Blog
0 | 0
Cybersecurity is the practice of protecting systems, networks, and programs from digital attacks. These cyberattack are usually aimed at accessing, changing, or destroying sensitive information; extorting money from users; or interrupting normal business processes.
What is cybersecurity all about?
A successful cybersecurity approach has multiple layers of protection spread across the computers, networks, programs, or data that one intends to keep safe. In an organization, the people, processes, and technology must all complement one another to create an effective defense from cyber attacks.
People
Users must understand and comply with basic data security principles like choosing strong passwords, being wary of attachments in email, and backing up data. Learn more about basic cybersecurity principles.
Processes
Organizations must have a framework for how they deal with both attempted and successful cyber attacks. One well-respected framework and best practices can guide you.
Technology
Technology is essential to giving....
0 | 0
It's end month and the thought of calculating payroll reminds you of your month class.
Do you take a lot of time to do your payroll with Excel? What’s your biggest challenge in doing your monthly payroll?
1. Is it complicated calculations?
2. the time it takes to do payroll on excel?
3. generating a payslips that you could send via email?
4. Or the many different reports you need to churn out?
If you struggle with any of these, I have good news for you.
Sapama, our online payroll system empowers you to process payroll for multiple staff, generate professional payslips branded with your logo, send payslips via email and download NSSF, NHIF, ITAX, P9 reports that are ready for submission.
It's the end of the month, your employees have worked hard through the month, are excited and eagerly awaiting their payslips and are happy but you are not,....
0 | 0
Kenya PAYE TAX RATES
1. KRA ITAX PAYE
KRA ITAX PAYE rates e from 1 January 2018:
| Monthly Taxable Pay (Ksh) | Annual Taxable Pay (Ksh) | Rate of Tax (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 12,298 | Up to 147,580 | 10 |
| 12,299 - 23,885 | 147,581 - 286,623 | 15 |
| 23,886 - 35,472 | 286,624 - 425,666 | 20 |
| 35,473 - 47,059 | 425,667 - 564,709 | 25 |
| Above 47,059 | Above 564,709 | 30 |
Other KRA ITAX PAYE variables:
| Name | Monthly Limit (Ksh) | Annual Limit (Ksh) | Effective Since |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal Relief | 1,408 | 16,896 | 1st January 2018 |
| Insurance Relief | 5,000 | 60,000 | 1st January 2007 |
| Allowable Pension Fund Contribution | 20,000 | 240,000 | 1st January 2006 |
| Allowable HOSP Contribution | 4,000 | 48,000 | 1st January 1999 |
| Owner Occupier Interest | 25,000 | 300,000 | 1st January 2017 |
| Disability Exemption | 150,000 | 1,800,000 | 10th March 2010 |
2. NHIF
Below are the NHIF rates effective from 1 April 2015:
| Gross Pay (Ksh) | Deduction (Ksh) | Gross Pay (Ksh) | Deduction (Ksh) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 5,999 | 150 | 40,000 - 44,999 | 1,000 | |
| 6,000 - 7,999 | 300 | 45,000 - 49,999 | 1,100 | |
| 8,000 - 11,999 | 400 | 50,000 - 59,999 | 1,200 | |
| 12,000 - 14,999 | 500 | 60,000 - 69,999 | 1,300 | |
| 15,000 - 19,999 | 600 | 70,000 - 79,999 | 1,400 | |
| 20,000 - 24,999 | 750 | 80,000 - 89,999 | 1,500 | |
| 25,000 - 29,999 | 850 | 90,000 - 99,999 | 1,600 | |
| 30,000 - 34,999 | 900 | 100,000 and above | 1,700 | |
| 35,000 - 39,999 | 950 |
3. NSSF
New Rates
The new NSSF Act came into effect....
0 | 40
Kaizen, a japanese word, refers to activities that continuously improve your processes. It was popularly advanced by Toyota on how to improve their manufacturing processes and eliminate waste as documented in The Toyota Way.
The concept can also be applied in the service industry as well. It's more of a culture rather than an event.
We applied Kaizen to improve how we shipped our code to production.
Typing:
The initial process involved:
1. Open Directory
cd ~/projects/web/erp
2. Commit the code
git commit -a -m="Upload"
3. Push the code to bitbucket.org or github.com
git push origin master
4. Login to the production server via ssh
ssh root@productionserver.com
5. run command to pull the code from bitbucket to the production server
cd /var/www/productionfolder && git fetch origin master && git reset --hard FETCH_HEAD && git clean -df && chmod -R 777 *
Aliases:
Since typing took a little longer....
