Digitally transforming operations at Al Gihaz Holding
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DECEMBER 2019
Digitally transforming operations at Al Gihaz Holding WRITTEN BY
WILLIAM SMITH PRODUCED BY
MICHAEL BANYARD 03
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AL GIHAZ HOLDING
FATHI MUGHRABI, CIO OF AL GIHAZ HOLDING, ON THE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION PROGRAMME REAPING REWARDS AT THE ORGANISATION
S
audi Arabia’s Al Gihaz Holding incorporates a group of companies in different domains, from power solutions
contracting/manufacturing and communications, through to security solutions and creative design. 04
The group is actively diversifying and acquiring more businesses to adapt to economic changes in the region. Digital transformation at Al Gihaz informs – and is informed by – that changing operating model, as CIO Fathi Mughrabi explains: “Before, the company was dependent on projects coming from big companies like the Saudi Electricity Company, Aramco and others. We were not concentrating on marketing and business development. Usually, we were approached by the customer. Now, we are going to the customer through different channels and trying to understand and formalise the requirements to form new projects.”
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“DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IS A DIRECTION FOR THE WHOLE COMPANY AND SPONSORED BY TOP MANAGEMENT” — Fathi Mughrabi, CIO, Al Gihaz Holding
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AL GIHAZ HOLDING
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This ethos manifests in the three
introduced in the market by chang-
pillars constituting the transforma-
ing their offerings. We are working
tion. The changing approach to
towards being a leader in the market,
customer experience serves as the
so we need to change the way the
first, while Mughrabi explains the
organisation’s products and services
other two: “Another is the transfor-
are being offered.”
mation of operational processes. Our
Opportunities for digital transfor-
earlier processes were semi-manual
mation to make a difference have
or partially automated. Now we use
come in different areas. “Digital
technology and industrial best prac-
transformation is a direction for the
tice in addition to automation. Third
whole company and is sponsored
is the business model transforma-
by top management,” says Mughrabi.
tion. Our competitors are benefiting
“We are looking to enhance perfor-
from the new disruptive technologies
mance, minimise costs and improve
CLICK TO WATCH : ‘BELECTRIC SOLAR PROJECTS’
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speed and accuracy. In addition,
require data collection and data
we are enhancing our offerings to
analysis in order to give a 360
customers. We need to be ahead of
degree view of the project. We have
others, introducing new digital prod-
multiple systems and solutions that
ucts and new services.”
generate project data, which will
Of particular importance, he says,
then be compiled to generate more
has been making better use of data.
useful information. Data collection
“We are working on introducing
and analysis, therefore, is something
dashboards and advanced reports
that we are focusing on. It’s about
to make decision-making richer and
using more advanced, intelligent
accurate. We would evaluate data
solutions to get more from the data
through statistics, trend analysis,
that we have – because we consider
forecasts, and so on. For example,
data to be a company asset that will
we have projects in progress that
help management to make the right w w w.a l gi h a z . com
AL GIHAZ HOLDING
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decisions and steer the organisation
an integrated suite from Oracle. “We
towards a better future.”
are currently in the go-live stage for
One area of focus has been on
implementing Oracle Fusion, which
migrating the company’s legacy sys-
includes solutions for human capital
tems to cloud solutions. “We know that
management, finance, supply chain
cloud computing is becoming an indus-
management (including procurement
try standard for business solutions,
and inventory), and planning and
and we know that there are many tech-
budgeting. It also covers projects, cus-
nologies that can give us a competitive
tomer experience and maintenance.
edge over others, thanks to their
In addition to this, we are enhancing
agility, performance, flexibility and the
our project management through
engagement model,” says Mughrabi. Al
integration with Primavera, project
Gihaz has taken full advantage of these
management software that’s now part
emergent technologies, alighting on
of the Oracle suite.”
Other expert partners are helping Al Gihaz deliver on its digital transformation. “We are also utilising Microsoft
we are working on making use of all the features available there.” Amid this transformation, Mughrabi
technologies to enhance internal
sees the role of the CIO as one neces-
processes and performance,” says
sitating proactivity. “The traditional CIO
Mughrabi. We shifted from an on-
and IT strategy usually starts with the
premise solution to Office 365, and
business direction and objectives,” he
E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE
Fathi Mughrabi Fathi Mughrabi is a senior management and IT professional possessing 25+ years of experience across diversified national and international business domains in the private and public sectors covering the banking, automotive, construction, trading, utilities, manufacturing and consulting domains. Mughrabi is well versed in aligning IT with enterprise direction and objectives to enable business excellence by developing, implementing and supporting strategies. In addition, he has hands-on experience in digital transformation strategies. While commencing his career, Mughrabi gained experience in many aspects of IT, while leveraging his knowledge to management and enterprise strategic dimension. He holds a BSc. in Computer Science from the University of Jordan, a higher-diploma in business management from NCCEducation/UK, and an MBA from the University of Northampton in the UK.
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AL GIHAZ HOLDING
1975
Year founded
HQ
Riyadh, Central
3,000 Number of employees
10
11
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13 says. “After that, IT is aligned to enable the business to achieve its objectives. The fourth industrial revolution has brought disruptive technologies that affect and threaten business existence. This is game changing. I believe the new CIO should be developing a digital transformation model, researching new technologies and how they’re affecting the core business of the organisation, in order to sustain success in the next phase of
“WE KNOW THAT CLOUD COMPUTING IS BECOMING AN INDUSTRY STANDARD FOR BUSINESS SOLUTIONS” — Fathi Mughrabi, CIO, Al Gihaz Holding
digital transformation.” As for the future, Al Gihaz is looking forward to reaping the rewards w w w.a l gi h a z . com
AL GIHAZ HOLDING
“I BELIEVE THE NEW CIO SHOULD BE DEVELOPING A DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION MODEL” — Fathi Mughrabi, CIO, Al Gihaz Holding
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of digital transformation. “The next phase will be focusing on stabilising and utilising the new solutions, so that we can realise the return on investment from what we have done,” says Mughrabi. “Then we will be going into business intelligence, where the data generated from those solutions can help the management to take the right decision through accurate and timely presented reports and dashboards. As part of our transformation, Al Gihaz is also diversifying the products it is offering to the market. We’ve started on renewable energy with solar, and I believe there are other renewable energy initiatives that could be introduced like wind and other sources, in addition to smart solutions.”
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Riyadh, Saudi Arabia T +966(11)4609000 www.algihaz.com