Management Information Systems for Microfinance (PDF)

Microfinance is a double bottom line sector which is growing fast, making money and doing well in a variety of socially interesting ways. The growth of its institutions requires good strategies, good control systems and informed decision-making, all of which require an appropriate Management Information System (MIS). While a good MIS is needed in any sector, the management of a double bottom line requires systems which yield information on economic, financial and social metrics. The essays in this book explore the metrics required for success in this field. Communicating on these metrics may provide competitive advantage in fund-raising.Reaching out to the bottom of the pyramid requires low-cost catalytic innovations, disrupting the existing way of doing things. These necessitate not only social innovations, but also technological innovations to reduce costs drastically. The book presents various alternative ways of distributing software for microfinance, including case studies on open-source and cloud-based software, indicating how software providers are seeking to create competitive advantage. It offers a detailed analysis of the problems that are often faced and innovative techniques for implementing MIS in microfinance. This volume represents essential reading for anyone interested in learning about not only microfinance and MIS, but also social innovations and competitive advantage strategies. The contributors to the book are executives, consultants and academics who have considerable research experience in working and researching in these areas. Their work has been reviewed and developed by comments from both academics and practitioners to yield a book which is useful to students, academics and practitioners alike.