Kenyan dairy firm invests in IT upgrade

The implementation of an automated milk collection system will also involve the calibration of metered milk tankers. The move to upgrade its technology infrastructure is mainly to increase efficiency of data processing from the remote sites as well as boost security on the wide area network against system vulnerabilities such as packet sniffing, phishing, internet protocol spoofing among others.

Hulder Mwasela, the company's IT manager, says risks from outside the local area network are increasingly becoming viable and the information technology department must prepare itself for the eventuality. “We have set up virtual private networks for our regional branches, installed firewalls, an ISA server and an enterprise antivirus software with group policy enabled. We have also installed several mail filters to guard against virus attacks and spam mail.”

Since its establishment 11 years ago, the dairy has invested an estimated KSh24 million on information technology systems. Having an IT department familiar with the business process says Mwasela helps in making full utilization of the business ERP by suggesting ways of improvement as well as complimenting ways of improvement suggested by other departments. “Dealing with fast moving consumer goods, the effectiveness of IT to the dairy industry will also be noticed in the core operations of milk processing,” she says.

Currently, the system comprises seven servers, Cisco PIX 501 firewalls, Cisco switches, routers, outdoor radio units and other outsourced programs. The company became the country's first milk processor to install a biometric system. With over 500 employees working 20 shifts, the system ensures employee accountability moving from the manual time recordings.