Smart SMB September 2019 by Business Media International

RUN A MORE CONNECTED BUSINESS. STREAMLINE KEY BUSINESS PROCESSES. GAIN FINANCIAL INSIGHT AND DRIVE RESULTS. Keep your Edge with Sage Business Cloud. Be Sage. For more information call 800SAGE, email meinfo@sage.com and visit www.sage.com/en-ae

STRATEGY

CROSSWINDS OF CHANGE PUBLISHED BY Business Media International REGISTERED OFFICE: Office 10, Sharjah Media City www.bmi-digital.com EDITOR IN CHIEF Raman Narayan narayan@bmimea.com Mob: 971-55-7802403 SALES DIRECTOR Ankit Shukla ankit@bmimea.com Tel: 971-4-2618885, Mob: 971-552572807 EDITORS Diksha Vohra editor@smartsmb.net Tel: 971-4-2618885, Mob: 971-506395616 Baraka Jefwa baraka@bmimea.com Tel: 971-4-2618885 CIRCULATION MANAGER Bhawana Bhatia bhawana@smartsmb.net Tel: 971-4-2618885 SALES R. Subramanyan subu@bmimea.com Tel: 971-4-2618885 FINANCE Akhilesh Pandey akhilesh@bmimea.com Tel: 971-4-2618885

It has been almost a year since the inaugural edition of Smart SMB Summit & Awards was held in Dubai. Since then, the summit has been held in other countries of the region, successfully and driving the awareness around the need to accelerate digital transformation. We are now poised to hold the 2nd edition of the Smart SMB Summit & Awards happening at the Atlantis on the 11th of September, that is expected tosee attendance from a large number of mid-market ‘C’ level decision makers. The platform’s objectives include highlighting the advantages around making a quicker transition towards new IT infrastructure, as part of digital transformation. Digital Transformation is a journey for all, not a final destination as technologies continue to evolve, improving ways products and services are delivered, enhancing customer engagement touch points and so on. It is also interesting to see that the local economies of the region are diversifying at a quick pace, which is key to building stability. The UAE with significant investments in industries including manufacturing, education, healthcare, tourism, Fintech and so on, is making its mark as one of the most forward looking countries globally. Expo 2020 being held in the UAE should only accelerate that momentum next year. A marked increase in number of companies starting out is quite likely over the next year, perhaps as entrepreneurial ventures from industry veterans. Thatseems to be a trend towards of late. Those who have worked for a few years in the local industry, will always have the combination of expertise and industry relationships, which is key to enable a fine beginning for any Business. These seasoned industry experts will know the gaps that exist in their segment and evolve those new Businesses incorporating some new innovations. But besides the innovations, the trick would be to capture mindshare of customers and retain them long enough.

R. Narayan Editor in Chief, Smart SMB

Management Chairman S.N. Tiwari

CEO Saumyadeep Halder

Publisher Raman Narayan

Managing Director Ankit Shukla

sn.tiwari@bmimea.com

narayan@bmimea.com

saumyadeep@bmimea.com

ankit@bmimea.com

Disclaimer: While every effort has been made to validate the accuracy of all information included in the magazine, the publishers wouldn’t be liable for any errors therein Copyright@2019 Business Media International LLC. All rights reserved.

August 2019 / SMARTSMB

CONTENT

CONTENTS cover story

strategy AS PURE AS GOLD

Healthcare TRANSFORMATION AT FULL THROTTLE

EXPLORING THE SCOPE OF 3D PRINTING IN HEALTHCARE

Talkpoint A peer into the future of BFSI

Preventing Phishing attacks

AN HONEST CONCIERGE FOR YOUR HOUSING COMFORT

Hospitality Hotels in UAE get Expo-ready 36

spotlight

To data or not, that is the question! SMARTSMB / September 2019

Leveraging ERP to overcome Industry 4.0 challenges

Steering your salesforce

IT Directory

Techwatch

Market Monitor

NEWS

EMIRATES NBD, DIFC FINTECH UAE HIVE CERTIFY STARTUPS UN- construction DER API SANDBOX PROGRAM sector shows The platform, which was opened up to developers and FinTech firms, consists of over 200 APIs and 500 end points covering retail, corporate and SMEs.

Abdulla Qassem

Group Chief Operating Officer, Emirates NBD

Emirates NBD, a leading bank in the region, together with the DIFC FinTech Hive, the largest financial technology accelerator in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA), are the first in the region to certify FinTech startups who have successfully used the Emirates NBD’s API (Application Programming Interface) Sandbox to create and demonstrate working innovative financial solutions. The five FinTech startups that successfully presented their product integration with Emirates NBD’s API Sandbox, and graduated from the initiative with a certificate of collaboration, were as follows: • Monimove, a digital trade finance/ supply chain solution • Norbloc, a shared know-your-customer (KYC) solution using distributed ledgers (Blockchain) • Gamechanger, a keyboard banking solution which helps you bank while chatting • Leap FinTech, a digital onboarding solution for small and medium-sized enterprises • Bankbuddy, a chatbot for the financial industry Launched by Emirates NBD Future Lab SMARTSMB / September 2019

in 2018, the API Sandbox is a first in the region, marking an important milestone in the bank’s AED 1 billion digital transformation programme. The platform, which was opened up to developers and FinTech firms, consists of over 200 APIs and 500 end points covering retail, corporate and SMEs. Developers also have access to over five million simulated customer transactions based on the BIAN (Banking Industry Architecture Network) model. Commenting on the announcement, Abdulla Qassem, Group Chief Operating Officer, Emirates NBD, said: “As a pioneer of innovation in the region’s banking sector, Emirates NBD is proud to certify five FinTech startups in collaboration with DIFC FinTech Hive. We are confident that this initiative will pave the path for many more collaborations in the future between banks and FinTechs in the region, helping tackle various challenges while delivering a smarter and more secure customer experience in the process.” Evans Munyuki, Chief Digital Officer, Emirates NBD, said: “Emirates NBD is playing an active role in accelerating innovative collaboration in the UAE and the wider region. Initiatives such as the API Sandbox, offer a secure and safe environment for FinTechs and internal bank developers to innovate, collaborate, prototype, and accelerate speed to market using meaningful API calls and synthetic data samples.” “This even paves the way for inclusion of government partnerships with banks and FinTechs. We are pleased to support leading accelerators such as the DIFC FinTech Hive, while connecting with startups and technology providers to find new ways to solve old and new problems as we build banking solutions for the future.” Munyuki added.

signs of resilience

The sector is seeing growing investment in technology innovation The UAE construction sector remains optimistic, with just over half (53 percent) expecting 6-10 percent growth next year, KPMG’s Global Construction Survey has revealed. Industry leaders surveyed in the UAE are optimistic about growth prospects, and are confident that technology and governance are likely to play a significant role in the construction sector in the next five years. Professionals however remain divided over whether companies in the UAE are delivering projects on time and within budget, with time (44 percent) and cost (44 percent) overruns ranking as the top hurdles facing capital construction projects. These concerns are being addressed as the industry adopts methodologies to link governance to project outcomes. UAE industry leaders recognize that well-run projects, with good management practices and appropriate controls, are more likely to achieve broad measures of success in the future. Sidharth Mehta, Partner, Head of Building, Construction & Real Estate, KPMG Lower Gulf, said: “The construction sector is the lifeblood of the UAE economy and it is very encouraging to see that the industry is expecting single to double digit growth this year. As the pace of disruption accelerates, leaders will have to consider implementing a three-pronged approach to rationalize governance and controls, optimize human performance and innovate with technology, to become more fu-

NEWS

ture-ready.” The UAE is already seeing technological disruption in the sector, through 3D printing and automation. According to KPMG’s global findings, the use of robots in the field, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and intelligent tools and equipment will continue to automate many of the less complex and highrisk tasks at the job site, leading to a leaner, more specialized and digitally enabled workforce. Looking ahead, over 80 percent of UAE industry leaders felt that digital modular fabrication will be widely implemented within the next ten years, followed by intelligent construction equipment (56 percent) and robots (25 percent). The use of data analytics and predictive modeling will also play an important role in the next five years. However, technological investment will be useless without a strong workforce at the helm. People form the backbone of the industry and leaders need to invest in human capital to drive overall performance and ensure on-time project delivery. “Construction companies that continue to invest in people and implement a technology-enabled strategic road map will be well positioned to face industry disruption and improve their capital and program performance, putting them on the fast-paced track to growth”, added Mehta.

