#BuildingNetworks - A Technology Solution For SAFRAN



Challenge: A technology solution to create a nationwide network of the next generation rural e-infopreneur that collects and transmits vital rural information to Safran, enables secure identification of recipients of goods/services, using secure transaction technology, aggregation and analytics.


Before we go ahead suggesting a technology solution to overcome this challenge, let's take a look at more challenges which will come in the way of transmitting authentic information from the rural India to the back office. 
  • Challenges of sourcing (Skills & People)
  • Lack of mentoring/support/coaching
  • Maintenance & Packing of tools 
  • The 'How-to' of custodianship and ownership transfer
  • Constantly evolving behavioral changes
  • A sustainable equilibrium within the dynamic ecosystem
and a plenty more. Now my solution for SAFRAN is not just gonna be on the challenges on the top of this blog but also going to be capable of solving the above challenges. 

Deploying a national network of self help, public, touch screen kiosks in all the high pedestrian traffic environments - Doing this will help highlight the necessity of allocating resources to all tasks in the rural economy which will soon be transformed to an 'information economy' 

Understanding of processes in a developing economy - Will highlight the importance of mediator in the context of a developing community/economy

Deploying software systems in the development facilities from community level - It will help overcome the technology adoption and ownership/custodianship issues

Defining & deploying robust models of sustained service delivery mechanisms in the rural economies - Will help overcome challenges of sourcing and the ability to tackle behavioral changes over the period of time

Here's a model which will accommodate all the solutions above to overcome the challenges described earlier


The communication between the community infopreneurs and the master infopreneur (Will be trained on how to use the technology aspects. He/she will be the key in making sure the information obtained through community infopreneurs are authentic) will be the key in this model. I would like to refer the community infoprenuers as 'Assets' from here on. The assets will be responsible for obtaining information from entities such as CBOs, rural citizens, micro enterprises and so on. It could be as simple as a questionnaire, which will later be converted to digital, with the help of resources available with Master infopreneurs. 

There were few elements which always tend to discourage the model like lack of proper flow of revenues between various layers in this network and there's absolutely no control over it. To make sure the revenue flow is optimum and for the gratification to reach the end user for giving vital information, can be deemed accurate with the help of Biometric Finger print recognition device which will be with the community infopreneurs. 

By making this two way communication from back office to the end user, we are completely transforming the traditional franchise model to a social franchising model that provides mutual collaboration mechanisms and support required among different levels of the model. 

The approach here is to ensure both the real world user and the researcher are in the same ecosystem, so that it ensures maturity in terms of trade-off and the risk is reduced over the complete innovation chain

Training the master & community infoprenuers - This the most important task in the entire technology solution suggested to make sure the information transmitted over the model is authentic. The infoprenuers will need  complete guidance and handholding in the initial phases till the time they become completely independent. In my humble opinion, by following the model, SAFRAN will be able to achieve
  • Deliver info on public/government sector facilities right from the community level
  • Identify needs & provide skills/training to the end users/infopreneurs 
  • Be well aware of sensitive issues going to arise from community level
  • Surveying the use of ecosystem and services
  • Letting community voices to be heard
  • Facilitating the services of Volunteers in the community
  • Distribute services/information from NGOs to the beneficiaries intended
  • Equipped with Crime Intelligence
and also the pre defined objectives by SAFRAN for a technology solution which will transmit viral rural information to them with the help of rural e-infoprenuers to facilitate

6 comments

6 comments :

Tech Quake said...

Very comprehensive solution

Aditya Gupta said...

Loved the blog deepan. Thx 4 sharing!

Anish said...

Great model Deepan :) My opinion is this model is not just applicable for India but for all the developing economies across the world

Ashish Khanna said...

Nicely written. A thoroughly comprehensive technology solution. Way to go

Devaki M said...

Brilliant writeup Mr. Siddhu. Enjoyed reading it :)

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