0 | 66
If you have a Bulk Payment account, you first transfer funds from your bank account to MPESA MMF Account. Kindly note you cannot send money to a phone number when when it's in your MMF account and you need to transfer the funds from the MMF account to the Utility account. Transferring funds from one account to another needs a maker-checker ie a business manager initiates the transfer and another business manager approves the accounts. This guide assumes that you've already added the certificate to your browser and have two (2) business manager roles.
This guide will take you through the process that involves two main activities:
a). Login and initiate the transfer
b). Login again with a different account to approve the transfer
1. Go tohttps://org.ke.m-pesa.com/orglogin.action and login with the credential of the first business manager
2. Enter the....
0 | 60
1. Sometimes a staff might join us in the middle of the month and we need to pro-rate his/her first salary without editing their basic salary eg Beth joined on the 20th of April. When setting up the staff we set the "Employment Date" under the "Summary of employment contract" to the date when we the employee started working.
2. Sometimes a staff might leave us in the middle of the month and we need to pro-rate his/her exit or last salary without editing their basic salary eg Daniel last day of work is on the 16th of April. When exiting the staff we set the "Termination Reason Category" and "Relieving Date or last day of work" under the "Exit" Section to the last working date of the staff. Note, if you only set the "Termination Reason Category"....
0 | 93
Sapama.com is the world's most comprehensive cloud-based Online, Web-based Property Management Platform that is designed by and for property managers. It bring together property managers, landlords and tenants in one space to streamline, automate and simplify property management processes based on industry best practices.
In the spirit of information sharing in the real estate industry, Sapama.com is focused on empowering users with relevant, reliable and accurate information they need to make smart decisions about homes, real estate and mortgages. Its mission is to build the most vibrant and valuable marketplace in the real estate industry. The website is transforming the way consumers make home-related decisions and connect with professionals.
Sapama.com enables you to;
- raise service charge invoices
- raise water bills based on previous and current readings
- send invoices and receipts and reminders via SMS or email
- record payments and issue a receipt
- integrate to M-PESA....
0 | 38
Project management is the practice of initiating, planning, executing, controlling, and closing the work of a team to achieve specific goals and meet specific success criteria at the specified time. The primary challenge of project management is to achieve all of the project goals within the given constraints. Essentially, the project manager is accountable for the success or failure of a project. Typical responsibilities of a project manager include: Planning, Executing, and Closing projects, defining the project, building its comprehensive work plan, and managing to the budget.
In need of a Project Management Software? Then Sapama Projects is Good News!!.
Sapama Projects is an easy-to-use, online project management software that enables you to keep tabs of your projects and ensure you execute them within time and budget. With a powerful dashboard to enable you visualize your timesheets, tasks and milestones. It helps you to manage your projects by....
0 | 40
For any business enterprise to succeed in its mandate and make profit, there is need for transparent, reliable and accessible financial records. One of the major bottleneck for efficient accounting records is stored financial data in many places such as books, files, data in receipts books and invoices. Locating such data is hectic as some receipts may be misplaced to hide evidence! This poses an organization to a state of financial loss and lack of accountability. The old days of using hard copy files and books are gone! In order to maintain a competitive advantage and proper, well organised accounting records , Sapama Books is here for you!
Sapama Books is an easy-to-use, online accounting software designed for small and mid-sized businesses to manage their finances and stay on top of their cash flow. It is safe and secure, helping you to know where you....
0 | 40
The key component of any business is the customers. They are the reason why you are in business. Therefore , it is fundamental for any organization to tightly hold ,develop and maintain profitable, business- oriented relationship with its customers.
Sapama CRM is a Cloud-based Customer Relationship Management Software that enables you increase your sales and profitability by closing more deals and helps you understand and know your customers by building better customer relationships, interactions and engagements. Sapama CRM is a software is an easy to use software, with an intuitive and consistent interface, coupled with a powerful search functionality. This software greatly helps you to know your customers, improve efficiency by automating and streamlining your marketing process. This reduces cost , consequently increasing sales
The system is safe and secure, with business intelligence and analytics, with an affordable, flexible payments plan, besides giving you alerts....
