Where processes are broken, we redesign them before we automate them. Manual reconciliations, spreadsheets passed between teams, month-end reports rebuilt from scratch, we streamline the workflow first, then use automation and RPA to take out the repetitive effort, so your people spend their time on judgement rather than keying.
And because no dashboard is better than the data behind it, we help you establish the foundations: clear ownership and definitions, data quality controls, access and security rules, and a governance framework aligned to your regulatory and data protection obligations. We hold that standard ourselves: BDO East Africa is certified to ISO 9001 for quality management, ISO/IEC 27001 for information security and ISO/IEC 27701 for privacy information management. The result is a single version of the truth your board, regulators and managers can rely on.
Whether you need a single management dashboard, a data strategy, or an outsourced Analytics as a Service team, our analysts pair deep local knowledge with the global methodology of the BDO network to deliver measurable results, securely and at a pace that suits you.
What we do
- Business intelligence, data analytics & dashboards — Real-time dashboards and reporting that give leaders a single, trusted view of performance. We scope a practical first project and prove the value before you scale.
- AI & machine learning — Predictive and AI models that forecast demand, detect anomalies and support strategy.
- Robotic process automation (RPA) — Automating rules-based tasks such as invoice processing, reconciliations and reporting to cut cost and error.
- Forensic investigations using analytics — Interrogating full transaction populations to detect fraud indicators such as duplicate or split payments, ghost employees, unusual journal entries and supplier–employee links. We work to an evidential standard that stands up in disciplinary proceedings, insurance claims and court.
- Migration reconciliation — Independent verification that data moved between systems is complete, accurate and correctly mapped. We reconcile legacy balances and records to the new platform, quantify variances and evidence the result for management, auditors and regulators.
- Data strategy, implementation & governance — Data strategy, platform implementation, project management and governance to make analytics stick.
- Analytics as a Service (AaaS) — A flexible, outsourced analytics team you can scale up or down as your needs change.
Systems we work with
- ERP and accounting — SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, Sage, Navision, Salesforce, Odoo, Tally, QuickBooks and other locally deployed systems.
- Core banking and lending — Finacle, T24, Flexcube
- CRM and sales — Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics CRM, HubSpot, Zoho.
- HR and payroll — Sage, Workday, SuccessFactors and in-house payroll platforms.
- Billing, POS and revenue systems — Utility and telecom billing, retail point-of-sale, and mobile money and payment gateway data such as M-Pesa.
- Regulatory and tax platforms — KRA iTax and eTIMS data, and the statutory returns your finance team already files.
Why choose BDO East Africa
- Global reach, local expertise — Local analysts who understand East African markets, regulators and business realities, backed by the BDO International network across 160+ countries.
- Depth of team — Part of a firm with 25+ Partners and Directors and 600+ professionals across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ethiopia and beyond.
- Full-stack analytics — End-to-end capability spanning business intelligence, AI/ML, RPA, implementation and project management — from your first dashboard to advanced predictive models.
- Analytics as a Service — Flexible, scalable engagements including Analytics as a Service (AaaS), so you can start small and scale as value is proven.
- Trusted and secure — A trusted advisory brand with deep audit, risk and technology heritage, so insight is rigorous, secure and board-ready.
Get started
Talk to BDO East Africa's data analytics team about data analytics, AI and automation for your business. We'll scope a practical first project and show you the value before you scale. Speak to a data analyst today.Frequently asked questions
- What data analytics services do you offer? We provide business intelligence and dashboards, data analytics and insights, AI and machine learning, robotic process automation and Analytics as a Service, plus data strategy and implementation.
- Where should we start if we've never done this before? With one question that matters to your board. We scope a focused first project, usually a single dashboard or one analysis that can be delivered in weeks, not months. It proves the value, exposes the state of your data honestly, and gives you something concrete to build the wider roadmap around.
- Do we need to replace our current systems? No. We work with the platforms you already run and extract from them. If a system upgrade is genuinely the right answer, we'll say so but a great deal can be achieved on top of what you have today.
- Our data is messy and incomplete. Are we too early for this? Almost every organisation says this, and almost none are too early. Data quality is something we assess and improve as part of the work, not a prerequisite you must fix alone beforehand. In many cases the first project's most valuable output is a clear picture of exactly where your data breaks and what it will take to fix it.
- How long does a project take, and what does it cost? A first dashboard or focused analysis typically runs a few weeks. Larger platform implementations, governance frameworks and automation programmes run over months and are phased so you see value at each stage. We scope and price each engagement to the work involved and set that out before you commit, no open-ended arrangements.
- Do we need our own data team to make this work? No. Some clients have an internal team we support and upskill; others have none and use our Analytics as a Service model as their analytics function. Either way we build with handover in mind, so you are never locked in to us for routine reporting.
- How do you protect our data? Through defined access controls, secure transfer and storage, confidentiality obligations that bind our people, and clear terms on what we may hold and for how long. Where required we work within your environment rather than moving data out of it, and we structure engagements to align with applicable data protection law, including Kenya's Data Protection Act, 2019. Our own management systems are independently certified to ISO/IEC 27001 (information security) and ISO/IEC 27701 (privacy information management), with ISO 9001 certification covering quality of delivery so the controls we recommend to you are the ones we are audited against ourselves.
- Do we need a big data project to start? No. We usually start with one high-value dashboard or automation, prove the value, then scale from there.
- We're migrating to a new system. When should you be involved? As early as possible. Profiling and cleaning source data before it moves prevents problems that are far more expensive to unpick afterwards. We also perform independent post-migration reconciliation to confirm that what arrived in the new system is complete, accurate and correctly mapped.
- Can you work with us outside Kenya? Yes. We serve clients across East Africa and, through the wider BDO network, support groups with operations beyond the region — applying consistent methodology across each entity.
- Can you automate our finance processes? Yes. We deploy intelligent process automation for accounts payable, receivable, invoice processing, reconciliations and financial close.
- What is Analytics as a Service? A flexible, outsourced analytics team that runs and grows your analytics capability without you hiring in-house — you scale up or down as needed.