Gateway Issue 16

www.gs1kenya.org

ISSUE 16 : August - October 2013

Traceability in Manufacturing

Deluxe Food Industries

Retail Management Solutions

RETRAK

Open Mind Entrepreneurship

Bhavesh JakhariyaDirector, Deluxe Food Industries

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Gateway is published by GS1 Kenya, it’s distributed through out East Africa. Contributions are highly welcome. The editor reserves the rights to edit, amend or

alter material in anyway deemed necessary. Comments and/or suggestions to be emailed to [email protected]

© 2013 Gateway all rights reserved, and may not be reproduced in any manner, in whole or in part at all times.

PROJECT LEADER : Dorothy KwambokaCONSULTING EDITOR : Munyiva MutukuDESIGN & LAYOUT : ovakast

EDITORIAL TEAM

GS1 Kenya

Allbid House, 2nd Flr, Wing C, Opp. ASL Packaging, Mombasa Road

Tel: +254 20-231 9414/238 5270, 232 1927 Cell: + 254 71 012 2252, 73 596 5168

Fax : + 254- 20 - 2353520 email: [email protected]

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Celebrating 40 yearsGeneral Manager's Message

Retail Management Solutions

RETRAK

Verification

Deluxe Industries

FAQ’s Barcodes

Membership

Open mind in Entrepreneurship

Omies Enterprises

GS1 Gateway August - October 2013ISSUE 16

Hello,

A new reality is becoming the basis of uncertainty and

volatility in the business environment. New paradigms

in global supply and demand chains are shaking

established business models and are focusing on all of

us to rethink on the approach of existing standards. Researchers

predict that the centre of gravity for consumers whose habits will

change the markets will shift inexorably towards the developing

world in general and due to the interdependencies, our region

will invariably be under focus.

There is a rise to seek knowledge and solutions on the Internet

resulting in digital consumers, whose habits will change from

the traditional business models and habits. The new consumers

will challenge consumer packaged goods, companies and

retailers in order to understand them more efficiently and exploit

technology to connect with them more often.

Dedicated as we are to the design and implementation of global

standards and solutions to improve efficiency and visibility of

supply and demand chains, it’s therefore critical to appreciate

how these forces will change the supply chains.

GS1 is fundamental especially through collaboration with all

the users. There are robust, user generated scalable standards

allowing companies in multiple sectors and industries save costs

therefore making GS1 system of standards the most widely used

supply chain standard in the world today.

Our plan going forward as outlined in the Strategic plan is to

increase the value of our system of standards so that our users

are ready to meet the challenges of the future.

We will count on the support of all members as well as

collaborators to ensure that GS1 Standards improve the lives

of humanity within and without the country. Our business

model should be based on a win-win situation and continuous

improvements on supply chain with the aim of lowering overall

supply chain costs.

I feel humbled and honored to chair an organization whose daily

focus has such enormous potential impact on the improvement

of everyday lives of our people I thank you all for the support you

have given us as an organization and look forward to even more

support in the future.

Mr. Sospeter Kioko Chairman, GS1 Kenya Board

Message From The ChairmanG

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General Manager’s Message

For over 40 years, GS1 has been bringing

industries together to revolutionize the way

they do business.

As our fellow member organizations celebrate the 40th

anniversary of the use of GS1 bar codes, GS1 Kenya joins

the other GS1 global member organizations in celebrating

one of the most widely used standards for identifying and

tracking goods and services.

You will ask me, why at 40? Whenever I make my routine

visits to manufacturers in this country, they always link

me to a debt collector. “He has come to collect the annual

license fees again”, a whisper goes. I rarely get challenged

by clients who keep the supply chain going. In fact, most

of them do not even know how a bar code is composed.

One day, one of my simple down to earth client asked

me to explain the history of these dark bars on a light

background and the importance of having these GS1 bar

codes on to their product. So I promised to explain this in

our next issue of the Gateway magazine.

Once upon a time on 26th June 1974, to be more precise

at exactly 08.01a.m., it came to pass that

a packet of Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit

chewing gum was scanned

and a beep was heard.

This took place in Marsh

supermarket in Ohio, USA.

The shopper was Clyde Dawson

and the cashier who made that first

scan was Sharon Buchanan. That was how

a bar code came in place.

OODDDHHHIIIAAMMMBBOO

EFFICIENCY SAFETY COLLABORATION SUSTAINABILITY

e to pass that

Fruit

wson

that first

. That was how

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General Manager’s Message

However in

1976, based on

the original GS1

barcodes, a 13

digit bar code

was engineered

allowing the identification system to go global. The

UK had to wait until 1978, when the first product

scanned was a box of Melrose teabags. Today that

beep sounds five billion times a day.

In Kenya, we were endorsed as a Member

Organization in 1999. All companies in this region

had to get their bar codes from GS1 South Africa

who started using the standards in 1982.

Early this year (2013), we did a sample telephone

call to companies operating in Kenya and the idea

was to find out how many users fully understand

the real uses and importance of this very important

standard. The result was amazing and I will reveal

this in the coming issue.

The GS1 bar code briefly has measurable benefits

such as higher invoice accuracy for manufactures,

fewer out-of-stock for retailers, shorter lead

time for warehouse operators and lower cost for

distribution centers.

Different types of barcodes has since then been

introduced such as the outer case bar code (GS1

ITF 14) in 1989. This

type of bar code is

mostly used on the

outer cases such as

cartons.

Then came the introduction of GS1 128 for

logistics units, these bar codes include application

identifiers, which encode a more detailed product

information such as batch number. Lot number,

date of manufacturer/expiry etc.

With the world global focus into new ways towards

a more safety and secure way of living and getting

even better services, GS1 has not been left behind.

We have a traceability system in place that uses the

track and trace process, better and secure ways of

administering in healthcare such as the Barcode

at the point of care (BPOC) using GS1 standards,

these and many others have slightly improved our

lives. Today, you can track and trace your product

and services using the GS1 standards.

To summarize, The GS1 System of Standards

enables visibility to identify, capture and share

information about products, business locations,

and more make it possible for companies to speak

the same language, connect with each other and

move their business forward.

On behalf of the board of directors and the entire GS1 Kenya staff wish to thank all the Kenya companies, especially the first 40 companies that have supported the presence of GS1 Standards here in Kenya since 1999. We owe it to you. Don’t miss the next issue where we will officially publish the first 40 companies to implement these standards in Kenya.

Asanteni sana.

years

celebratingthe barcode story

IDENTIFY CAPTURE SHARE

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Retail Solution

Recent human studies indicate that 61 per cent of Kenya’s top executives are

outsourcing business functions and using up to 46 per cent more temporary

or contractual staff. On the other hand, for some time, the outsourcing

concept has predominantly been applied in the information technology (IT)

field and in areas such as security and cleaning. Today, the concept continues

to gain a footing in other sectors as some employers seek to outsource their

recruitment and human resource function. Gateway Magazine caught up

with Ms. Hasina Ismail, the Country Manager at Retail Management Solutions

(RMS) as she delves into the general employee outsourcing concept from

the company’s viewpoint.