0 | 41
Human resource is the strategic approach to the effective management of people in an organization, so that they can help the business to gain a competitive advantage. It is designed to maximize employees’ performance , in line with the organization’s goals. It is a department in an organization that deals with concerns that are related to staff. This includes matters such as hiring, compensation, performance, safety, wellness, benefits, motivation and training. HRM plays a strategic he role managing, creating, implementing and supervising policies/regulations, which are mandatory for every employee.
Automation of HR workflow and many of its basic processes helps in increasing efficiency, reduce costs and improve productivity. Organizations that adopt HR technology tools have a competitive advantage over those that do not. Additionally, automation of HRM processes translates to less papers, less forms, less files. This is information is stored in an online database.
....0 | 148
NHIF stand for National Hospital Insurance Fund. It is one of the top government corporations offering health insurance service to Kenyans who have attained the legal age of 18 years and even those below as beneficiaries.The corporation offers reliable, affordable, accessible and quality health insurance cover Kenyans. NHIF is aptly committed to ensure clients get sustainable services through a reliable timely customer care services.
Benefits Package of NHIF
As an enrolled member of NHIF, one is able to enjoy the following benefits:
In -Patient Cover-this applies for someone admitted in hospital(one can access any medical facility for in-patient services).It provides comprehensive medical cover in majority of over 400 accredited Government facilities, Mission health providers and some private health providers across the country. Provides in-patient and high cost hospitals on a co-payment basis.
NB:The services are provided as per the level of accredited facility....
0 | 125
What is NSSF?
NSSF stands for National Social Security Fund. It is a government agency responsible for the collection and safekeeping, responsible investment and distribution of retirement funds of employees in both formal and informal sectors of Kenyan economy. Participation for both employers and employees is compulsory.
Registration as a National Social Security (NSSF) Member/Requirements
Registration to National Social Security Fund is easy and fast as people visit their nearest NSSF to register.
For the employed, one requires:
Original National Identity Card
Alien Card/Passport
Photocopies
Letter of introduction from your employer
You will be registered once your details are recorded and issued with a NSSF membership card with a unique number.
Members can also register online via the NSSF e-service at their website accessed at www.nssf.co.ke
REGISTER AN EMPLOYER WITH NATIONAL SOCIAL
As an employer, NSSF provides the capability for employers to make contributions....
0 | 757
What is PAYE:
“Pay As You Earn” is a method of tax collection and payment method in which an employer is required by law (Income Tax Act Cap 470) to deduct income tax, hospital insurance (NHIF) and social security (NSSF) from an employee's taxable wages, salaries, bonuses, commissions, value of housing and any other income from an office or employment. It does not include earnings from “casual employment” which means any engagement with any one employer which is made for a period of less than one month.
Timeline & Penalties
- The normal P.A.Y.E. calendar year runs from 1st January to 31st December
- The employer is required to submit PAYE is submitted by 9th day of the following month to KRA failure to which attracts a penalty equal to 25% of the amount of tax involved or KES 10,000 whichever is greater. Also, penalty....
0 | 229
- SAPAMA - Send customer the setup template for filling. Mention that the phone number is important for sending of SMSes
- CLIENT - Fills the template and returns
- SAPAMA - Upload the file on Google Drive in the Clients Folder
- SAPAMA - Cleaning of the data
Ensure we have the following fields:
- number - door or house number
- floor - (floor) or block
- from_date - the date when the lease is starting or the first date of the month
- type - residential or commercial in small case
- tenant_phone - primary tenant phone number that will be used to send smses
- tenant_secondary_phone - tenant secondary phone number if any
- tenant_email - primary tenant email address that will be used to send emails
- tenant_secondary_email - tenant secondary email adddress if any
- tenant_document_number - id or passport or certificate of incorporate
- tenant_document_type - 1 if id, 2 if passport, 3 if certificate
- landlord_name - the landlord's name if set or name of....
0 | 379
Model View Controller (MVC) is a design pattern that advocates for separation of the presentation, actual data and business logic of an application. The benefits accrued of this division enhances collaboration and team work. Designers and frontend developers get to work on the presentation side, backend developers on the business logic and database administrators manage the data.
CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) are the basic functions that enable us to create an MVC application. This article will touch on the Create and Update aspect from the "View" or presentation perspective ie the frontend. "Create" and "Update" in MVC can either be API or form driven but the latter is the primary source and largely used way of managing the model. A form is a group of HTML elements that's a representation of an underlying database schema. The form is the face on the mirror of....
