Elly Yates-Roberts |
One of Yemen’s leading businesses, HSA Yemen, has successfully implemented digital technologies during a period of conflict and humanitarian crisis in the country. A programme of investment which it describes as its ‘transformation journey’ is based on several Microsoft solutions, and has helped HSA to deliver essential goods and services to people in Yemen and across the Middle East and Africa.
HSA is involved in fast moving consumer goods, with products such as edible oils, dairy products, biscuits, confectionery, flour milling, sugar refining, carton printing and packaging, and cement production from its 50-plus operating businesses.
Prior to its transformation journey, HSA’s IT infrastructure relied on multiple technologies and solutions, resulting in many different websites, email systems and services. To combat this, the organisation migrated its infrastructure to the Microsoft Azure cloud platform and its email systems to Office 365.
HSA also faced challenges with its data storage services. It needed a solution that addressed its security risks, which were exacerbated by the country’s conflict. With the risk of damage to its physical data centres, the cloud-based services of Office 365 and Azure were an ideal solution.
These Microsoft technologies were also essential to ensuring HSA’s operations during Covid-19, by shifting to virtual communication. This too was compounded by Yemen’s conflict, with damaged roads and telephone towers a regular occurrence. Microsoft says that “widespread adoption of Office 365 allowed HSA’s leadership and wider operating companies to improve connectivity and collaborate internationally”.
“At a time when Yemen is facing the ‘world’s worst humanitarian crisis’, it has been essential for HSA to continue the production and delivery of vital products and services – including essential food and medicine – across Yemen,” said Microsoft. “By implementing Microsoft systems, HSA has been able to greatly improve connectivity and efficiencies that, in turn, have enabled HSA to maintain production of essential goods and allowed the organisation to continue to support customers in the communities it serves.”