How do you define outsourcing as?

Outsourcing is the contracting out of an internal business process to a

third party organization. The practice of contracting a business process out

to a third party rather than staffing it internally is common in the modern

economy. Outsourcing sometimes involves transferring employees and

assets from one firm to another but not always.

Briefly tell us about RMS?

RMS is a new business opening since we have realized that employers are

finding it difficult to manage casuals. Generally, more and more companies

are considering the option of outsourcing their casuals to HR firms who

will handle recruitment, payrolls, staff benefits, industrial relations and

government regulations as per the new laws.

At RMS we deal with supplying and outsourcing of general labor. At the

moment, our concentration is the retailers/supermarkets where we want

to ensure that they have the right staff for general functions such as the

security, shelf packers/pickers, lorry loaders, customer service agents, queue

management agents, packers, trolley agents and chefs. RMS will interview

and train them in readiness for the assignments.

The concept has already been piloted at some retail shops.

Who else can seek the services of RMS?

Anywhere where labor is needed; there are different sectors that could

employ the services of RMS. These include the pharmaceutical, clothing and

the general manufacturing industry.

In cases where a company has been using casuals and your services are

enlisted (at times throwing the casuals into some confusion)

Ms. Hasina Ismail, RMS Country Manager

Retail Management SolutionsAs businesses stretch to find solutions to increase revenue reduce expenses and enhance

profitability, outsourcing continues to be one of the options available. Those charged with

analyzing the benefits vs. the costs of such an undertaking face the challenge of conduct-

ing research, remaining objective and finding the best business solution.

The survival and success of any business is dependent on 3 main factors:

1. Manpower

2. Sales and

3. The Managing of Risk and Losses (Shrinkage)

Retail Management Solutions is a company that offers staffing solutions to all industries

that have a general labor staff function within their organizational structure. Partnering

with RMS assures that the general manpower is attended to in its entirety. This now allows

you more leverage and concentration to increased sales and managing of risk and losses

areas of your business. Further to this; you are now rendered more competitive in your

industry as you will be in the position to channel your resources in increasing sales and

reducing losses than your competitors.

As an option, outsourcing often calls into focus the cost/benefit of such an undertaking.

Before undertaking such an analysis, however, it’s critical to understand the underlying

reasons that outsourcing is under consideration. Is it to reduce costs? Improve processes?

Allow HR to focus on more strategic issues? Being able to objectively answer these ques-

tions is a good start into the journey of outsourcing.

The following list indicates the most common reasons cited.

These objectives suggest a transformation thought process with regards to outsourcing,

however in many cases only transactional activities are eliminated.

At Retail Management Solutions, we place all emphasis on the critical areas by means of

industry skilled knowledge and skilled project managers that stay with the project through

its life cycle helping our clients realize more benefits and also continuously and consist-

ently adapting the relationship where necessary or as external factors change.

what happens?

At such situations, the ongoing casuals should be guaranteed of their job

security. RMS will sign a service level agreement with the relevant Authority

to ensure that the terms and conditions of the contract are as required by all

the parties. It is important to note that RMS will abide by the general labour

laws that govern employment in Kenya.

In addition, RMS is working closely with an Advocate of the High Court who

is well versed with human resource, labor and union issues.

RMS services are able to benefit all company sizes, from one employee to

over 500. Ms. Hasina says the company will help businesses lower costs/

risks and protect them from the increasing number of employment rules

and regulations that all companies need to abide by. If you are looking or

planning to outsource in Kenya look no further that RMS. “Outsourcing

will you to offload work that in not part of your core business. It also saves

money,” she adds.

Retail Management Solutions Your Labour Solution

Business and trade associations are mutual assistance

organizations formed for the purpose of promoting growth

and progress in their particular industries by providing a

central information source about the industry and its issues,

establishing best practices guidelines, lobbying with local and state

government, and promoting the image of the industry through

licensing, membership standards and public service advertising.

Associations differ from one to another depending on the objectives

and purpose they are established for and the benefits their members or

stakeholders acquire from them. Most business and trade associations

are not-for-profit corporations; formed as informal clubs and do not

collect money.

One of the newly registered associations is Retail Traders Association

of Kenya (RETRAK) which seeks to fill in on some of the existing gaps

and address the wholesale and retail sector challenges through one

common platform. Bobby Gadhia, the Chairman of RETRAK explains

that the association is the sector’s central body representative

comprising of various stakeholders. “RETRAK is the sector’s advocate

and seeks solutions for the numerous issues within and out of the

sector,” he explains. Its objectives are;

To be a central representative body putting views of retail

trade companies to Government departments and agencies,

Parliament and other relevant organizations.

To be a research and policy analysis center, aggregate and

publish statistics, and to provide analysis on retail trade and

other relevant market information.

To be a technical center providing commentary, guidance

and advice on all legal and other regulatory developments of

relevance to the retail trade sector.

To provide a forum for the exchange of non-competitive

information by articulating retail trade concerns.

Mr. Gadhia says RETRAK is planning to roll out a massive recruitment

drive. Already the association has attracted membership from the

supermarkets’ fraternity as it further seeks to recruit more members;

those operating and employed in shops and supermarkets, those

in telecommunication and electronic consumer goods’ businesses,

airtime dealers as well as those in the clothing and other related

accessories but not only limited to these.

One of its recent notable activity was the ‘Chomoa Coins’ campaign.

Towards the end of November 2012, the Central Bank of Kenya

partnered with key stakeholders such as the Kenya Bankers Association

(KBA) and RETRAK among others, to promote the re-circulation and use

of coins.

Formed in 2012 spearheaded by GfK Retail and Technology East Africa,

a Nairobi based research company, Mr. Gadhia reveals that RETRAK is

RETRAK

also seeking to tackle the controversial plastic paper

research by the National Environment Managemen

(NEMA), the United Nations Environment Programme

the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analy

indicates that 100 million plastic bags are handed out

Kenya by supermarkets alone, the vast majority dest

up in the environment, clogging sewers and drains, p

posing a danger to marine life and causing death to live

inadvertently consumed. The report further suggested

bans the common plastic bag that one gets at the till

levy on other plastic bags, to combat the country's en

problems stemming from the bags' popularity.

In 2007, the government banned the use of very thin

(up to 0.06 millimeters thick) commonly used by gro

Controversy aside, RETRAK is seeking ways to put an en

through a drastic approach. “The association through i

is consulting on how to handle the issue as we seek to

re-cycling and re-using among consumers,” Mr. Gadhia

Pilferage or stock shrinkage is another issue that RETRA

The Retailers’ Association Business And Trade Associations

Bobby GadhiaChairman, RETRAK

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“According to industry insiders,

with the formal retail trade market

estimated to be worth more than

KShs. 200 billion, it could well be

losing more than KShs. 3 billion

annually to shoplifters among other

shrinkage avenues.”

working to reduce. According to industry insiders, with the

formal retail trade market estimated to be worth more than

KShs. 200 billion, it could well be losing more than KShs. 3

billion annually to shoplifters among other shrinkage avenues.