1 | 926
Model View Controller (MVC) has been around for a while and it's a good design pattern as it separates the data, user interface and business logic. MVC enables a development team to collaborate and each concern can be done discreetly with a clear way of content negotiation. Content negotiation could be handled via API or objects. In our engineering sprints, we learned that to make the software development process easier, we adapted the MVC to something we referred to "Base MVC". Basically, is means pushing CRUD functions to a base object and have light children objects. Below are three hurdles that we come across as we iterated to come up with the Base MVC.
#Hurdle 1: Repetition
In the course of our software development, we noted there is repetition of code that perform the same actions especially the CRUD - ie Create, Read, Update, Delete. I'll use two Objects....
35 | 11,872
MPESA released their new API (Application Programming Interface) to enable developers to access M-Pesa services;
These include:
- C2B - Customer to busness - This is the normal paybill and and till number service,
- B2C - Business to customer - This enables business to send money directly to a list of phone number from their bulk account. This is a convenient service to pay salaries to many staff to reduce time and error in doing this one by one.
- B2B - Business to business - This enables business to pay other businesses. It's the same as B2C but instead of sending money to a personal phone number, you sent to a paybill or till number.
Early 2017, we launched SapamaCash.com which is an online MPESA Paybill and Buy Good Analytics Dashboard that enables merchants to record payments and customer details from MPESA API and analyse these information in infographic charts....
0 | 1,570
Are you facing the following challenges in your Human Resource Management processes: manually managing employee information, processing payroll in spreadsheets or losing track of leave balances? Paperwork and lack of automation in Human Resource Management leads to inefficiencies, ineffectiveness, is costly and time consuming. Everyone shies away when they hear anything to do with paper. Searching through CV's take ages, calculating payroll elicits memories of calculus and managing leave manually is tedious. Well, SapamaHRM is here to help.
What is SapamaHRM?
SapamaHRM is a strategic investment. It allows your to do more for less. It saves you time and reduces administrative costs involved in employee profile management, payroll processing and leave management. SapamaHRM is a Cloud-based Human Resource Management Platform that simplifies the already complex HR processes.
Since it is an online software and accessible from any location just like Gmail, you don't need to maintain....
1 | 6,952
When a business is starting out they have few employees and can easily handle payroll and human management processes manually or via spreadsheets like excel. With less than five employees the owner can calculate payroll and track leave via excel.
As the business grows and hires more employees, performing human resource management processes manually becomes inefficient and takes a lot of time. As the HR manager continues to hire, the pile of CV's increase on their desks. Keeping paper-based record of employee details becomes complicated especially when you want to search for a given employee. With all records on paper, it's difficulty to understand the organization structure.
In the spirit of keeping your employees happy, the HR manager might give salary advance and advance short-term loans to their employees, but the HR manager can easily forget to deduct these amounts at the end....
0 | 1,975
Have
you been searching for an easy way of leave management for your
employees? If the answer is yes, then SapamaERP.com is here at your
rescue.
In any contemporary business, employees are entitled to different types of leave. Consequently, it is a common phenomenon to hear the management team of different organizations complaining how hard it is to conduct leave management for their employees. SapamaERP.com acknowledges the difficulty in leave management. Thus, SapamaERP.com presents friendly online software for managers to use in leave management of their employees. Notably, SapamaERP.com allows for the configuring of customized types of leave such as annual leave, maternity leave, paternity leave, sick leave and study leave, along with other types of leave offered in different organizations.
Moreover, SapamaERP.com allows the management team of an organization to assign an employee to leave entitlement within a given period. For instance,....
2 | 2,190
Have
you been searching for an easy way of leave management for your
employees? If the answer is yes, then SapamaERP.com is here at your
rescue.
In any contemporary business, employees are entitled to different types of leave. Consequently, it is a common phenomenon to hear the management team of different organizations complaining how hard it is to conduct leave management for their employees. SapamaERP.com acknowledges the difficulty in leave management. Thus, SapamaERP.com presents friendly online software for managers to use in leave management of their employees. Notably, SapamaERP.com allows for the configuring of customized types of leave such as annual leave, maternity leave, paternity leave, sick leave and study leave, along with other types of leave offered in different organizations.
Moreover, SapamaERP.com allows the management team of an organization to assign an employee to leave entitlement within a given period. For instance,....
About us
Sapama ERP is a cloud-based Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software for small and medium sized organizations.