Sidharth Mehta

Partner, Head of Building, Construction & Real Estate, KPMG Lower Gulf

PROMINENT BUSINESS LEADERS JOIN DUBAI CHAMBER’S GBF MENTORSHIP PROGRAMME The GBF Mentorship Programme is an extension of Dubai Chamber’s Global Business Forum on Africa platform and event series.

Business leaders from the UAE and Africa to mentor high-potential startups as they build their businesses and target new market opportunities; announcement comes ahead of the 5th Global Business Forum (GBF) on Africa, taking place on November 18th19th 2019 in Dubai; first-of-its-kind mentorship programme aims to foster cross-border cooperation between UAE and African startup communities Eight prominent business leaders have been selected to mentor high-potential startups from the UAE and Africa participating in Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Global Business Forum (GBF) Mentorship. Four UAE-based mentors and four Africa-based mentors have joined the first-of-its-kind programme which aims to foster cross-border cooperation between the two startup communities and help participants expand their global presence. The selected mentors offer a wealth of expertise in a wide range of fields, including, technology, education, retail, construction and finance. All of the mentors have a proven track record in building business and driving the growth of startups companies. As part of the programme, the UAE-based mentors will team up with the selected African startups and guide them over a three-month period, while the Africa-based mentors will do the same for the UAE startups.

Following the mentorship phase of the programme, the participating startups will have an opportunity to exhibit at the 5thGlobal Business Forum on Africa in Dubai on November 18th-19th 2019 and boost their exposure within UAE and African markets and business communities. The eight mentors joining the programme are: • Aboyeji Iyinoluwa, Managing Partner at Street Capital; • Chris Folayan, Founder and CEO of Mall for Africa; • Eghosa Omoigui, Founder and managing Partner of EchoVC; • Jonathan Berman, CEO of J.E. Berman Associates; • Nassib Boueri, CEO of Wunderman MENA; • Chris Thomas, CO-CEO and Co-founder of Eureeca; • Cynthia Corby, the Middle East Construction Industry Leader for Deloitte • Nader Amiri, Founder and CEO of el Grocer; The GBF Mentorship Programme is an extension of Dubai Chamber’s Global Business Forum on Africa platform and event series. Prior to the selection of the participating mentors and startups, the first-ever Chamberthon event was held in Kigali, Rwanda, earlier this year which was joined by 20 UAE and African startups that collaborated to develop the foundation and structure of the mentorship programme.

NEWS

Help AG advances AI-powered Cybersecurity abilities with Exabeam Partnership Help AG will bring to market Exabeam’s industry-leading SIEM and user and entity behaviour analytics (UEBA) solutions Further augmenting its capabilities in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) for cybersecurity, Help AG announced a new partnership with Exabeam, the Smarter SIEM company. As the Middle East focus partner for Exabeam, Help AG will bring to market Exabeam’s industry-leading security information and event management (SIEM) and user and entity behaviour analytics (UEBA) solutions. This will empower regional enterprises to detect, investigate and respond to cyberattacks more efficiently and effectively. This new partnership is in line with Help AG’s AI strategy. Over the last year, the security services and solutions provider has worked closely with several industry-leading technology vendors to develop and deliver practical and impactful use-cases for AI in the context of cybersecurity. Explaining how Exabeam furthers this strategy, Stephan Berner, CEO at Help

AG said, “Through the application of AI to critical labour-intensive tasks, Exabeam expertly enables cybersecurity teams to refocus their efforts on risk rather than events. This is especially beneficial in the region, as these solutions can alleviate the workload on understaffed IT teams, while delivering an elevated ability to detect and mitigate the impact of complex cyberattacks.” Exabeam is a recognised leader in the SIEM and UEBA marketplace. It offers the comprehensive Exabeam Security Management Platform (SMP) that enables organizations to take advantage of big data, advanced analytics, and automation capabilities to reduce time to investigate and contain threats by 51 percent. Exabeam’s solutions integrate seamlessly with key technologies in Help AG’s portfolio – such as security solutions from Splunk and Vectra – as well as with cloud environments such as Microsoft Office 365, AWS, Google, and Salesforce. These

Stephan Berner CEO, Help AG

integrations allow Help AG to unlock the full potential of our customers’ existing cybersecurity investments. “Exabeam’s solutions perfectly complement the security technologies that form the core of Help AG’s product portfolio, thereby enabling us to create highly effective turn-key solutions for our customers. Furthermore, we have deployed these solutions within our own Cybersecurity Operations Centre (CSOC), thereby enhancing our 24x7 Managed Security Services (MSS) offering,” Berner said. “As a truly advanced provider of cybersecurity services in the Middle East, Help AG is an ideal partner for Exabeam,” said Brett Candon, VP, EMEA Channels, Exabeam. “Together, we can help more enterprises investigate and respond to security events in minutes, not days, and enable security operations ceter analysts to work smarter. They are a welcome addition to our Exabeam Partner Program.”

Veeam to drive Middle East Businesses to adopt Cloud Data Management at GITEX The focus will be on the 5 Stages of Cloud Data Management VeeamSoftware, announced its participation at GITEX Technology Week, taking place between 6 -10 October 2019 at the Dubai World Trade Centre. Executives from Veeam will share its vision for Cloud Data Management, delivering live demonstrations of Veeam Availability Platform - the most complete solution to help customers evolve the way they manage data, from policy- to behavior-based, and make it smartSMARTSMB / September 2019

er and self-governing, ensuring it’s available across any application and any cloud infrastructure. Claude Schuck, regional manager, Middle East at Veeam said: “As the importance of data has grown to drive every aspect of the digital business, so has the need for solutions that ensure information is available at any time, no matter where it resides. There is

Claude Schuck

Regional Manager, Middle East, Veeam

NEWS

Zendesk Introduces WhatsApp for Zendesk New WhatsApp Business API tool delivers on Zendesk’s vision to connect customer conversations across web, mobile, and social messaging Zendesk has announced WhatsApp for Zendesk, a new WhatsApp Business API connector, that allows businesses to quickly and easily reach and respond to WhatsApp users. Zendesk offers a trusted messaging solution that pulls in all customer conversations into a cohesive interface across web, mobile and social messaging. With these enhanced capabilities, Zendesk now powers even more WhatsApp numbers around the world and allows companies to get up and running with the WhatsApp Business API faster than before. Unveiled at Zendesk Showcase São Paulo, WhatsApp for Zendesk enables companies around the world to provide a better customer experience in a preferred channel. WhatsApp for Zendesk is built on technology from Zendesk’s recent acquisition of Smooch, and marks an important next step in delivering the next wave of connected conversations on additional channels such as Facebook Messenger, LINE, WeChat, Telegram, Twitter DM and more. “WhatsApp for Zendesk marks the next phase of our integration with the WhatsApp Business API as a business solution provider and reinforces our commitment to bringing brands and their customers modern messag-