Beyond surveillance systems, retailers are of the opinion that

there is need to review existing laws to make them more

punitive both for shoplifters and employees tried under theft

by servant clauses.

“We want to lobby the government to pass punitive laws to

discourage shoplifting,” he reveals. At the same time, RETRAK

seeks to pass a motion that will see members share their

employees’ database aimed at discouraging ‘recycling’ of

employees blacklisted with vices such as shoplifting.

RETRAK is also seeking to address a brewing row between

retailers, the Kenya Copyright Board and Music Copyright

Society of Kenya with regards to playing music as well as

collection of royalties.

With all formal systems is place, Mr. Gadhia notes that RETRAK is

geared to work for the betterment of the retail sector.

RETRAK’s executive committee is comprised of Mr. Bobby

Gadhia of PC World (Chairman), Mr. Anil Dhingra of Ukwala

Supermarkets (Vice Chair), Mr. Sameer Shah of Nakumatt

Holdings (Treasurer), Mr. John Wanjohi of Hippora Business

Solutions (Ass. Treasurer), Mr. John Muthee of GfK (Secretary),

Mr. Willy Kimani of Naivas Supermarkets and Ms. Hasina

Ismail of Hippora/ Retail Management Solutions handing the

association’s public relations issues and Mr. Madhav Bhalla of

Taibjee & Bhalla Advocates as the Legal Officer.

Retail Association

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The Ideal Colour Combination is Black Bars on White Background

Other Suitable Colour Combinations:

Dark Bars : Blue / Green / Purple

Light Bars : Red / Orange / Yellow

COMING SOON

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VerificationBy: Paschal Kasimu,IT / Verification Executive

A barcodes primary function is that of carrying data from

the point at which it is originated to the point at which

the data has to be captured. So a barcode is a vital link

in the data communication chain of any application. If it

fails, the chain breaks.

A barcode which does not scan often causes more problems to

trading partners than no symbol at all. Verification of barcodes

is, therefore a useful tool to add to quality control procedures in

order to ensure that the barcodes will scan correctly throughout

the supply chain.

Verification aims to check that the symbol is able to fulfil its

function, by performing two principal tasks:

Enabling the symbol producer to measure his output and to apply

feedback in order to control his process; Predicting the scanning

performance likely to be achieved by a symbol

What Is A Verifier?

A verifier is a precision instrument that is made to predict how

well the bar code will be read by the typical scanner, any bar code

scanner. It should decode, measure and check formatting of even

the most inferior symbol and indicate areas that are deficient so

that corrective action may take place. Barcode Verification is the

most certain way to ensure that you are printing good barcodes.

In today´s world we cannot find a single product without a

barcode associated with it. Bar Codes are the least expensive and

reliable way of entering data. Barcode Verification is the best way

to ensure 100% scannability.

Verification should be done to ensure that any faulty bar codes

do not enter the system to avoid faulty scanning. If a bar code

does not scan at all then the data has to be entered manually

thus increasing the risk of making mistakes and amount of time

taken which may cause bottlenecks or may even stop critical

applications.

Verification aims to check that the symbol is able to fulfil its function

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Technical

You therefore need to bring samples for every run of

packing material to GS1 Kenya for verification and also

note that we have designed special yearly rates for

verification.

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The GS1 Standards are able to bring success to your business by delivering the right solution to overcome business challenges by;

Improving Supply Chain EfficiencyEnsuring Product Security and Consumer SafetyEnabling Sustainable Supply Chain

Automating business and saving on costs: GS1 uses Electronic Data Interchange (eCom) to provide global standards for electronic business messaging which allow rapid, efficient and accurate automatic electronic transmission of agreed business data between trading partners. Business which employ eCom are able to automate transaction processes such as orders, dispatches, shipping , receiving, invoicing thus improving speed and accuracy in the exchange of information and eliminating costly errors and duplication.

Increasing customer satisfaction through better inventory management: GS1 Standards help in providing better accurate inventory views, ensuring reduction in inventory all along the value chain, as well as on-time delivery and increasing product availability at the point of sales.

Reducing costly shrinkage: GS1 DataBar symbols can carry more information and identify small items than the current EAN/UPC allowing companies to track produce, manage sell-by-date and reduce food spoilage creating solutions to support product authentication and traceability for fresh food products and couponing.

Saving further costs by improving the quality of the data shared: The GS1 Global Data Synchronization Network provides a single and reliable source to upload and share product attribute information, thus contribute to the elimination of errors and facilitate the process of data exchange.

Improving consumer confidence by tracking and tracing the origin of raw materials and fresh produce: GS1 Standards allow companies to follow-up on their products throughout the value chain, in particular through the process described by the Global Traceability Standard.

Ensuring secure recalls of defective products or unsafe food by using GS1 Standards to identify products and exchange recall notification between trading partners.

Reducing carbon footprint and wasted resources in the supply chain: GS1 Standards allow the reduction of inefficiencies in multiple areas; paper trails in orders/deliveries/invoices’ processes, unnecessary returns due to miscommunication between partners or discrepancies in data, food spoilage.

Lastly, Barcodes lead to an annual saving of 5.64 percent of retail revenue. These savings are related to the reduction in time at the checkout, fewer errors, better use of the cashier operators’ time, the increased in sales due to better customer service, better tracking of stocks and store flows and the reduction of unknown markdowns.

Barcodes in Business

How GS1 Standards could lead to Success in Business

PRICE COMPUTING SCALES

LABEL PRINTING SCALES

RECEIPT PRINTING SCALES

HEAVYDUTY RECEIVING PLATFORM SCALES

POS CONNECTING SCALES

BARCODING LABELING SCALES

Supply scales to the Retail industry including Barcoding

ELECTRONIC SCALES & WEIGHING SYSTEMSFOR INDUSTRY, AGRICULTURE, MEDICINE AND COMMERCE

Tel: +254 703 55 77 64, 0733 55 77 64email: [email protected]

“Accuracy, quality & service”

WEIGHING SOLUTIONS

Weighing solutions at: Engineering Development Ltd

As a world food, potatoes are second in human

consumption after rice. In Kenya, potato ranks as the

second most important food crop after maize. Various

published research, the potato crop is the second

most important staple crop in the country boasting a national

farm-gate value of over KShs. 5 billion and a retail value of KShs.

10 billion. This sub-sector employs over 2.5 million Kenyans

as farmers, market agents, transporters, food industry, agro-

businesses, and sellers of finished food products.

Furthermore, the statistics indicate that 73.9 percent consume

potato crisps on average once a week. Other than gender, the

frequency of purchasing crisps is also influenced by factors such

as occasions, seasons and availability of money. The crisps come

in various flavors-plain, barbecue as well as cheese and onion.

On the other hand, many a Kenyan; those of the Indian descent

and the general lovers of snacks are familiar with chevdo or

chevra; also referred to as Bombay Mix in the United Kingdom

and Ireland. Chevra often consists of waste potato pieces, fried

lentils, peanuts, chickpea flour noodles, corn, vegetable oil, flaked

rice and fried onion with some sugar sprinkled in or flavored

with salt and a blend of spices that may include coriander and

mustard seed. This traditional Indian food can be eaten as part

of a meal; as a standalone snack, though, it is usually consumed

with the hands

These are just some of the products that Deluxe Food

Industries Limited has been processing and packaging over

the last two decades.

