Akshaya Patra’s mid-day meal programme feeds over 1.4 million children across 23 locations in India every day. So can you imagine the mammoth scale of operations undertaken in every Akshaya Patra office and kitchen every day to make sure that this programme runs like a well-oiled machine?

That’s where Akshaya Patra’s ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) application comes to the rescue. The ERP system allows Akshaya Patra to gather and integrate data across different modules like Purchasing, Inventory Management, Production and Distribution, Personnel Management, Banking and more onto one platform.

Implemented since 2011 the ERP system is a standardised data gathering process used in every Akshaya Patra branch across the country. This software helps the organisation account for all the data being received such as the total procurement of dal (pulses) from the different kitchens where Akshaya Patra has a presence, the complete details of the beneficiary schools being served through the programme, the number of meals being served in a day and much more. Aside from integrating the organisation’s data, the ERP system also serves as a research base to number crunch and compare trends in just a few minutes.

Given the grand scale of the programme, and the big data that Akshaya Patra deals with on a daily basis, the ERP application has definitely been an effective tool to introduce a method to the madness.

Have you any experience working with an ERP system? Let us know your thoughts on their usefulness. Comment in the space below!

Vicky Roy has had an interesting past. His life is a success story that is inspiring and captivating to not just the underprivileged, but to those who are on the path to success like our beneficiaries, and even those of us who could be considered blessed.

Vicky ran away from home at the innocent age of 11 to escape the conditions of his life. He lived a life of a street child working as a rag picker and collecting bottles to be sold. He even worked in a street side restaurant washing dishes till he eventually found shelter in an NGO.

This is where his life changed. In 2001 when his friend took part in a photography workshop, and visited Sri Lanka and Indonesia, Vicky became intrigued by the idea of photography. In fact, it was his desire to travel that led Vicky to discover his passion for photography, and follow this passion to the place where everything started – back to the streets. He took on his first project Street Dreams which was sponsored by the British High Commission. The exhibition was grand success, and travelled to London, South Africa and Vietnam. Showcasing the lives of street children and their dreams for a better future, Vicky’s personal experience and empathy allowed him to connect fully with the children of the street and bring his photographs to life.

Vicky attended ICP (International Centre of Photography), the best photography school in the world, and was asked to photo document the reconstruction of the World Trade Center in New York City. Discovering a confidence in himself and his talent Vicky even found himself lunching with Prince Andrew in Buckingham Palace!

Vicky’s life story is one of grit and determination; he is one of the famous speakers of TEDx and INK Talks. Even today Vicky has not forgotten his humble beginnings and mentors young beneficiaries at NGOs in the art of photography. Vicky extended this same generosity to Akshaya Patra when he worked with us pro bono.