a new expectation for data in today’s enterprise:Data must move to a higher state of intelligence and be able to anticipate need and meet demand. Data must also move securely across multicloud infrastructures and meet the expectations of the mobile, always-on world.” According to the 2019 Veeam Cloud Data Management Report, 72% of organizations are looking to embrace Cloud Data Management and are transitioning to cloud strategies. Only 24% of enterprises in the Middle East describe their digital initiatives as mature. To help them on their journey, at GITEX, Veeam will educate regional

ing experiences on the apps of their choice,” said Warren Levitan, Vice President, Conversational Business at Zendesk. “Ultimately, we’re making it easier for companies and customers to communicate in a way that is faster, more convenient and more natural.” As customers increasingly expect to communicate with businesses in the same way they do with friends and family, the best experiences will be driven by the ability to create a seamless, continuous conversation between customers and organizations across multiple communication channels. More than 1.5 billion people in over 180 countries use WhatsApp, making it the largest messaging app in the world. With WhatsApp for Zendesk, businesses can: • Get up and running on WhatsApp in less time without any new workflows or agent training required • Engage with their customers over WhatsApp and manage messaging conversations in the same way as other support conversations in any other channel • Take advantage of new WhatsApp features for agents to better manage

organizations on this journey and outline the 5 Stages of Cloud Data Management: • Stage 1: BACKUP - Protect all workloads using backups, complemented by snapshots and replication where appropriate, to ensure they are always recoverable and available in the event of outages, attack, loss or theft • Stage 2: CLOUD MOBILITY - ExpandsStage 1 to include multi-cloud environments — backing up and moving data to, from and within the cloud • Stage 3: VISIBILITY - View the full breadth of your data, accompanied by the infrastructure that it passes through and resides on, so you can

Warren Levitan

VP, Conversational Business, Zendesk real-time conversations such as a customizable auto-responder specifically for WhatsApp • Stay on top of asynchronous WhatsApp conversations with a new, dedicated notification panel to alert agents to recent responses on WhatsApp Zendesk has made significant inroads in the UAE and the rest of the Middle East where it counts several leading companies among its clientele. Companies including Cafu, Wahed Invest, Beam Wallet, Osm, Namshi.com, Apparel Group, Sun Sand and Sports, Mumzworld, Careem, Noon and many others are using Zendesk products to improve their customer service and provide best in class omnichannel experiences. pivot from reactive to proactive management for better business decisions Stage 4: ORCHESTRATION - Optimize data utilization across multi-cloud environments with workﬂows that ensure consistent execution of otherwise manual and complex recovery orchestration and data-management tasks • Stage 5: AUTOMATION - Data becomes self-managing by learning to protect itself with appropriate SLAs, methods and locations to meet business objectives or comply with broader IT initiatives. Veeam will have its own dedicated stand #C20 in Hall 7 at DWTC. September 2019 / SMARTSMB

NEWS

BULWARK EXPANDS GITEX FOOTPRINT

The distributor reiterates the importance of building a strong, integrated security infrastructure in the region With an intense focus on boosting the IT security, communications & technology industries in the Middle East region, UAE-based Bulwark Technologies, one of the pioneering IT specialized value added distributors has an array of internationally acclaimed products lined up to be showcased at Gitex Technology Week 2019.

ships and demonstrate their ‘Best in Class’ products and solutions like Enterprise DLP,Web Application Vulnerability Scanner, Secure Encrypted Flash Drives/Hard Discs, Hardware Security Module (HSM) amongst others and elaborate on their collaboration with key vendors to act as their extended arms in the Middle East Region.

Gearing up for the event, the company has reiterated the importance of building a strong, integrated security infrastructure in the region. Located in Sheikh Rashid Hall, stand SR-D20, Bulwark will highlight its end-to-end security solutions and customer-centric distribution strategies during the show.

“For Gitex, where we have been showcasing for over a decade now, we employ a two-pronged approach. We not only showcase optimum technologies catching pace in this region, but also introduce newer technologies that are gaining acceleration for their ease of use across the globe. Our approach this year has been driven based on a strong demand in the security distribution market.’ says Mr. Jose Thomas Menacherry, MD of Bulwark.

The leading Value-Added Distributor will announce some major partner-

DELL TECHNOLOGIES ADVANCES SOFTWARE-DEFINED NETWORKING

New Dell EMC SD-WAN Solution helps customers move to a SDWAN platform that uses cloud capabilities and economics. At VMworld 2019, Dell Technologies announced new advancements in software-defined networking so customers can simplify and help lower the cost of networking in today’s multicloud world. “Dell EMC and VMware are rebuilding the network for the cloud era - with everything open, automated and software-defined,” said Tom Burns, senior vice president & general manager, Dell EMC Networking & Solutions. “New SDWAN solutions powered by VMware and network fabric management delivered by SmartFabric Director raise the stakes when it comes to network virtualization and security in today’s highly-distributed software-defined enterprise. We’re just getting started on our combined innovation.” Legacy wide area networks (WANs) SMARTSMB / September 2019

struggle to keep up with the modern, multi-cloud traffic demands. At the edge, the new Dell EMC SD-WAN Solution helps customers move away from complex, slow-to-innovate and expensive branch office networking to a SD-WAN platform that uses cloud capabilities and economics. Previewed at Dell Technologies World, the new solution is now globally available and supported. This Dell EMC SD-WAN Solution delivers all-in-one simplicity - combining VMware SD-WAN by VeloCloud software available as a flexible subscription with highly-engineered and efficient modern appliances in multiple configuration options - all backed by worldclass Dell EMC support, supply chain, and services. VMware SD-WAN by VeloCloud includes:

Bulwark today has an established network of over 500 resellers throughout UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait,Egypt, Lebanon & Jordan regions. The company has also expanded its operations in the Indian sub-continent with an office in Bangalore, India. The company is currently celebrating two decades of cyber security excellence in the region. a choice of public, private or hybrid cloud network for enterprise-grade connection to cloud and enterprise applications; branch office enterprise appliances and optional data center appliances; software-defined control and automation; and virtual services delivery. Software subscription options can be upgraded to accommodate changing business requirements for features, duration and bandwidth. The Dell EMC SD-WAN Solution has three key components: SD-WAN Edge powered by VMware networking specific, purpose-built appliances designed for high efficiency and reliability SD-WAN Orchestrator - cloud-based management and orchestration software services from VMware, managed by Dell EMC SD-WAN Gateways - a global network of more secure, application-focused access gateways from VMware to handle WAN traffic

Marketing Sales

One unified platform to run your entire business HR

Finance Operations

30 day free trial: zoho.com/one

NEWS / KENYA

SWVL SET FOR KES 1.5B CASH INJECTION INTO KENYAN MARKET

Move to increase their investment and the routes they operate in is seen as the official launch of SWVL services in Kenya. Shuttle-hailing firm SWVL announced plans to pump $15 million (KES 1.5 billion) into its Kenyan operations. This financial injection will not only go into improving their current operations but will also aid them in scaling the business into other towns and routes. SWVL co-founder and CEO, Mostafa Kandil made the announcement when speaking at a press briefing in Nairobi. “Kenya is a market with a need for a stable solution for the perennial traffic snarl ups and SWVL believes that we can be of great benefit to the local consumer and the transport sector as a whole,” said Mr. Kandil. “We are very excited to provide a solution that makes the lives of Kenyans easier whilst proving beneficial to the Kenyan

transport sector,” he added. In addition to the funding, the team also announced that they will be adding more routes to their offering. SWVL initially had four routes when they launched in Kenya in Feb 2019, and has over the last six months since increased to fifty-five routes. They are now due to add more routes to cover more areas in Nairobi, as well as begin operations outside the capital city. "I believe the potential for growth and value creation is tremendous and given the different entities providing varied solutions, we are looking to fill a gap that has yet to be sufficiently covered by what is already available. That is what has prompted us to expand

our route offering to match the convenience of ride-hailing services but at the same time matching the capacity provided by the traditional matatu industry for an even larger customer base than we have before", said Shivachi Muleji, SWVL GM for Kenya. SWVL recently closed its $42 million Series B-2 funding led by BECO Capital and Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures. This increased the start-up’s valuation to $150 million and comes almost seven months after it was valued at around $100 million after the last round of fund raising. This makes it among the best funded start-ups in the region.