Tucked off the busy Enterprise Road in Nairobi’s Industrial Area,

Deluxe Food Industries continues to wade off the ever rising

market competition to remain relevant in a market saturated

with both informal and formal food processors. “There are

over 20 crisps brands in the market but Yankee Doodle has

remained strong and is still doing well in the market,” explains

Bhavesh Jakhariya, one of the company’s directors.

Other than crisps and chevda, the company processes

and packs groundnuts/peanuts, Ghathiya/Ghatia; crunchy

and spicy deep fried strands made from gram flour dough,

popcorns and cashew-nuts. The company also packs various

culinary spices. The use of packed spices has over time

increased as a result of modern households evolving to

appreciate the value added to cooked food through spices

and herbs. Kenyan dishes use a variety of spices such as chilies,

garlic, ginger, cloves, pepper and turmeric. Mr. Jakhariya notes

that all the spices and seasonings packed in 50 and 100 grams

bottles and pouches are aimed at a wide cross-section of

consumers who prefer fresh, natural, hygienically prepared

quality spices sourced from well-known and reputed regions

of the world.

Deluxe Food IndustriesDeluxe Food Industries continues to wade off the ever rising market competition to re-

main relevant in a market saturated with both informal and formal food processors

Cover Story

Bhavesh Jakhariya Director

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Deluxe Food Industries has further diversified into the packing

of grains such as green grams, black beans, beans as well as

raw groundnuts pop-corn. “Every day we are able to pack up

to to 500 kilograms of crisps, groundnuts and cashew nuts. Our

factory has a capacity of processing and packing up to three

tones daily,” he explains. Business as Usual

Deluxe Food Industries has defied all odds to remain focused

on its business. Mr. Jakhariya is quick to point that the myriad

business challenges that entrepreneurs face have not pinned

them down whatsoever. “Issues such as security and other

operating challenges remain just ‘challenges’ and we have no

control over them,” he adds

To keep up with the market demand, the company has invested

in what he terms as a laminated polythene bag which ensures

freshness of the products. At the same time, Deluxe Food

Industries has entered into various contracts with farmers to

ensure that they always have a rich supply of the raw materials.

“We are also KEBS (Kenya Bureau of Standards) certified with

regards to the quality and hygiene of our products,” he adds.

Mr. Jakhariya notes that the Yankee Doodle brand is among

the few products whose presence is in the upcountry towns

boasting of up to 60 percent of the market share. This, he says has

been made possible thanks to investing in a reliable transport

and distribution system as well as salesmen. In addition, the use

of barcodes on their products has made it easy for supermarkets

where the products are present to scan accurately. The Yankee

Doodle brand of products are available in all leading local retail

chain of supermarkets; Nakumatt, Tuskys, Uchumi, Naivas and

Ukwala.

Recent long-term studies have linked potato chips/crisps as

the greatest contributor to weight gain while the starch in

potato chips is known to cause tooth decay. Some potato chip

companies have responded to the criticism by investing in

research and development to modify existing recipes and create

health-conscious products. Mr. Jakhariya says the opportunity

to diversify into arrow roots, cassava and banana crisps will be

dependent on the demand from consumers.

Otherrr thann crisppps anddd cheeevdaaa, theee coompaaany proceeesses and ppacksss grouuundnnnutsss/peaaanuttts, Ghathhhiya/GGGhatiaaa; cruunchy anddd spiiicy dddeeppp

popccoorns aaand cccasheeww-nutts. TTThe ccommmpannny also pppacksss variooous cuulinarrry spppicesss.

Mr. Bhavesh displaying his products

Mr. Bhavesh at the factory with his staff Mr. Bhavesh at the factory warehouse located in Industrial Area, Nairobi.15

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Global Standards could be a critical enable to improving the

safety and quality of patient care in a cost effective way. The

analysis shows that these standards have greater potential

to improve care and save resources if they are truly global

and adopted by all stakeholders. Including manufacturers, distributors,

wholesalers, pharmacies and providers.

Universally accepted methods for identifying products and locations

and exchanging data could enable organizations to share vital

information along the entire value chain, eliminating today’s broad

array of custom data configurations, while improving compatibility and

interoperability, reducing redundancy, preventing mediation errors,

enhancing visibility, and enabling seamless, automated information

exchange among supply chain partners.

The “five Rights” are the cornerstone of safe medication practices. A

complete and uniform definition for the “five Rights” does not exist, but

healthcare practitioners generally understand the essential meaning

in the following way:

1. Right Patient: The patient’s identity must be verified against

the prescription to ensure the right patient is receiving treatment

2. Right Medication : The provider must verify the right medication

is used

3. Right Dose: The right dose should be confirmed against the

prescription

4. Right time: Medications should be given at the right time and

5. Right Route: Medications that can be given in the different ways,

such as intramuscularly or intravenously, must be given via the

right route

Global Standards could enable industry-wide applications and

processed that support the five rights, improving patient safety and

supply chain efficiency:

scan barcodes on medications, patient wristbands, and their staff ID

badges to conduct an automated five rights checks. This simple process

could eliminate thousands of errors and help prvent the sue of expired

and recalled medication and medical devices.

at mediation dispensing points and operating rooms could use unique

identifiers. Pharmacists, operating room staff, and caregivers could record

the production identifiers associated with medications and medical

devices administered to each patient. In the event of a recall, providers

could promptly identify and contact each patient who received the

product and remove every recalled product from inventory.

barcodes to track medical devices through the supply chain according

to their risk category, and for the appropriate class of products, full

traceability of medical devices could further enhance the processing of

recalls and facilitate inventory management.

hospitals could use barcodes to track and validate all medications against

data from manufacturers and potentially other supply chains points,

making it significantly more difficult for counterfeit and compromised

products to each patients.

and manufacturers could seamlessly exchange medical device or

medication usage, location and product availability information.

Inventory planning and forecasting programs could analyze the data

to optimize inventory levels, improve medication and medical device

availability across the supply chain, and ensure that medical products are

available at critical moments of treatment.

eliminating most of today’s manual data entry, validation and correction,

medication and medical device administration could be captured

through barcode scanning and automatically fed into logistics , billing

and procurement systems that connect all stakeholders, including

payors and registries.

Global Standards Could Help Save Thousands Of Lives And Billions Of Ksh. Each Year

Healthcare

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With GS1 we shall provide a single traceability

process for trade items using the GS1 system

standards that will meet compliance needs.

The intention is to create a framework that is

expected to be used by any business in any industry sector.

We shall issue a process standard describing the traceability

process independent from the choice of enabling

technologies. Our implementation guidelines will take

into consideration the scope and traceable item hierarchy

specific to the business needs.

The GS1 standards to be used will be the GTIN, SSCC,

GLN and GS1-128. Why this standards?- because they will

enable unique identification of a traceable item, describe

the establishment of appropriate and effective records of

events and provides for accurate communication about

the traceable item between trading partners. With this we

shall be able to track forward and trace back at any point

along the full supply chain no matter how many trading or

traceability partners and business process steps are involved.

