achieve the most
efficient outcomes, Aurum elected to standardise on the Microsoft ecosystem and it
therefore made sense, after completing due diligence on a fit-for-purpose ERP solution
that Microsoft D365 came out on top. To undertake the implementation, Aurum
decided to partner with Altron Karabina because of their longstanding partnership and
understanding of the Aurum business. Pravesh Parbhoo
Altron Karabina exists to deliver innovation that matters to its partners. Through
partnering with customers, it has developed an understanding of the challenges inherent visibility on how the institute’s
in digital transformation journeys. It offers solutions including application infrastructure, operations function. “In addition to
data and analytics, artificial intelligence and modern workplace and business applications. this, the system which was deployed
In the case of Aurum, Altron Karabina embarked on a project to move from legacy improves traceability and auditability,”
systems to Microsoft cloud platforms. says Parbhoo.
The Aurum Insitute’s group chief financial officer, Arshad Hassim, says that the “Aurum’s business had evolved, and
implementation of Microsoft Dynamics 365 ERP enables Aurum to transform and they required a modern platform, where
automate its business processes and consolidate its technologies, thereby streamlining bringing together the front office and
the entire organisation. The process - while involving many moving parts - has resulted back office was required.”
in the ability to have a comprehensive and real-time view of all processes, which has a Arshad says that this phase is one
direct impact on efficiency and execution of key deliverables across the organisation. He leg in a long journey. “We plan to roll
adds that the first phase of the implementation was to build a solid foundation, with all out HR and build on a platform that
the necessary reinforcements, so that the institute could continue to enhance its systems will enable us to deliver on our digital
going forward in future phases. transformation journey, which in turn
Pravesh Parbhoo, head of business applications at Altron Karabina says: “The project will support our Aurum sub-partners, as
entailed a phased approach towards striving for a holistic Microsoft solution, not just well as the expansion of our African and
for their customer relationship management (CRM) but also their enterprise resource foreign entities.”
planning (ERP) and data warehouse.” He adds: “Beyond this, we have
He says the immediate benefit gained through the migration has been increased been able to reflect on gaps in our

EngineerIT | August 2022 | 14