MICROSOFT APPOINTS JACK NGARE AS MD OF ITS ADC IN KENYA

The ADC is helping Microsoft better listen to their customers, develop locally and scale for global impact Microsoft has appointed Jack Ngare as the managing director Africa Development Centre (ADC) in Kenya that the company launched in May 2019. With more than 15 years of experience in various business functions, Ngare joins Microsoft from Finserve Africa part of Equity Group where he served as managing director. Ngare brings a wealth of in-depth knowledge around topics like management, telecommunications, financial services and emerging technology. Prior to his work at Finserve Africa, Ngare held position at Stanbic Bank, NIC Bank, as well as spending seven years at British Telecom with assignments in the UK, Saudi Arabia, Peru and Japan. Ngare holds a Master’s degree SMARTSMB / September 2019

in management from Harvard University, a Master’s degree in advanced computer science and a Bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of Leicester. “The ADC is unlike any other existing investment on the continent, helping us better listen to our customers, develop locally and scale for global impact,” says Mike Fortin, corporate vice president at Microsoft and the leader who established the first ADC engineering team in Nairobi. “We’ve been adding to our team of engineers aggressively, and to have Jack leading this talented group is fantastic.” ADC engineers are already working with local partners and customers on key issues for Kenya, Africa and the

Jack Ngare

Managing Director, ADC, Kenya

rest of the world. The ADC gives Kenyan talent the opportunity to work on cutting-edge technology, creating solutions for local and global impact, while reinforcing the countries’ position as a leading digital innovation hub. Microsoft engineers in Kenya will able to do meaningful work from their home country, while still being part of a global engineering and development organisation.

TALKPOINT

A PEER INTO THE FUTURE OF BFSI In a chat with Smart SMB, Sunil Paul, Co-founder & COO Finesse, a global software system integrator based in Dubai, UAE looks at the future of BFSIs in the region. By Baraka Jefwa The UAE federal government is expected to continue to pursue its diversification program through large-scale infrastructure investment in transport, tourism, manufacturing, technology and ports, according to a report published by Deloitte. The economic outlook remains expansionary in the foreseeable future to support the diversification program, which will continue to have a positive impact on the banking sector as the backbone of the economy. Technology will also have a role to play in helping the banking sector maintain its status in the economy. To understand more on how this can be made possible Smart SMB Magazine held an interview with, Sunil Paul, Co-founder & COO Finesse, a global software system integrator based in Dubai, UAE, to help us look at the future of BFSIs in the region. “At the moment, API banking in this region is not popular, this is not to mean that banking is not changing. Banking as a concept is changing in the region; we are not going to physical banks as much as we used to, instead we rely on internet banking and mobile banking for our banking services,” said Mr. Paul. Mr. Paul adds that in the future banking will not be a business by itself; instead, banking will have to integrate into people’s lives in order to support their daily routines by virtually managing their funds and providing a mode of currency. “Where API banking comes in this perspective is that customers actual

banking will be done by other companies, for example: Souq.com, Amazon or Netflix. So, banks will open to multiple domains all together; hence any retail entity you want, becomes your bank,” continued Mr. Paul. “This transformation is happening everywhere. There are two kinds of transformations one is the business transformation and the other is the digital transformation. The business transformation is important, because if you continue to do the business the same way you risk closing. Digital transformation tremendously improves the way you do your digital,” elaborated Mr. Paul. Further explaining about digital transformation, Mr. Paul points out that BFSIs do not need independent infrastructures as they can put everything onto cloud, and it can be accessible from everywhere, the business can gather data and start using it for analysis to gain insight on their customers for better service delivery. “BFSIs can use chatbots to interact with their customers for a better and more timely experience. There is technology called robotic process automation; which is what the manual robots used to do but the software robots are doing now. The other technologies coming are Blockchain and customer experience management. All these technologies are being adopted by various institutions, not just BFSIs,” explained Mr. Paul. “However, one of the challenges insurance and banking has always got is that, unlike other large institutions,

Sunil Paul

Co-founder & COO, Finesse

they have limitations with respect to their to data sharing and data privacy because of regulations. So, while BFSIs are adopting transformation they can only do it with the permissibility of regulation,” he continued. Mr. Paul adds that even though banks in the region don’t have legacy systems FinTechs still have a role to play in helping to further modernise the industry as they come with different types of business models and technology. “Coming back to what I said on how banking becomes part of your life, this is where FinTechs are playing a big role in the financial industry. So, the banks are coming down a layer and partnering with these FinTechs for better customer satisfaction,” he continued. “Right now, our (Finesse) focus is more on the blockchain distributions, chatbots and robotic process automation, which we have for enterprises but are also customisable for BFSIs.” Mr. Paul concluded.

adventure made real.

Inspiron 15 5000 Laptop Intel® Core™ i7-8565U processor, 8GB RAM, 1TB Hard Drive, 4GB AMD Radeon 530 Graphics, 15.6” FHD Anti-Glare LED Backlit Display, Palmrest with Finger Print Reader Ubuntu Linux.

Available at: ARD AL GHADEER TRADING LLC Tel: + 971 5598 35906 / 971 4393 6381 Intel, the Intel Logo, Intel Inside, Intel Core, and Core Inside are trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and/or other countries.

COVER STORY

TRANSFORMATION AT FULL THROTTLE

The Precision Group is poised to see significant benefits from its transition to cloud infrastructure. Jayakumar Mohanachandran, Head of IT at, Precision Group, discusses some of these gains that the company looks forward to

he past year and half has been a journey of discovery for the the 35 years old Precision Group as it transitioned from legacy IT systems towards cloud infrastructure. And now over the past year and half, the company has transitioned to be a leader in this region in terms of deployment of some of the most advanced cloud based infrastructure, giving it the scalable platform to pursue ambitions of faster growth, fueled by digital transformation.