Why us?

Be it for quality management, inventory management,

safety or regulatory reasons, organizations require

traceability solutions all along the supply chain. Using the

GS1 Global Traceability Standards it enables interoperability

between traceability systems across the supply chain

while accommodating specific business, industry sector or

regulatory requirements.

Target audience

Our target audience is traceability in the food industry,

healthcare and transport and logistics.

In a world where consumers are becoming more insightful,

organizations are under more pressure to innovate and

address the increasing demand from consumers and

legislators. There is a need for traceability and GS1 has the

standards to implement the traceability process regardless

of industry or business process.

Traceability is a system of tracing back and tracing forward the movement of goods, services or business

processes all along the supply chain. There is need for consistent traceability solutions spanning the full

supply chain regardless of industry sector or country.

GS1 and Traceability

Traceability

By: Corazon BarazaTraceability & Training Executive

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Most fish are low in fat and

cholesterol and a good

source of protein, making

them a good choice for a

healthy diet. In addition, fish is a good

source of Vitamin B, able to convert

food to energy in cells and also help to

build healthy nerve tissue.

At the Lake Victoria region, the fisheries

industry continues to play a very

important role in terms of employment

and nutrition. Here, among the most

important commercial fish species

is Rastrinobola argentea; Luo for

Omena-a type of a fish many a Kenyan

will easily identify.

Omena is a small 2-inch silvery, sardine-

like fish usually sold dried. Omena

plays a significant role in the livelihood

of more than four (4) million people

in terms of employment, income

and nutritional needs – making it an

important contributor to the regional

lakeside economies and lifestyles.

According to the Kenyan Ministry of

Fisheries Development, the value of

the Omena fishing industry in East

Africa is a whopping US$ 200 million

when both the local and export sales

values are considered.

Omena, though a common delicacy

among the Luo community, the

culture of serving this fish continues

to spread to the urban centers due

to its food value. When cooked

properly, Omena makes a very great

accompaniment for Ugali while

served with some vegetables leaving

one licking their fingers after the

meal. Ugali, also sometimes called

Sima in Swahili is a dish of maize flour

(cornmeal) cooked with water to a

porridge- or dough-like consistency.

It is the most common staple starch

featured in the local cuisines of the

Eastern African Great Lakes region and

Southern Africa.

Anita Kilunda is one such entrepreneur

whose livelihood depends on the

Omena trade. While many of the

entrepreneurs have ventured in the

trading of sun-dried ready to cook

Omena, Mrs. Kilunda has opted for

At the Lake Victoria region, the fisheries industry continues to play a very important role in terms of employment

and nutrition. Here, among the most important commercial fish species is Rastrinobola argentea; Luo for

Omena-a type of a fish many a Kenyan will easily identify.

deep fried Omena under her company

Omies Enterprises.

“Initially, my sister (Sheila Oyugi) was trading

in deep fried Omena on a casual and

informal which was indeed very unique,”

she explains. With her eyes cast on making

this a lucrative venture, Mrs. Kilunda quit

formal employment, teamed up with Ms.

Oyugi and registered Omies Enterprises in

February 2012, went ahead to obtain the

all-important Health and Safety Certification

required by anyone trading in foodstuff.

“We also got the Kenya Bureau of Standards

(KEBS) Standardization Mark, a mandatory

product certification scheme for locally

manufactured products provided for under

section 10 of the Standards Act Cap 496,

Laws of Kenya as well as a Barcode from

GS1 Kenya, another vital requirement for

anyone wishing to have his goods at the

supermarket level,” she explains.

Since then, Omies Enterprises has not

turned back. Mrs. Kilunda explains that

Omena is said to boost immunity among those

suffering from various chronic illnesses and is

also a source of Calcium for the formation of

bones and teeth especially for toddlers

Small FishBig Business

Entrepreneurship

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unlike sun-dried Omena which do not require thorough

cleaning, a detailed process of cleaning the fish before

they deep-frying is key. “Even before undergoing the

latter processes; cleaning and deep frying, the Omena

is also dried for about 20 minutes once from the Lake,”

she adds. Afterwards, only liquid cooking oil is used and

later on the product is ready for transportation to Nairobi

where packaging and distribution is done.

Currently the deep-fried Omena is sold in packets of 150

and 300 grams. Mrs. Kilunda is categorical that this type of

pre-cooked product is not only unique but also gaining

momentum. Generally, pre-cooked packaged foods are

not new at the retail stores. Today, entrepreneurs have

ventured in areas that make it easy for many a Kenyan

who do not need or want to avoid the hassles that come

with meals’ preparation. On the supermarket shelves but

under refrigeration, one can find pre-cooked Chapatti,

Peas, Beans and Maize as well as a combination of Beans

and Maize popularly known as Githeri.

With an 8-months shelf life, Mrs. Kilunda notes that the

deep fried Omena is easy to prepare. One can enjoy

them as they are or add some ingredients to make them

tastier. This includes further frying them in some Onions

and Tomatoes. The product is currently available in the

various local retail stores mainly located within the city’s

residential areas. Omies Enterprises seeks to penetrate

into the larger retail stores based on the substantial traffic

they boast of. She notes that the smaller retail stores have

in a way contributed to the popularity of the product.

“We are also able to do deliveries to clients not within

reach of the product,” she says.

Generally, the dried Omena product has various

advantages over other fish species because of its long

shelf life, divisibility into smaller portions (making it

affordable) and its high nutritive value. Omena is said

to boost immunity among those suffering from various

chronic illnesses and is also a source of Calcium for the

formation of bones and teeth especially for toddlers

Challenges

Mrs. Kilunda notes that while getting into the Omena

business requires a relatively lower start-up capital

compared to all other Lake commercial species Omies

Enterprises is faced with the daunting task of marketing

its product to a more potential clientele. “Omena’s nutritive

value speaks for itself but we still have to convince

the doubting Thomases,” she adds. Secondly, the ever

fluctuating prices of cooking oil as well as transport costs

coupled with delays in the arrival of the product from the

Lake-side further pose major challenges to the business.

The company is seeking to increase the popularity of the

product not only through retail stores but also in areas such

as hospitals which she admits requires a lot of nutritional

education.

That aside, Omies is also in the process of setting up a

physical office as well as acquire a sizeable store which

could minimize the back and forth transportation of

Omena from Kisumu to Nairobi as demand continues to

rise.

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9

6

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6 Members networking during the cocktail

7 Members dancing during the cocktail

8 Members networking during the cocktail

9 Kayamba fiesta group entertaining members during the cocktail

10 Members dancing during the cocktail

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FAQs

What is a bar code?A bar code (also barcode) is a machine-readable representation of

information in a visual format on a surface.

Originally Bar Codes stored data in the widths and spacing’s of

printed parallel lines, but today they also come in patterns of dots,

concentric circles, and hidden within images. Bar codes can be read

by optical scanners called barcode readers or scanned from an image

by special software.

