Accenture Labs and Akshaya Patra Use Disruptive Technologies to Enhance Efficiency in Mid-Day Meal Program for School Children
April 20 2017 - 2:29AM
Business Wire
“Million Meals” project applied artificial
intelligence, the Internet of Things and blockchain to drive
efficiency and timeliness of lunch program in government schools
across India
Accenture (NYSE:ACN) and Akshaya Patra, the world’s largest
NGO-run Mid-Day Meal Program, collaborated on an innovative project
that used disruptive technologies to exponentially increase the
number of meals served to children in schools in India that are run
and aided by the government. The “Million Meals” project
revolutionized Akshaya Patra’s supply chain and operations,
resulting in improved food quality and expanded service reach.
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Rooted in a vision to eliminate child hunger, the “Million
Meals” project demonstrated how disruptive technologies such as
artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT) and
blockchain can help address significant challenges in mass meal
production and delivery. Accenture Labs, the research and
development arm of Accenture, executed the project over a period of
six months in Akshaya Patra’s Bengaluru kitchen. An analysis of the
project indicated a potential to improve efficiency by 20 percent,
which could boost the number of meals served by millions. Akshaya
Patra’s goal is to continue to optimize and streamline the
program.
Sanjay Podder, managing director, Accenture Labs, Bengaluru,
said, "The Accenture Labs ‘Tech for Good’ program specializes in
solving complex social problems through the use of innovative
technologies. Accenture Labs was excited to take up the challenge
that every paisa saved in producing a single meal can result in
additional meals being served to children. We thought this was an
ideal proving ground to put the combined power of AI, IoT and
blockchain to use.”
"It is indeed heartening to see big players in technology like
Accenture come forward to lend their expertise and help to address
societal challenges like hunger through the innovative use of
technology,” said Shridhar Venkat, CEO, The Akshaya Patra
Foundation. “This initiative not only enhanced efficiency while
giving a boost to our operations, but ensured that quality
standards are met while increasing the number of meals served. We
aim to expand our reach to millions of more children with the help
of such technologies. This is just the beginning; we look forward
to more collaborations with Accenture.”
Accenture Labs began the project with a strategic assessment and
design thinking, then developed a prototype for improving kitchen
operations and outcomes. Technologies were then applied to four
critical processes: collecting school feedback, tracking food
delivery, measuring the quantity of food and supplies to be
purchased, and monitoring meal production.
As a result of these process enhancements, Akshaya Patra
improved their audit capabilities, attendance recording, invoice
processing and payment, order and data collection, and food
preparation operations, allowing for expanded production
capabilities and establishing a blueprint for operating other
kitchens.
An example of Akshaya Patra’s transformation was its move from
manual collection of feedback from children and schools to a more
efficient technology-based solution. Using blockchain and
sensor-enabled devices, the technical team gathered feedback
digitally, leveraging AI technologies to predict the next day’s
meal requirements. The team tracked the timeliness of food
delivered to each school involved in the initiative and collected
the data using mobile devices and an Accenture-built system.
The team also used IoT sensors to monitor and sequence the
cooking process to ensure optimum energy consumption and consistent
food quality. This system not only aided in tracking kitchen
performance but also provided accurate, real-time data to identify
trends, make better informed decisions and save valuable time and
effort.
About The Akshaya Patra Foundation
The Akshaya Patra Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation
headquartered in Bengaluru, India. The organisation strives to
fight issues like hunger and malnutrition in India. By implementing
the Mid-Day Meal Scheme in Government schools and Government aided
schools, The Akshaya Patra Foundation aims not only to fight hunger
but also to bring children to school.
Since 2000, the organisation has worked towards reaching more
children with wholesome food on every single school day. Akshaya
Patra Foundation is continuously leveraging technology to cater to
millions of children. Its state-of-the-art kitchens have become a
subject of study and they attract curious visitors from around the
world. In partnership with the Government of India and various
State Governments and inestimable support from many philanthropic
donors and well-wishers; Akshaya Patra has grown from humble
beginnings serving just 1,500 school children across 5 schools.
Today, Akshaya Patra Foundation is the world’s largest
(not-for-profit run) Mid-Day Meal Programme serving wholesome food
to over 1.6 million children from 13,529 schools across 11 states
in India.
For more details, please log on: www.akshayapatra.org.
About Accenture
Accenture is a leading global professional services company,
providing a broad range of services and solutions in strategy,
consulting, digital, technology and operations. Combining unmatched
experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries
and all business functions – underpinned by the world’s largest
delivery network – Accenture works at the intersection of business
and technology to help clients improve their performance and create
sustainable value for their stakeholders. With approximately
401,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries,
Accenture drives innovation to improve the way the world works and
lives. Visit us at www.accenture.com.
Accenture Labs invents the future for Accenture, our
clients and the market. Focused on solving critical business
problems with advanced technology, Accenture Labs brings fresh
insights and innovations to our clients, helping them capitalize on
dramatic changes in technology, business and society. Our dedicated
team of technologists and researchers work with leaders across the
company to invest in, incubate and deliver breakthrough ideas and
solutions that help our clients create new sources of business
advantage. For more information,
visit www.accenture.com/labs.
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The Akshaya Patra FoundationNeelima Somashekar, + 91
8494946081neelima.somashekar@akshayapatra.orgorAccentureKiran
Balasubramanian, + 91 9886771250kiran.bala@accenture.com
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