By R. Narayan

The company ran on legacy systems for quite a long period of time, 22 years to be precise. The group decided to change the ERP system to ensure support for business expansion and as a part of the larger vision of the group. Digital Transformation was considered to be the biggest game changer

for Precision Group and as part of that larger objective, the group embarked on an ERP Transition Project. The challenges with the legacy systems were that there was no real time visibility available form the systems and there was hardly any integration

The company, owned by Al Tayer, ARMS and DULSCO, has two types of Manufacturing Businesses, Precision Dies & Tools Manufacturing Co. (L.L.C.) and Precision Plastic Products CO. The former is an Engineering to order division where we manufacture dyes, moulds, engineering tools etc. The other division is into manufacturing of plastic packaging products for major customers including major Diary manufacturers. The story of Precision is one of the exceptions in the manufacturing industry, traditionally seen as slower in adopting newer technologies and transformation. With many global customers, Precision saw a compulsion to go in for digital transformation initiatives, sooner than later. According to Jayakumar Mohanachandran, Head of IT at, Precision Group, â&#x20AC;&#x153;We had to because we needed to stay competitive and needed those real time insights for the shop floor for instance or visibility into the supply chain etc. This will help us make real time decisions, undertake fast and accurate actions etc.â&#x20AC;? SMARTSMB / September 2019

Jayakumar Mohanachandran Head of IT, Precision Group

COVER STORY

between the multiple silos of infrastructure. The need of the hour was integrated, scalable infrastructure that could enable real time data insights right from all across which was essential for the right decisions to be made in good time. “We were running on legacy business for the past past two decades and more and were running the Business in the same approach over a period of time. The management decided it was necessary to bring in changes the stagey and approach via which we grow the business. We decided to go for digital transformation and cloud was seen as a key enabler in this journey. Thereafter we started talking to different partners and we finalized with Oracle Fusion, a cloud solution as the best option to meet our requirements.” KPMG was the consultant who helped Precision in comparing the technical competencies of the different options as well as cost competitiveness and Wipro was the implementation partner. According to Jayakumar, the Management was quite keen and convinced about the cloud strategy, after evaluating multiple options, on premise and cloud based. Oracle was also able to convince them of the capabilities and maturity of their cloud model and on the implementation side, Wipro also helped in augmenting the way forward. However, moving from a two decades old system to the latest Cloud offering from Oracle was never easy. Change Management played a biggest role in the whole project.The changes called for were in some measure radical. “We focused on how to reskill employees and find out how you are able to get the right skillsets within your existing structure, making sure they will support us in getting the digital transformation initiatives to the next level. No matter, how much ever time and effort you factor in for change management activities, that wouldn’t be enough, a lesson we learnt, ” adds Jayakumar.

A structured, strong governance approach helped steer the course. A top driven approach enabled Precision to get the value out of this journey and to that effect, taking all stakeholders into confidence was key, at the outset. At the start of the project the company finalized the governance structure and ensured all stakeholders understood the importance of the investment the company was about to embark on and that each one was able to drive this further down the line. This was one of the key communications within the organizations to ensure everyone in their areas of focus were able to drive this transformation. Jayakumar elaborates, “This included all the department heads, the IT Head, Finance head, project sponsor - the head of Precision as well as the Change Management Lead. We formed the core team and then we had the change management team, the steering committee, the different department heads, who nominated in each of these profiles and then we had the process champions for each of the departments.” The shift was huge for the organization from a scenario of solutions that operated in silos, where the manual inputs were quite high to a scenario where there was more integration. The project was commenced by August 2017 and by September, all consultants were onboard. By May 6th of 2018, Precision went live with 18 modules of the cloud offering with a Big Bang approach.

“We went live with core modules of the offering we have subscribed from Oracle. the implementation was in two phases. Phase one implementation includes Sales Cloud & Order Management, HR & Payroll, Finance, Supply Chain, Procurement and Manufacturing. We waited roughly about six months for these to stabilize and then we added the edge modules that are a part of the transformation journey. These included Maintenance, Planning and budgeting, BICS (Business Intelligence Cloud service), production scheduling, Supply Chain Planning Central etc which don’t have an impact directly on day to day operations.” The company has moved into a cloud environment completely from a legacy infrastructure. Jayakumar adds, “Finally, Precision Group is now on Cloud along with the major players of the market and has transformed completely from an Excel driven office to a mobile driven organization. Currently all the employees of Precision can access all their information both personal and work related from any part of the world and can work seamlessly, a sea change as part of the Digital Transformation. Precision is the pioneer within the manufacturing industry in GCC rather globally to go on CLOUD with the entire system placed August 2019 / SMARTSMB

COVER STORY

on Oracle Cloud – Fusion Manufacturing Cloud Services. This a significant change and is also underlined by the fact that earlier when there was some task to be done, whether by Leadership, Management or others, they had to come to office to do that. Now, not only for the leadership, for almost the entire workforce, they can work from anywhere. “Everyone has their own dashboards and right now they are getting used to these functionalities as of now. Most of the key employees or the process champions and even employees down the line can generate their own reports because the new system is capable of delivering to those drill down levels, based on OTBI (Oracle Transactional Business Intelligence). It is a great feature.” Jayakumar also mentions that the HR function is now seamless with all functions integrated including time and attendance and right now every employee has their own self-help HR mobile App where they can check their leave balance, download pay-slips, request any require documents online etc. This has reduced the number of individuals approaching the HR department as all information can now be accessed online. Precision also has touchscreen based kiosks installed on the shop-floors for them to login and access their HR information in case they do not have data on their phones

SMARTSMB / September 2019

and take print out if required. There is a significant turnaround in all departments. For instance, the supply chain has gone paperless in most areas. There were many manual operations earlier and most of them have become automated now. Everything is streamlined and centralized. Similarly the procurement department has gone completely paperless, is completely automated and does not have to print out anything. The order is directly generated and going to customers or vendors as the case maybe. Maintenance didn’t have a system until now and now as the Maintenance module goes live, now the Maintenance department will have all visibility into all aspects including orders, preventive maintenance, breakdown etc and they can measure their KPIs through the system. With two phases complete, Precision has identified multiple benefits including improvements in time to market, cost savings, higher productivity, enhanced customer experience, integrated information access, higher security, mobility and agility. Jayakumar adds, “We are actively working on the 3rd phase. There are some modules we haven’t subscribed to. quality and a couple of other modules which weren’t in the cloud at that time. we are currently evaluating the maturity of the modules before getting them deployed, ensuring we have the right data emerging from the sys-

tems that will be critical to helping us making the right decisions at the right time. This is the stabilization phase for the system and is nearing completion.” The third phase now will include incorporating some of emerging technologies such as IoT and RPA. “We are actively working on projects like smart factory and RPA. These are what will help us gain significant momentum and has been planned from day one of the journey. We have the platform ready but that is just the beginning. Having the right data providing right information with visibility into the shop floor or supply chain is what IoT enabled environment would offer. We are working towards that. RPA is also key to seeing how much of redundancy in our processes can be eliminated. So while cloud is an enabler and which is in place now for us, the journey ahed will be of integrating such key technologies such as IoT and RPA with the platform to ensure we achieve the anticipated growth outcomes.” With a well structured approach, the Precision Group indeed seems well on the course to achieving those streamlined operational efficiencies that it is striving for. The faith in cloud infrastructure and the future objectives of integrating more emerging technologies promise to keep the company headed towards higher growth trajectories.

STRATEGY

AS PURE AS

GOLD

By Diksha Vohra

Amongst all other things that UAE is known for, Gold ranks quite high. Smart SMB journeys through the epic story of PureGold Jewllers, a homegrown brand, exploring its history, challenges and milestones. A few decades ago, if anyone would talk about Dubai, they’d only think of three things: oil, tourism and gold. That’s how popular gold shopping was, and continues to be till date. UAE’s pure gold is much spoken about worldwide with some of the finest jewellers making Dubai their home. One such jeweller who started his gold business in Dubai and has now taken his brand across borders is Mr Firoz Merchant, the Chairman of PureGold jewellers. Being ranked amongst the richest Indians in the region by Forbes, Firoz’s zeal to take PureGold to unprecedented heights is admirable.

The Start It was in the year 1980 when Firoz visited Dubai for the first time with his wife. When he visited the gold souq, the glitz and glitter of the souq, and the safety around attracted him the most. The safe and sound environment influenced him to enter the gold and diamond business. At that point in time, the market was quite pre-mature. “There were a few retailers and traders in the gold business working relaxed and comfortably,” says Firoz Merchant. “I entered the market in 1989 to benefit from the pre-mature market scenario and established the company here.” While Firoz was scouting for the best name possible for his brand, he wanted a name that would be generic, easy to pronounce and defines his core business values. Hence, he chose SMARTSMB / September 2019

Firoz Merchant

Chairman, PureGold jewellers

STRATEGY

PureGold. “Purity identifies with high value products like gold/diamonds/ pearls/precious metals/ colored stones etc. and enables us to win the trust of our consumers by giving them the best quality and purity.” Finally, in the year 1989, PureGold opened its first branch in the Dubai Gold Souq and from there, there was no looking back.