Bar codes are widely used to implement Automatic Identification &

Data capture (AIDC) systems that improve the speed and accuracy of

computer data entry.

What is the GS1 bar code commonly used for trade item

The EAN-13 is the most widely used for trade item identification.

The encoded barcode is composed of:

– Issued by the GS1 Kenya to a user company

Item Reference – each item will receive a different item reference, ,

according to the variations of model, colour, size, fragrance, weight,

presentation, etc

Check Digit – Ensuring the integrity of the number, it is calculated

according to the GS1 Check Digit Algorithm.

FAQs for Bar CodesAnswers to your most common questions

Are all Barcodes Unique numbers?Yes. All Barcodes are unique.

Are the description and price of the item included in the barcodes?Generally no. the barcode represents the number that simply

identifies the item uniquely. All the information about a product

is held in a computer database. By scanning the barcode, this

information (also description and price) may be retrieved from

the database.

Becoming a GS1 member and obtaining a GS1

When you need a bar code number, you must contact a GS1

kenya for (log in: HYPERLINK “http://www.gs1kenya.org” www.

gs1kenya.org).after subscription, we will provide you with a GS1

Company prefix and a list of barcodes for the products to be

barcoded.

Can the GS1 System be used to support internal applications?The main benefit of the GS1 System for trade items is that it

provides a unique and unambiguous identification number

for every trade item, which is applicable worldwide in open

environments. In addition, the system provides for other number

series that may be exclusively used for restricted distribution e.g.

Company internal use, National use

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3 Magazines Annual Reports Catalogues Newsletters Flyers Brochures Posters Wall, Table and Shipping calendars Note Pads Desk Diaries Book printing Labels.

For high quality and maximum efficiency in all kinds of commercial printing...

Our second and third Impressions are as good as the fi rst

Colourprint Ltd.

Year after Year“Producing New Impressions of Excellence”

[email protected] | www.colourprint.co.ke

P. O. Box 44466 - 00100 - GPO, Nairobi, Kenya. Tel: 2101740 / 2101741 / 2101742

Inventory

Barcodes are (everything in business) the ubiquitous

business standards used, (with GS1 barcodes as the world’s

most familiar business standard) for the visual capture of

information at retail point of sale and in business, and other

supply chains. Barcodes are used regularly by consumers when

scanning items at supermarket checkouts. But the barcode is far

more than this. GS1 barcodes and related standards have become

indispensable tools for the management of global supply chains,

providing previously unimagined transparency about the location

and progress of goods and materials. It plays an essential role in the

safe and effective delivery goods and services.

GS1 Kenya has been conducting physical survey on trading

techniques and proofed that, GS1 bar codes’ economic benefits

to businesses are so immense that it is necessary to be as a major

requirement to any retailer / trader who wish to succeed and rise to

a higher level in trading cycles. Inventory costs can be a significant

part of any company’s expenditures, but many business owners

struggle to discover how to get control of inventory in a way that

maximizes profit while reducing waste, spoilage and theft.

GS1 KENYA IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SME RETAILERS

After contacting and visiting SME retailers, among others, I noted

that there have been weak private adoption incentives, especially

when standardization lowers barriers to entry, the challenge of

coordinating change across the industry, and an apparent cultural

bias against investment that cannot be justified by an immediate

impact on the bottom line. Instituting an effective use of GS1

barcodes in the inventory control system can give a company

a boost in competitiveness and translate into a heftier bottom

line. It is therefore necessary for all products on the shelves to be

barcoded. This include: own packaged commodities like sugar, rice,

cereals and other own purchased products which may not come

with barcodes. However retailers are encouraged to advise all their

suppliers to acquire their own barcodes from GS1 so that all goods

received at the purchasing department have barcodes.

Advantages of barcodes to retailers

An accurate efficient source of sales data

Save cost by automating business processes

Few products out of stock

Faster, more efficient service at POS

Accurate pricing without human intervention

No missing or illegible price tags

No in-house barcode & no Sharing of barcodes

Ensure better inventory

Reduce costly shrinkage

Manufacturers and suppliers also will experience among

others the following:

Automated counting & sorting of products

Retailers globally will accept your products

Improve product planning-Just in time

Ability to track products through manufacturing and delivery

Ability to obtain real sales data

Provide safe products to consumers

The Rise and Success of Retailers by use of Barcodes

Inventory Control as a major challenge to retailers

GS1 Bar codes provide a rapid, accurate,

and efficient means to collect, process,

transmit record and manage data in a variety

of industries. This include: Retail, package

delivery, warehousing and distribution,

manufacturing, health care, Asset tracking, and

point-of-service applications.

A barcode is described as an “optical Morse

code”. Series of black bars and white space

of varying widths are printed on labels to

uniquely identify items. The barcode labels are

read with a scanner, which measures reflected

light and interprets the code into numbers

and letters that are passed on to a computer.

These are just a few examples to get you started thinking

about what you can do with bar codes. Barcode systems

routinely save companies money while improving

quality, on-time performance, and other key business

factors. It is necessary to have barcodes from a valid

source

Gerald Nyamboga,

Barcode Executive.

