As businesses across Africa and beyond grapple with rising operational costs, a new open-source project is offering SMEs a practical way to digitise their processes without investing in expensive enterprise systems.
The Digital Process Optimisation Toolkit (OpTools), developed by Nigerian business analyst, Olachi Sharon Amachukwu, combines process templates, dashboards, and low-code automation to help organisations streamline workflows and unlock the power of data-driven decision-making.
The toolkit arrives at a critical moment. According to a World Bank report, SMEs contribute up to 40 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in emerging economies but often lag behind in digital adoption. Many still rely on paper records, fragmented spreadsheets, or improvised tools, making it difficult to track performance or scale operations efficiently.
“Digitisation is no longer optional; it is the foundation of competitiveness. With OpTools, I wanted to create a free, accessible resource that helps small businesses achieve efficiencies previously reserved for corporations with deep IT budgets,” Amachukwu explained.
OpTools includes downloadable Visio and Balsamiq templates for documenting processes, Excel and Power BI dashboards preconfigured with standard KPIs, and Power Automate scripts for repetitive tasks like approvals or reporting.
The platform also features a dataset upload function, allowing SMEs to import their own Excel or CSV records and instantly visualise cycle times, costs, and bottlenecks.
A “My Process Pack” export bundles customised diagrams, dashboards, and automation flows for direct deployment.
Amachukwu, who has built her career at the intersection of finance and technology, views OpTools as a natural extension of her experience.
“In my previous roles, I saw how delays and inefficiencies eroded value. By combining analytics with simple automation, SMEs can save time, cut costs, and improve customer service,” she said.
By publishing the toolkit openly on GitHub and pairing it with video demos and quick-start guides, Amachukwu hopes to create a community of users who adapt and extend the tools.
“This is about collective progress. When small businesses become more efficient, they contribute to stronger economies, create more jobs, and build resilience in supply chains,” she added.
Already, early adopters are reporting promising results. A Lagos-based retail SME using the toolkit’s Power BI dashboards reported a 15 per cent improvement in order fulfilment speed, while a cooperative in Kaduna has used the automation flows to cut down on manual reconciliation, saving hours of staff time weekly.
With the global shift toward digital-first operations, initiatives like OpTools are a reminder that innovation is not limited to large-scale platforms or billion-dollar companies. Sometimes, the most impactful solutions are those that empower small businesses with simple, scalable tools.
Industry experts say the project reflects a growing recognition that analytics-driven process optimisation is critical to SME survival.
“The most successful businesses will be those that capture, analyse, and act on their own operational data. OpTools is important because it translates analytics into usable resources for everyday businesses, not just enterprises,” Global View Institute, a Lagos-based research consultancy, noted.