The Gap Back in the 1980s, the gold and diamond jewellery market had not been explored properly in the Middle East. But India’s gold and diamond industry was flourishing. However, despite India being the world’s largest market for gold and one of the biggest jewellery manufacturers, safety was one major concern for a majority of gold manufacturers and traders, which wasn’t the case with Dubai. Moreover, Dubai’s proximity to India and Africa, which remains a major source of mined gold, made Dubai even more lucrative as an option for gold business. The emirate is a major trading partner to China too, which is the second largest market for gold and the world’s largest source of gold. Besides, as Firoz mentions, there were only a few players in the market who would work in a relaxed and comfortable environment. There was, hence, an opportunity for a new player who could leverage on the benefits of UAE’s geographical location, growing trade relations with other countries and thereby reducing prices whilst making the highest quality of gold in new designs available to everyone for purchase, which PureGold effectively tapped on.

The Challenges When PureGold was launched, there were only a few competitors. However, as Dubai continued becoming a hub for business globally, it attracted many new gold traders in the region. For customers, it was highly advantageous as they were being offered a SMARTSMB / September 2019

wide variety of designs in gold and diamonds from various countries. PureGold welcomed the increasing competition by learning from its competitors and devising new strategies. “We welcome competition as it kills monopoly,” says Firoz. “Competition is healthy, it helps us learn constantly. PureGold believes in learning and being the best for our consumers.” Today, while the market is quite mature (allowing for free trade), PureGold still manages to stay on top of things thanks to their innovative designs, manufacturing and promotional strategies.

The Lessons

Moreover, in the business of gold, the profit margins aren’t very high. In increasing competition, with low profits, sustenance often becomes a challenge. But Firoz has a different philosophy. “My policy is not to make $100 in one day, I believe in making $1 everyday consistently. Our compromised margins benefit our loyal customers and make sure they get guaranteed lowest prices and make it affordable, which in turn works to our benefit.”

Thirdly, customer loyalty is important. Focus should always be on the end user. If he is impressed once, he will keep coming back to you again and again.

The Expansion In the year 2000, 11 years after its establishment, PureGold decided to expand and enter new markets. Since the gold market was growing at a very fast pace, customer demands increased in equal proportion too. In order to cater to the growing demands, it was prudent for the brand to expand and reach out to new customers at more locations, to offer them more convenience. Owing to the success in their gold trading business, PureGold has also established two manufacturing units: one in the UAE and one in China. The brand which started off with one employee today has more than 3000 employees across the globe. But PureGold not only expanded horizontally (adding new stores), it expanded vertically too. Today, PureGold is into real estate, branded sunglasses, watches and soon it shall enter into F&B, apparel and accessory industries.

Through his journey, Firoz has learnt some key lessons, the first being discipline. According to him, one should always be vigilant, smart and should monitor his finances. The debt to equity ratio should always be in control. Secondly, while in Rome, do as the romans do. As an entrepreneur, to succeed one should understand the laws of the region and follow them properly to succeed.

The Verdict PureGold is a brand that has revolutionised the business gold in the UAE. Having been a part of UAE’s growth, the brand has been consistent in its delivery of the highest quality of gold with the best customer service. In-fact, the brand has also been awarded multiple times for their customer service standards. Whilst being a profit business, PureGold also participates in a number of CSR activities to give back to the society where they belong. The success of PureGold, as concluded, lies in its ethics. A great idea, a great opportunity, a great team and great practices ultimately lead to great success.

“Competition is healthy, it helps us learn constantly. PureGold believes in learning and being the best for our consumers.”

REDEFINING DIGITAL AND BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION September 11th 2019, Atlantis The Palm Hotel, Dubai

One to One Meetings

A LEARNING PLATFORM FOR MID-MARKET ORGANIZATIONS LOOKING TO EMBRACE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION Demonstration Area

• The largest gethering of “C” -level executives from the SMB / SME segment with over 1500 senior decision makers expected to attend • Talks by eminent industry experts on various facets of Digital and Business Transformation • A showcase of innovative technologies and services from sponsors in an exclusive exhibition zone

Smart SMB Awards

• Sm@rt SMB Awards for pioneering technology deployments in verticals www.smartsmbsummit.com ORGANIZER:

PARTNERS:

MEDIA PARTNERS:

HEALTHCARE

EXPLORING THE SCOPE OF 3D PRINTING IN HEALTHCARE Julian Callanan Founder, Sinterex

Julian Callanan – Founder and MD of Sinterex, a 3D printing company working for the healthcare sector, shares his take on the technological mix in the healthcare sector and how he found himself in the middle of such a field without any prior medical background. By Diksha Vohra

What has your journey been like? What did you want to become when you were young? I grew up in the UK in the beautiful city of Chester, famous for its rich heritage and architecture. I had a relatively humble upbringing with my mother and my younger brother. At 11 years of age, I got very lucky and was awarded a scholarship in one of the finest private schools. The upbringing and the school life molded my thinking and that made me always want something more, strive for something extra. As a child, I always flirted with the idea of becoming a lawyer or a solicitor of some kind. A lot of my friends’ parents also motivated me to be successful. So I guess, being successful was my major goal as a child.

From wanting to become a lawyer, to doing something in science and innovation technology, how did you bridge the gap? After completing my university education, I tried my hands at law but realised I wasn’t meant for it. Later when I was studying for my MBA while consulting in the technology sector, primarily advising oil and gas companies on market entry strategies and product strategies, I got interested in working with technology. I waited for 6 months after completing my MBA and figured that I was done with the job. That is when I decided to throw myself into the business world and take a leap of faith. SMARTSMB / September 2019

How did you get into 3D printing? The reason it happened was that during the time I was pursuing my MBA, 3D printing was all the rage and it had a lot going on. It was the top technology in Dubai at that time and the vision of his highness about 3D printing was also announced in 2016. So all these factors resulted in my association with 3D printing and my business.

3D printing for healthcare is a new concept, but you have also created some incredible models that assist in surgery and healthcare like invisible braces. How do these creations assist doctors and what was the motive behind creating such things? Each person is different and each patient is different but healthcare treats everyone the same. Everyone is offered from a basic set of sizes for various implants and that may not be a perfect fit. So there was always a requirement for this kind of customization but no real technology. 3D printing is simply a piece of production equipment, just a way of making things. The uniqueness of it is that it allows mass customization without any additional cost. This is the reason it works very well in the medical environment. So we identified three types of products in the medical

Did you know that 82% of customers will move to a competitor because of bad customer service? Improve your customer experience by using Zendesk Suite to manage all your channels.

Support - integrated client service Guide - a smart self-service tool Chat - live chat and messenger Talk - call centre software New feature - Zendesk Suite now integrates with Whatsapp

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Zendesk has been a great partner and has empowered our internal teams to provide an excellent client experience.â&#x20AC;?

Start a trial today www.zendesk.com/suite

HEALTHCARE

sphere. The first is models of body parts called anatomical models. These models assist doctors in better explaining the conditions to their patients with the help of visual aids and avoid stress and panic. These models also allow surgeons to practice their surgeries ahead of time and be more successful. Second is guides as these guides control the various types of equipment in surgery in a better way to have safer procedures and better results. The third is devices that are implants or like the teeth aligners. Devices interact with the patients and help them get better.