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Events

6160221-230 S.C. JOHNSON & SON KENYA LTD

6160231-240 INFUSION MEDCARE (K) LTD

6160241-250 NEW KCC LTD

6160251-260 BLUE RING PRODUCTS LTD

6160261-270 SBC KENYA LTD

6164002754 NAI-TEA ENTERPRISE

6164002755 SAMAK COMMERCIAL AGENCIES

6164002756 HONEST INVESTMENT

6164002757 COMMERCIAL GRAIN SERVICES LTD

6164002758 CENTRIC HOLDINGS LTD

6164002759 BUGISU FARMERS AA COFFEE LTD

6164002760 ZURI FOODS

6164002761 SANPOA LIMITED

6164002762 ROMWAKULE ENTERPRISES

6164002763 SAHARA FRESH WATER LTD

6164002764 KENYA GIN MANUFACTURERS LTD

6164002765 NYUKI AFRIQUE PRODUCTS

6164002766 AVAYA CONNECT LTD

6164002767 DOMINION SPRING WATER LTD

6164002768 DECKA LTD

6164002769 KARSANDAS INDUSTRIES

6164002770 CRANO ENTERPRISES

6164002771 BOTANIC TREASURES LTD

6164002772 BUDALANG'I SMALL SCALE FARMERS

MARKETING CO-OPERATIVE LTD

6164002773 QUINCY BAKERS AND EVENT MASTERS

6164002774 METRO DRINKING WATER

6164002775 KENYA CO-OPERATIVE COFFEE DEALERS LTD

6164002776 NYUMBANI DEPOT LTD

6164002777 ALYMA SUPPLIERS

6164002778 PAN AFRIC COMMODITIES LTD

6164002779 LIMOWISE INVESTMENT

6164002780 RUWA AGENCIES

6164002781 KEYSHIA JEWELLERIES ENTERPRISES

6164002782 GROWING MARKET SOLUTIONS LTD

6164002783 INTERSTATE BEVERAGES ENTERPRISES

6164002784 BATHES AGENCIES

6164002785 BAYCHEM KENYA LTD

6164002786 A.O.S.K CHEMI CHEMI YA UZIMA

6164002787 POP PARADISE

6164002788 PENKAR SPRINGS

6164002789 HI MI LAYA LTD

6164002790 HANS FOODS KENYA LTD

6164002791 ITHITHINI ENTERPRISES

6164002792 KAHAWA NA KADHALIKA

6164002793 CONTRAST-TEA

6164002794 KEMMIE DISTRIBUTORS

6164002795 FABULOUS CREATIONS LTD

6164002796 KAZINGA FOOD & JUICE FACTORY LTD

Membership

GS1 welcomes these Organisations

who have attained Membership as

from October 2012 to March 2013

6164002797 NICE FOODS AFRICA

6164002798 THOYA AND THOYA COCONUT PRODUCTS LTD

6164002799 SIGMA SUPPLIES LTD

6164002800 MIRIANAH SNACKS

6164002801 ABALEN FOODS

6164002802 JEMMY'S HILL ENTERPRISES

6164002803 PROGRESSIVE INNOVATIONS

6164002804 MUTHIRU ENTERPRISES

6164002805 TSWANAPRIDE LTD

6164002806 MWAGANZO MUSIC & FILM PRODUCTIONS

6164002807 GEOMAX PRODUCTS ENTERPRISES

6164002808 MWANAINCHI BAKERS AND CONFECTIONERS LTD

6164002809 GREENHOUSE-PRIDE DISTRIBUTORS

6164002810 HALDA TRADING COMPANY

6164002811 BALIKKA PRODUCTS

6164002812 PEARL DAIRY FARMS LTD

6164002813 JOEVIC ENTERPRISES LTD

6164002814 MAGNUM PLANNING & INTERIORS LTD

6164002815 NEW YALA DAIRY FARMERS CO-OP SOCIETY LTD

6164002816 TIFFANY (K) LTD

6164002817 LIMURU ARCHDIOCESAN FARM- ARCHDIOCESE OF NAIROBI

6164002818 GREEN BIO ENERGY LTD

6164002819 SILZANN ENTERPRISES LTD

6164002820 BUGISU CO-OPERATIVE UNION LTD

6164002821 VANILLA VALLEY

6164002822 CHAI BORA LADHA SAFI TEA PACKERS

6164002823 KITALE NATURAL HONEY LTD

6164002824 SHIJEVINCE INTERNATIONAL (K) LTD

6164002825 DIOPEX TRADING COMPANY LTD

6164002826 MASTERSTOUCH BAKERY

6164002827 JAPALA ENTERPRISES

6164002828 NEWTONS CONFECTIONERS

6164002829 GARVIN ENTERPRISES

6164002830 AGF GENERAL TRADING LTD

6164002831 MODERN SOAP FACTORY LTD

6164002832 ASSURANCE AFRICAN TEA EXPERTS (ATECO)

6164002833 JULIJO INVESTMENTS LTD

6164002834 ROYAL MILLERS LTD

6164002835 NUTRINE CORPORATION S.P.R.L

6164002836 BROADWAY BAKERY

6164002837 SHIRUHZ FOODS

6164002838 MEENA MULTI-PURPOSE CO-OP SOCIETY LTD

6164002839 TAI MAIZE FLOUR

6164002840 JOYLITE FOOD

6164002841 KENFINE FOODS LTD

6164002842 TRANSMARKET TRADING (U) LTD

6164002843 RAHMA ICE WATER

6164002844 SALLEX ENTERPRISES

6164002845 ANKY ENTERPRISES LTD

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6164002846 NAMUGONGO MILLERS

