IN East Africa, we’re experiencing an exciting period of business growth driven, in part, by digital transformation and its myriad of benefits such as mobile-driven financial inclusion, smarter agriculture and industrial manufacturing, critical infrastructure, data centres, to name but a few.
Similarly, digital transformation is creating opportunities for our channel partners who include system integrators (SIs), panel builders, resellers and electricians.
However, to make the most of this momentum, partners must enhance their technical and digital capability across key sectors.
This will accelerate the drive and adoption of digital initiatives across industries as diverse as manufacturing, commercial enterprise, education, and energy.
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The Schneider Electric, for instance, recognises how important it is to support partners, upskilling them with localised, global skills that strengthen not only their own business but also the region’s technology ecosystem.
Unlocking economic potential through digitalisation
One of the fundamental benefits of digital transformation prescriptive maintenance is its ability to predict faults, in advance, and then prescribe solutions before breakdowns occur.
It is a game-changer and realised by prescriptive maintenance’s data-driven approach that uses real-time monitoring, analytics, and AI to anticipate equipment failures before it happens.
It provides insight into when and why a fault is likely to occur–and how to remedy it. This not only improves valuable uptime but also enhances competitiveness at both regional and global levels.
Yet, many industrial sectors in East Africa are still in the early stages of this transformation. While a handful of companies are already embedding AI and digitalisation into their production lines, the majority are still building their readiness.
Building local expertise, strengthened by global support
The Schneider Electric believes strongly in utilising both global best practices and local expertise – the best of both.
Locally, the company has established a strong, regional engineering team capable of supporting its partners and end-users directly.
These local engineers provide first-line expertise, conduct audits, and generate brand-agnostic white papers that guide clients on how to progress step by step.
Where specialised knowledge is required, global experts complement local teams, ensuring that East African businesses benefit from a seamless blend of international know-how and local context.
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Driving efficiency across the supply chain
Digitalisation’s impact extends well beyond factory floors. In East Africa, one of the most pressing challenges for local industries lies in spare parts management.
Traditionally, these businesses have either tied up capital in vast spare parts inventories or risked crippling downtime waiting for parts to be delivered.
However, by digitising asset data and applying lifecycle analysis, Schneider Electric helps companies predict maintenance schedules, identify critical spares, and plan procurement well in advance.
This approach reduces unnecessary costs, ensures business continuity, and mitigates the risks of last-minute logistics challenges.
Ultimately, establishing both an economy and partner network built on digital transformation is only one part of the journey.
- Ifeanyi Odoh is Country President, Schneider Electric East Africa
