As part of its goal to support hardware innovation in East Africa, ASME rolled out this pilot study to explore how technical talent matching can enhance the impact of Entrepreneurship Support Organizations (ESOs) and their ventures. For this project, the chosen ESO was Opero Services – a Kenyan engineering, business development, and market research firm specializing in scaling water, sanitation, and hygiene technologies and enterprises. It brings together innovation, technical expertise, and knowledge of local markets to address WASH challenges.
The objective was to help Opero Services move the PuPu Pump from development to reliable field use by establishing clear post-sale service protocols, a technician-facing maintenance routine, a cost-grounded pricing calculator, a concise Customer Relationship Management (CRM), and a spare-parts and inventory framework. Together, these systems raise first-time-fix rates, reduce delays, and translate customer follow-up into consistent, predictable service.
Work began with a desk review of prior Engineering for Change project-related reports, Opero’s service records, CRM snapshots, and website content to frame problems and draft the toolset. Semi-structured interviews with Opero leadership, technicians, store staff, manufacturers (Practica), and a working session with Pit Vidura, refined immediate priorities. Field visits in Rwanda, Uganda, and Kenya helped in testing the checklist, pricing logic, kit readiness, and stock rules.
The key deliverables for Opero were a field-ready service toolkit: post-sale protocol and maintenance checklist, a cost-grounded pricing calculator, a visual quick guide, a concise CRM, and a spare-parts and inventory framework. Together, these resources standardize service, improve traceability, and keep critical parts ready for reliable operations.
In addition to the resources for Opero, a report was developed for ASME to capture key learnings, effectiveness and recommendations from the pilot project with the ESO to inform further projects.
Key technology/tools used: Google Suite, Photoshop, Canva, Cubenet, ChatGPT
Field validation in Kisumu, Kenya – inspecting the PuPu Pump setup before a pit assessment.
Credit/Attribution: Photo: Bisa Hubert