6164002847 KOMUNKA SUPPLIES COMPANY LTD

6164002848 NAVIDA NATURAL FOODS LTD

6164002849 CENTALINE SUPERMARKET LTD

6164002850 CAFFE DEL DUCA LTD

6164002851 TRAD-J KENYA

6164002852 ROYAL MANUFACTURERS LTD

6164002853 ERDEMANN SAFARIS LTD

6164002854 NEW VESTAN ENTERPRISES

6164002855 GOTTARD ENTERPRISES LTD

6164002856 CLEAN POWER DETERGENTS CO. RWANDA LTD

6164002857 BRADE GATE HOLDINGS LTD

6164002858 CHERISH FRUIT WORLD LTD

6164002859 JERSEY FARM PRODUCTS

6164002860 GEE GLOBE COMPANY LTD

6164002861 BLUE NILE DISTILLERIES LTD

6164002862 SAWA BEVERAGES (SBL) LTD

6164002863 OLOBOROSAT WATER COMPANY

6164002864 BERMACO ADDISALES COMPANY LTD

6164002865 PROFARM TWO SUPPLIERS

6164002866 PIECE OF CAKE

6164002867 KIPIRASH HOLDINGS LTD

6164002868 MARERE OASIS FOODS LTD

6164002869 SPICE & HERBS

6164002870 GALAXY DISTRIBUTION LTD

6164002871 DEMKA DAIRY

6164002872 JJASM MINI DISTILLERY

6164002873 KIRWAI ENTERPRISES

6164002874 DORINA SUPPLIES AGENCY

6164002875 ZESTY DAIRIES

6164002876 MIKELINE DERTEGENTS

6164002877 KEDSTA INVESTMENT

6164002878 ROYOLTY SUPPLIES ENTERPRISES

61660000647 MAKIT EAST AFRICA LTD

61660000648 KUSCO LTD

61660000649 DS MAX FOUNDATION

61660000650 NDUMUNYA INVESTMENT SOLUTIONS

61660000651 SABERO AGENCIES

61660000652 OMIES ENTERPRISES

61660000653 WEMA CENTRE TRUST

61660000654 SIMBA-MART

61660000655 GOOD BRANDS

61660000656 HAWAMWA MANUFACTURERS

61660000657 JUMEDICY ENTERPRISES

61660000658 SANJEMU TRADERS LTD

61660000659 MARYFAN FRESH FARM PRODUCE (K) LTD

61660000660 MASAI STORE LTD

61660000661 PEALAH SERVICES LTD

61660000662 LIVING FAITH INTERNATIONAL

61660000663 INTERGRITY ONE LTD

61660000664 INTERGRITY ONE LTD

61660000665 INTERGRITY ONE LTD

61660000666 MAKADADAS INDUSTRIES LTD

61660000667 CHRISM ENTERPRISES

61660000668 TEKNON DAIRY

61660000669 SEVEN FALLS LTD

61660000670 JAMBO AGENCIES

61660000671 SPECIAL WAY INVESTMENTS

61660000672 CANNAN NATURAL FOOD PRODUCTS

61660000673 FOUNTAIN MEDIA LTD

61660000674 VEMAVET SUPPLIERS

61660000675 CHEWELE AGRI-BUSINESS INVESTMENT

61660000676 KANSAS STATE BAKERS

61660000677 VEEKAY LTD

61660000678 INFRASTRUCTURE EAST AFRICA PUBLICATIONS

61660000679 KITENGELA CHILLIES LTD

61660000680 STATERI ENTERPRISES

61660000681 NGENYILEL ANIMAL FEEDS

61660000682 THE MUSHROOM FAMILY LTD

61660000683 VACAVILLES FINEST

61660000684 VOORTREKKERS LTD

61660000685 BIG BITE BAKERS & CONFECTIONERS LTD

61660000686 LE CAPITAL FOODS LTD

61660000687 GENERICKS KENYA LTD

61660000688 MACHERO AFRICA TRAVELLER

61660000689 HOPE COMMUNITY MENTAL SERVICES

61660000690 GREEN PENCILS LTD

61660000691 EXPAT GLOBAL LTD

61660000692 RACHE FOODS

61660000693 KIMOSH SUPPLIES

61660000694 MBOYASPEAR INTERNATIONAL LTD

61660000695 SIZON GENERAL SUPPLIES

61660000696 BUSINESS JOURNAL AFRICA MEDIA LTD

61660000697 WELL SPRING PRODUCTS LTD

61660000698 ST. JOSEPH SHELTER OF HOPE

61660000699 CENTAUR MILLING ENTERPRISES LTD

61660000700 AUTHENTIC LIVING INTL. COMPANY LIMITED

616110960 AIYUE (K) LTD

616110961 SYNERGIA LTD

616110962 FOREFRONT INDUSTRIES LTD

616110963 HILLSIDE GREEN GROWERS & EXPORTERS CO. LTD

616110964 WIRE PRODUCTS LTD

616110965 TASCO INDUSTRIES (U) LTD

616110966 SONIC FASHIONS LTD

616110967 TUMAINI SELF SERVICE LTD

616110968 TRUCKS DIRECT LTD

616110969 ALPHA MEDICAL MANUFACTURERS LTD

616110970 AKWALI ENTERPRISES

616110971 BALAJI GROUP (E.A) LTD

616110972 UNILEVER KENYA LTD

616110973 JIGEILI LTD

616110974 SANTOSH ELECTRONICS (E.A) LTD

616110975 HETMATT ENTERPRISES

616110976 CORUM AGENCIES

616110977 OFFICE MART LTD

616110978 REVIN SPRL

616110979 ROSAKIND (E.A) LTD

616110980 LEISURE QUALITY FOOD PRODUCERS

616110981 STYLE INDUSTRIES LTD

616110982 CONTINENTAL BRANDS LTD

616110983 MAGIC ENTERPRISES

616110984 RECORDEZ LTD

616110985 PANDORIA ASSOCIATES

61620051 ELBURGON FLIES SUPPLY

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Open Minds In Entrepreneurship

We all have heard great speakers & thinkers talk about “Thinking Outside the Box” with some genius writers going ahead and replacing the word “Outside” with “Without” to read “Thinking Without the Box. I can’t resist asking, How many of us have ever used or applied this philosophy in our entrepreneurship? Since its inception, this philosophy has always had different meaning to entrepreneurs. Some of them interpret it to mean locking yourself in a room to think of things that have never been tried or implemented in the world. But thought alone is never enough; however positive it may be; thought has to be mixed with action for you to get results.

I am in agreement with thinkers that say; Thinking outside the Box is to step aside from your habits. It is true that human beings are creatures of habits. Once they are made aware of achieving certain results in a certain way they tend to cling and stick to those ways or methods and end up with same results for a long period of time.

Companies struggle in their initiation phase and after break even, they gain growth up to a certain limit where they hit a plateau phase by getting same results for a long period of time. I call this phase “The Closed Minded Phase” and most of our companies have reached here. They need a new philosophy of walking away from their daily routines. This is the philosophy of open minds and not thinking outside or without the box.

Open Minds is simply stepping outside your industrialist norms to participate in an activity or learn a function or acquire a new skill that is inline with your entrepreneurial activity. Many people often slip backwards and misunderstand this philosophy. They perceive it to mean doing so many things at the same time. This is not true; you will find an entrepreneur being engaged in different business industries at the same time or a business man selling products and services from different industries at the same time. In the science of electricity and physics a metal that has its positive and negative electrons roaming in different directions is normally called a confused element. And doing so many things at the same time creates confusion to the individual or company.

When leaders and managers of companies & organizations have performed their staffing function; they usually end up with competent workers who function well within their job descriptions.

The marketers deploy their marketing functions, the accountants executing their financial analysis & reporting functions with the ICT officers working on the business information systems etc. These separations of tasks and functions often lead to specialization within the company, which births closed minded workforce that only function productively in their restricted areas of interest.

In order to achieve the objectives of the organization - the mission and vision; then departmental functions can not work in isolation.

Organizational departments are normally interlinked by the organizational chart/structure which provides the instrument for departmental employees to interact within the links. Interaction leads to learning within ones surrounding and knowledge grows peoples intellects which is the habit of open

minded employees. An IT executive should be able to offer after sales services to a customer who came to the office when all your sales team is out for the market place. Likewise, an accountant should be able to fix a small printing problem like a printer cable that was accidentallyunplugged from its socket by the floor cleaner, and save time by continuing with printing of his financial statements, instead of waiting for the IT executive; who could be held up in the boardroom meeting. This example shows an open minded IT executive stepping out of his domain of specialization to get some skills in customer care services: And an open minded accountant who leaves his domain of study to acquire some knowledge in IT.

When employees function in one department only, they normally develop a habitual way of executing duties as a result of continues repetition of tasks in the department. These often lead to on going negative thinking at the workplace commonly known as boredom and its related feelings. To control this negative thoughts and sluggish execution of assignments, employees need training onopen minded philosophy to positively step out of their working habits while creating room for creativity.

Some employees have their minds closed to their job description to the extent that they refuse to switch tasks when asked, and become reluctant or resistant to change; especially when asked to switch departments or branches. These employees have conditioned their minds to only think and function in just onedimension and often stage demonstrations when asked to function outside their norms. When dissatisfied with their norms, they incite others towards negative activities like employee strikes. Closed minded is the root cause of striking employers for reasons like pay rise; open minded employees open’s up to other income generating activities when not happy with their present activities.

When your company demands for the extra service from its employees, you need employees to give up on excuses, like; it is not part of my job, I am not being paid for doing that extra work, who’s paying for the extra time etc. You need open minded employees who can easily go beyond their job descriptions andaccommodate the additional duty for a while or extent a helping hand to a stranded colleague.

Our organizations need Open Minded Philosophy; this is what physicians call a magnet since its electrons are aligned in one direction: Magnetic force pulls in one dimension and magnetic employees are a force that pulls organizational functions towards the Vision and Mission of the company. Their minds open up and acquire knowledge that is inline with the organizational functions.

Entrepreneurship

By: Ephantus Achebi

Ephantus Achebi is a consultant in the finance industry and he teaches people on achieving their financial goals, walking them through the road to financial success & freedom. He is the author to the book title: “ Harnessing the Honey & Power in You” and a speaker: He talks on financial and motivational topics.

You can reach him on the folowing contacts;Ephantus AchebiP.o. Box. 100426 – 00101, Nairobi.Mobile: +254 721 705 881Email: [email protected]

© 2013 Enterprise Revolution Ltd All rights reserved.

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