A platform approach to unlock success for agent networks
How the CICO Collective is empowering agent network managers with data-driven tools
Agent network managers (ANMs) play a crucial role in the on-the-ground mobilization of cash-in cash-out agents who facilitate transactions for underserved communities. They are often the link between financial service providers and their customers, helping them to serve those at the last mile.
Despite these benefits, ANMs also face numerous challenges on a daily basis, from addressing common issues like float management, connectivity, and fraud — to ensuring agents receive proper onboarding and training. However, the lack of clear data and actionable tools often hinders their ability to make strategic decisions that can drive growth and revenue.
Recognizing these challenges, we collaborated with the CICO Collective, the UN Capital Development Fund, Learn.ink, Africa 118, Masae Analytics, Highlight Tradings, and Kazana Group to develop an innovative solution: an all-in-one platform designed specifically to streamline the day-to-day operations of ANMs and empower them to make data-driven decisions that lead to business growth.
Our platform offers a comprehensive suite of tools tailored to the needs of ANMs in Ethiopia. With its user-friendly interface and powerful features, ANMs can easily visualize the state of their network, track progress toward goals, and identify areas of opportunity for expansion and improvement. Let’s delve deeper into the key features and benefits our platform provides.
“Within this collaboration, it was really great to have that level of granularity, focus, and attention from a design perspective. We all aligned to really, practically solve some real challenges.” — Adam Wills, CTO and Co-Founder of Learn.ink
Expand your network
Our platform helps ANMs discover new agents to expand their network and prioritize their efforts for maximum impact. By providing valuable insights and data-driven recommendations, ANMs can make informed decisions on how and where to allocate their time and resources, ensuring the highest possible payoff.
Track your network
Monitoring the health of your network is crucial for success. Our visual dashboard provides real-time data and analytics, enabling ANMs to track the performance of their agents, identify areas that need support, and take proactive action to address any challenges. By having a clear view of the network’s status, ANMs can quickly respond to issues, optimize operations, and drive overall network performance.
Train your network
Effective training is key to agent success. Our platform offers a seamless training management system, allowing ANMs to understand the training progress of agents throughout the network. From onboarding new agents to providing ongoing training for existing ones, ANMs can easily push applicable training modules to agents and ensure they have the necessary knowledge and skills to excel in their roles. By streamlining the training process, ANMs can save time and effort while improving agent performance and retention.
The training portion of the platform was a nice fit with Learn.ink’s business — the team is currently building a new training component that plugs into a variety of tech interfaces. Learn.ink’s platform provides a level of credibility to something that isn’t always accounted for: an agent’s pre-existing knowledge and skills.
“One of the most powerful things that motivates us from the tech we provide to the agents are the certificates. They’re so meaningful to our users — your knowledge is something that can’t be taken away from you,” shared Adam Wills, the CTO and Co-Founder of Learn.ink.
An all-in-one platform
By adopting our all-in-one agent management platform, ANMs can transform their approach from reactive problem-solving to proactive growth. Our platform equips ANMs with the tools they need to overcome day-to-day challenges and focus on strategic decision-making, leading to a more efficient and profitable agent network.
Moreover, the benefits extend beyond ANMs and their organizations, as greater access to finance for underserved populations becomes a reality. We developed this product with a deep understanding of the challenges faced by ANMs in Ethiopia. Through collaboration with key stakeholders in the industry, we aimed to address the systemic issues surrounding data access and lack of supportive ecosystems. Our platform is designed to empower ANMs and enable them to build and manage sustainable agent networks that provide financial services to those who need them the most.
What’s next
At the CICO Collective, the goal of our work is always to ultimately see it in market. Bringing different collaborators together to approach problems through a design lens can help us get there faster while respecting the needs of everyone involved — from the ANMs to the agents themselves.
The lessons from this collaboration will live on. Over at Learn.ink, the team plans to implement what they’ve learned through this work across their offerings by updating how they structure their educational flows. “Early on, the IDEO team picked up on the idea that there should be design principles for creating training — and that a better way to onboard people is to teach them the design principles behind what they’re being trained on. The combination of both is very powerful,” Adam explained. “We should create training as a conversation, not something didactic or one-size-fits-all. We see this being relevant to a wide range of industries that we’re excited to work with.”
Currently, we are piloting the training component of the platform. If you are an agent network manager working in digital financial services interested in testing digital training for your agents, please get in touch by emailing todusanya@ideo.com.
Additionally, if your company is interested in partnering with the CICO Collective to pilot any aspect of this sprint, please get in touch with the last mile money team.
