SPARC Systems develops university student academic record information system

One of the country’s top ICT companies, SPARC Systems Limited has developed a new window for academic institutions — the Student Record Academic Information System (SARIS), to be used by colleges and universities to manage student records and provide management of a 360 degrees view of their institutions.

Announcing the technology which has been developed internally by its IT department, SPARC’s Group Managing Director and founder, Wisely Phiri said the system is set to provide services such as student registration processes, to student time at school up to graduation.

Wisely Phiri briefing the media on Tuesday

It keeps all this record up to the time a student shall be required to export transcripts of their academic records to prospective employers.

“The system gives access to students, lecturers, wardens, administration, registrar, principal and others to do their work smoothly through this online system,” Phiri said at a press briefing on Tuesday at SPARC’s offices in Blantyre.

“For the industry, the system allows them to search a particular student if they were at the said university to help minimise fraud. The student can also export their transcript to potential employers.”

Phiri further said going forward the system, which has been developed within eight months by its local IT engineers, will also be integrated into foreign academic institutions which enroll Malawian students.

“Students will be able to pay their fees and tuition online unlike the current trend where they are supposed to pay through banking halls and provide proof in form of a deposit receipt.

Phiri (centre) at a function in Rwanda where SPARC has an office

“It will provide prospective employers to verify the authenticity of an alumnus of a particular university it college and any other information that may be required of that particular potential employee.”

He said an institution’s warden can allocate accommodation space through the system that alerts them when a vacant slot is available to be allocated to those on reserve.

The lecturers will be able to assign assignments to students; the registrars would track students records while the principal would have the 360 degrees overview of the institution’s records.

The system has been integrated on online payment platforms such as Visas, banks and mobile money services.

“This is something that the country needs to be embraced,” Phiri said. “You may recall that just a few days ago the Ministry of Health [told the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee] that it failed to timely furnish the Auditor General’s office with supporting documents for an audit query because it does not have a digital system to track its records.

“This system is the appropriate one for government ministries and agencies — and other corporates — to embrace this digital system developed locally and is cost effective.

Facing the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee under oath at Parliament on Monday afternoon, Secretary for Health, Dr Charles Mwansambo admitted the Ministry has had problems with record keeping but was optimistic of positive change that once a new digital system would be implemented.

Phiri further said when their customers want to buy computers and other IT services they are always encourage to pay using Visas, banks and mobile money services.

SPARC System services 10 African countries and has physical offices in Blantyre and Lilongwe as well as in Rwanda, Burundi and Zambia.

The Rwanda office gave the company access to many East African markets and to consolidate its operations, it relocated the position of group head of sales and marketing to be based in Kigali.

Malawian Harry Kasandala stood out as the most qualified person to take up the post from the internal applications from all offices in Malawi, Zambia and Rwanda.

Kasandala is tasked to look after all its operations in Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia and Malawi and his placement in Kigali is strategic to market the brand effectively in the East African market.

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JCInLA
JCInLA
2 years ago

Its so painful for us Malawian Technologists to watch our country awarding such projects to non Malawian company when we, local native, have the professional expertise in this field. Why doesn’t Malawi engage with the local IT companies owned by Malawians?
This idea was proposed by a local IT guy a while back, but there was no appetite from the leaders, just because there was not to much for them, personally. How can we alleviate our local professionals when we are always looking for outsiders to do our work. I hope Malawi will change for the better one day.

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