Why African Organisations Need a Data Strategy Before Buying Software
Most technology projects in Africa fail not because of bad software, but because the data strategy was never defined.
Lekayie Joshua
Co-Founder, Muran Systems
Every few months, a prospective client comes to us with a version of the same problem: they bought a software platform — sometimes expensive, sometimes donor-funded — and it is not delivering value. The software works. The organization is not getting what it needs.
Why? In almost every case, the answer is the same: Nobody defined what the data should do before the system was built.
The question that changes everything
Before any technology discussion, we ask one question: What decision does this data need to support?
It sounds simple, but it is surprisingly rare for clients to have a ready answer. The real answer is always specific: "We need to know within 48 hours which farms in the programme have not received the week's advisory message, so we can prioritize field officer follow-up."
That is a real data requirement. It tells you:
What to collect
How often to collect it
The format required
What the system needs to surface to the user
Starting with that level of specificity completely changes what you build.
Data strategy is not a technology question
Most technology vendors will happily help define requirements once they are already engaged. This creates a conflict: their requirements process is shaped by their platform's existing capabilities.
A data strategy defined before vendor selection gives you negotiating power. It lets you evaluate platforms against real requirements rather than discovering your needs through a salesperson's pitch.
What we do differently
When Muran Systems takes on a data platform project, the first engagement is a requirements workshop. There are no wireframes, no technology recommendations, and no platform pitches. Instead, we work through a decision hierarchy:
What needs to be decided?
Who is making the decision?
On what frequency is the decision made?
What information do those decisions require?
The output is a data requirements document that is independent of any specific technology. The client owns this document regardless of what they build or who they work with next.
This approach takes longer to start, but it consistently produces better outcomes — and significantly fewer expensive rebuilds eighteen months down the line.
If your organization is considering a new data platform, management system, or digital reporting tool, talk to us before committing elsewhere. The conversation is free, and it is usually the most valuable hour in the project.