What are the challenges you face while promoting your brand and products and services? When you launch a new brand, you either have competition or you have the task of educating. With our concepts, we needed to do a lot of educating. What we found with our concepts is that the thought leaders in our target areas are receptive. So we try and work with these thought leaders to establish the concepts in the market and spread the knowledge with their help.

There is a threat that technology will replace humans as we can see with so many innovations in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s world. How far do you think this prediction is true and what are your thoughts? With the speed, depth, and extent of change, very few people understand and appreciate the full picture with the innovations happening in the field of technology. We use very limited artificial intelligence in our field but now it is being used more to speed up the processes. What it means is that these technologies are ultimately squeezing people. As a business, we are pro-technology but at the same time, it does concern me when I see just how much change is being affected. SMARTSMB / September 2019

You have been awarded for your work and you have worked with the DHA as well. Tell us more about it. We supported DHA on a very complex case in which the patient had a large cancer of the jaw. The doctor had to remove the entire jaw and put a plate in place. However, the doctor was not able to reconnect the teeth. So we did the titanium implant in 3D printing which allowed the buttons to connect to the teeth.

You do not have any healthcare background or very specialized knowledge that is needed to work in healthcare. What did you do to be able to imagine and create such medical innovations? In our job, it is not required to be medical experts because that is the doctorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s job. Our job is between the doctor and the technology. With 3D printing, the opportunities are unlimited but it is costly. So for a lot of medical professionals, it is not possible to get all the benefits of 3D printing. This is what we are trying to solve and make the tech-

nology available to everyday doctors. We have a huge team of medical experts and engineers to make this possible.

What are you working these days and what can we expect to see from Sinterex by 2020? It is always overwhelming because we are trying to expand our product portfolio. At the moment, I am very interested in the concept of patient experience and how we can support medical professionals to communicate more effectively with patients and what can be the commercial implications of the same. The interesting thing is knowing what is the level of understanding and confidence patients have, how are things communicated to them, and how does that impact their decision. So we are looking at 3D printed models with hyper-reality to make them more realistic and maybe introducing virtual reality into it so that the patient can see what is going to happen to them in the procedure. Dubai is a great place for 3D printing because of the great stability, amazing business conditions, speedy logistics, and the ease with which we can get into the neighboring countries. So Dubai seems like a great fit for Sinterex.

THE DATA PLATFORM FOR THE CLOUD ERA Gain the speed, agility, and intelligence you need with a platform that maximizes the power of your data. In partnership with

w: starlinkme.net e: info@starlinkme.net

SPOTLIGHT

TO DATA, OR NOT TO DATA: THAT IS THE QUESTION

By Baraka Jefwa

Inaugural Data Strategies Conclave attempts to come up with the right solutions to the enigma that is Data Business Media International organised a ‘Data Strategies Conclave’ catering to senior IT Managers and CIOs. The event was held under the premise that, Data today occupies a pre-eminent role in our daily lives, both on the work front and personal.

through keynotes from domain experts and panel discussions with industry experts as participants,” said Raman Narayan, Editor in chief and publisher at Business Media International, during his opening remarks at the event.

There is therefore a need for a well-conceived data strategy that ensures data is managed and used like an asset. Using data efficiently and ensuring data is secure, is quite pivotal to ensuring a company’s continued success.

Khwaja Saifuddin, Senior Director – Middle East, Western Digital took the stage to talk about the evolution of data; pointing out that the way people are accessing and sharing data is what leads to this evolution.

“The Data Strategies Conclave provided a platform that exposes CXOs to various key thoughts around data strategy, management and security

SMARTSMB / September 2019

According to Mr. Saifuddin, “Data is evolving both in terms of value and richness, because the amount of times we are visiting a data point and trying to get more information is

growing more and more. A data point can be classified into either big data or fast data, which gives birth to is the endpoint layer in a computing perspective; whereby we were only looking at the core and the edge. So, the endpoint brings the edge closer to that user who wants data points to be accessed, analysed, transformed and saved. So, this disruption has in turn given birth to a lot of new industries,” The first panel session, which sought to answer the new age question “is data the new oil?”, featured: Khwaja Saifuddin, Senior Sales Director at Western Digital, Middle East, Adam Lalani, Consulting CIO, Sunil Paul, Founder and COO, Finesse and Don O’Shaughnessy, Group Data Protection

happay

Business Travel & Expense Management PAPERLESS

AUTOMATED

INTEGRATED

Control travel & expense costs, automate policy enforcement, fast track expense reports and approvals, and gain real-time insights into travel spending.

BENEFITS OF HAPPAY

100%

7X Faster

100%

Cashless & Paperless process

Processing of claims & reimbursements

Spend visibility

>90%

Improvement in employee productivity

Reduction in leakage on fraudulent claims

5500+ Businesses across 40+ verticals trust Happay

www.happay. a e

Visit Stall NO. 3

SPOTLIGHT

Officer, Henley & Partners Middle East DMCC. The idea that Data can be mined to produce insights at multiple levels that can help organizations in their Businesses is perhaps a parallel to the fact that oil is also refined into different products for consumption. But that is perhaps where the comparison ends. We know the volumes of data being produced has seen a massive increase from mobile devices, IoT endpoints, cloud, more IP based touchpoints in terms of customer transactions and so on. Today, there is a great possibility to ingest all the data from various touchpoint through multiple software-based systems to provide extraordinarily drilled d3own data that can help decision making in various

capacities. The discussion sets out to examine various aspects of look at Data as a rich resource for Businesses, a possible fuel for facilitating better business outcomes through more intelligent, real-time decisions in different situations. The panellists generally agreed that Data is to the Information Age what Oil was to the Industrial Age, even though the two commodities have differences they are used to power revolutions in their respective times. During his keynote address, Claude Schuck, Regional Manager, Middle East at Veeam noted that the Key to Data is approaching its management in the right way. He told the audience that change is a constant and businesses should be prepared for it or be left behind, he further stated that, “data

changes everything. “I like to think of: Cloud, Data, AI/ML and Edge as the four superpowers of the technology industry; you need to take note of how these things affect your business today, as all of these create massive amounts of data. Data, right now is your business, because every business today is a software business, the challenge we all face is how fast the data is growing and how to control it,” Pointing to statistics from the ‘Veeam 2019 Cloud Data Management Report’, Mr. Schuck informed the audience that, 73 per cent of companies cannot meet users’ demand for uninterrupted access to data and applications while 69% have a gap between how fast they can recover applications and how fast they need applications to be

SPOTLIGHT

recovered to be an always-on enterprise. The report further revealed that the cost of downtime to the average business is $20M a year, which shows the importance of proper data management. The second panel session of the day looked at the possibilities of “Managing Data Tsunami with HCI”. The panel featured: Claude Schuck, Regional Manager, Middle East at Veeam, Jayakumar Mohanachandran, Head of IT, Precision Group, Kumar Prasoon, Industry Expert and Dany El Khoury, Senior Partner Manager, UAE & Gulf, Modern data Center, Dell Technologies. The phrase “data tsunami” may seem like an exaggeration but IDC predicts that over the next 8 years, the amount of data created per year will increase 10X to over 160 zettabytes – with 95% originating from the world of IoT. The speed in which data is being generated is a main reason for a move to HCI. HCI, which is a software-defined IT infrastructure that virtualizes all the elements of conventional “hardware-Defined” systems, is allowing more companies to be able to deal with these vast amounts of data, especially at a time where digital transformation is becoming the norm. The discussion set out to examine the potential successes and limitations of HCI when it comes to dealing with management of vast amounts of data. The panellists came to a consensus

SMARTSMB / September 2019

“I like to think of: Cloud, Data, AI/ML and Edge as the four superpowers of the technology industry; you need to take note of how these things affect your business today, as all of these create massive amounts of data. Data, right now is your business, because every business today is a software business, the challenge we all face is how fast the data is growing and how to control it,” that HCI is becoming the IT delivery model of choice for most organizations as data continues to explode in the data front. Don O’Shaughnessy, Group Data Protection Officer, Henley & Partners Middle East DMCC, gave a keynote on ‘Data compliance with regulatory standards’; whereby he informed the audience that data compliance ensures data is handled according to the standards, laws and regulations defined by the organization’s industry, geographical location, business processes and/or the nature of the data itself.

