Cloud Migration Saves Money for Cable Manufacturer
**Overview**
East African Cables is a leading cable manufacturer with operations spanning East and Central Africa. The company operates four manufacturing facilities: two in Nairobi, Kenya, one in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and one in Eastern DRC. Additionally, their distribution network extends into Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Southern Sudan, and Ethiopia. East African Cables produces a wide variety of cables used for domestic and industrial lighting, as well as for the transmission and distribution of electricity.
**Challenge**
As the Group Finance Manager, Joseph Kinyua was tasked with cutting costs while ensuring value for money. “We observed that our technology expenses were significantly high. We sought ways to reduce these costs while simultaneously improving our platforms to deliver better value without disrupting our operations across East Africa.” Given East African Cables' extensive operations in East and Central Africa, it was essential to implement technology that would centralize and enhance visibility across the entire group. It was evident that adopting cloud solutions would be the key to improving service delivery. “As a major Pan-African organization, centralizing operations across various markets through a single cloud platform made perfect sense. It would also create a consistent learning environment.”
**Solution**
Simplify IT recognized early that East African Cables aimed to lead rather than merely adapt. They needed more than a basic infrastructure for centralized operations; they also sought to ensure their staff were well-trained and knowledgeable to better assist their customers. To kick off the process, Simplify IT conducted an audit to assess cloud readiness across the organization. A project plan was developed and approved by management, resulting in an agreed-upon cloud environment. The platform was designed and implemented to support the transition, moving on-premise operations to Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365 Business.
**Results**
The Simplify IT team collaborated with East African Cables to create a migration work-plan that ensured minimal disruption and maximized success. Training was an integral part of this plan. The launch was successfully backed by a variety of engaging training initiatives, promoted through internal campaigns to raise awareness and excitement about the new infrastructure. Today, Simplify IT continues to partner with East African Cables, providing support for their infrastructure needs and helping the company achieve its full digital potential.