“Organizations must address distinct areas to meet data compliance requirements, including setting up appropriate controls, managing audit requirements, maintaining legal and regulatory compliance and obtaining required accreditations,” he added. Mr. O’Shaughnessy further explained that companies need to: understand their data flow, conduct a gap analysis, develop operational policies, procedures and processes, Monitor and audit compliance and conduct data Protection Impact assessment, in order to ensure they are Compliant with the laws regulating them. Gaurav Chhaparwal, Industry Expert, took the stage to close out the day with his discussion revolving around ‘Data compliance with regulatory standards’. Sticking to the premise that ‘data is the new oil’, Mr. Chhaparwal informed the crowd that just as oil is harmful when one jumps into it, businesses should not approach data without creating data strategy to create business values. The big question businesses should ask themselves is, ‘what do we want with the data?’; a question that will direct them to coming up with a proper data strategy to answer. The reason we start with decisions before we get to data is because there is so much data around us and if you don’t know what to do with it, it will not help your business.” Mr. Chhaparwal concluded.

TALKPOINT

INCREASING PHISHING ATTACKS IN MIDDLE EAST:

TIME TO CHANGE THE STRATEGY

By R. Narayan

While the internet & modern day technology continue to facilitate processing of information, the hackers on the other side continue to find new ways to steal confidential data. In the last 2 decades, the Cyber Security industry transitioned from an anti-virus to the end point security and in between we saw numerous technology controls introduced such as Firewall, IPS, Email Security Gateways, Web Gateways, NAC & SIEM, but the challenges related to data security still remain the same. Why is that despite having all the advancement in technology, we will are unable to guarantee a threat free environment. In an exclusive interview with Syed Abid Ali, Co-Founder & CCO of PhishRod, we try to find the answer of this as well as many other questions.

Question: How do you see the cyber security industry evolving? Answer: Cyber Security industry is probably the most dynamically evolving industry as we speak. With the amount of incidents taking place, the financial impact, the brand loss involved, the number of malwares produced per day, it has certainly got a spot in the agenda of the board meetings. One way to look at the evolution of the cyber security industry is that vendors continue to introduce complex technologies while the hackers simply sticking to conventional means to steal data. Phishing is a classic example, despite having numerous technology controls in place; no one can guarantee a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Phish-Freeâ&#x20AC;? environment. The introduction of Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning to CySMARTSMB / September 2019

Syed Abid Ali

Co-Founder & CCO, PhishRod

ber Security is good however a change in strategy is required that strikes a balance between people, technology & process.

Question: Are we depending too much on technology to protect data? Answer: Before I answer this, you would need to understand the modern day threat landscape. The organizations are depending on the technology to stop cyber attacks; hackers however are focusing on the human

weakness to launch cyber attacks. The approach is totally contrasting. A conventional organization typically has more than 12 technology controls including Firewall, Endpoint Protection, IPS, Vulnerability Scanner, NAC, Email Gateway, Web Gateway, Sandbox, SIEM yet there is always a risk for the data breach. The introduction of these controls only minimizes the risk that could be exploited through use of technology. Equal importance should be given to the risks of information exposure related to human behavior & insider threats.

TALKPOINT

Questions: What are the kind of threats the organizations in Middle East likely to face and are they prepared for it? PhishRod recently conducted a survey on state of “State of Cyber Security in Middle East”. Over 300+ organizations participated in that survey and 85% of those organizations believed that phishing attacks continue to remain their biggest worry and despite having technology controls in place, they continue to receive phishing emails. Such effective and frequent has been the use of Phishing as a mean to trigger a cyber attack that 86% of the respondents confirmed receiving a phishing email in the last 12 months. While an over whelming majority believed that Phishing remains one of the most effective means to trigger a cyber attack, 65% also stated that end users play a critical role in mitigating a phishing attack. If the end users are aware and empowered, they will contribute in thwarting such attacks. Phishing is a deadly weapon and spares no one. 78% of the respondents of the survey also confirmed that their C-Level Executives are vulnerable to phishing attacks and have

faced a spear phishing attack in the last 12 months.

How is PhishRod helping organizations to counter cyber threats? PhishRod is a leading anti phishing solutions provider with an objective to develop technologies that enable people in the organizations to combat cyber attacks. Using the PhishRod simulator, an organization can send simulated phishing emails to determine “Phishing Index” that reflects the vulnerable human behavior. PhishRod Security Awareness Manager automates the security awareness program with built-in SCORM compliant computer based training modules in English as well as in Arabic. Using our Policy Compliance Manager, an organization can push corporate policies to end-users with a complete compliance & consent mapped on a powerful dashboard. PhishRod Reporter plugin that comes in with Threat Advisory Manager empower end users to report any suspicious emails. PhishRod integrates with numerous sources such as Virus Total, PhishTank & Google Safe Browsing API for threat intelligence feed. Our built-in incident response workflow ensures that all the security incidents are prioritized and respond-

ed in an effective and timely manner.

Are there any success stories of PhishRod in the region? PhishRod has been the fastest growing phishing readiness & security awareness solution in the region. PhishRod has created numerous success stories in the region across healthcare, telecom, banking, and retail and oil & gas sector. With 5 of the largest banks, 3 of the largest telecom operators, 2 of the largest oil & gas companies & the biggest specialized hospital in Middle East using PhishRod, we are committed to the cause of empowering end users to combat cyber threats.

What is the expansion plan of PhishRod? As part of our on going commitment to this region, PhishRod is building our “Centre of Excellence” to go live by mid of next year. It would be a first of its kind that would provide immediate phishing defense capabilities to our end users. The center would act as a hub for threat intelligence sharing for organizations within Middle East for early and effective remediation.

September 2019 / SMARTSMB

HOSPITALITY

HOTELS IN UAE GET EXPO-READY Kamila Siedlecka

Director of Room and Guest Experience, Renaissance Downtown Hotel, Dubai

s Laura enters her boarding gate, she looks around and sees a massive Emirates A380 aircraft with an Expo2020 branding. Large enough to get eyeballs rolling, the branding on Emirates aircrafts marks the onset of the magnum opus event. Like Laura, many tourists have plans to travel to the UAE to witness and participate in the Expo2020. According to reports, UAE is expecting close to 25 million tourists in the country and is expanding the infrastructure to accommodate the needs and demands of the expected tourists. A report from Earnest and Young states that Dubai Expo 2020 will have contributed Dh122.6 billion in value to the UAE’s economy by 2031. While the Expo will impact almost every industry in the region, the most change-prone industry inevitably is that of travel and tourism. “The tourism industry has undergone a lot of changes during the last couple of years,” says Kamila Siedlecka, Director of Room and Guest Experience at Renaissance Downtown Hotel, Dubai. “Everybody has Expo2020 on their agendas as a part of their strat-

SMARTSMB / September 2019

With Expo2020 being a few months away, UAE is expecting a footfall of more than 25 million people. SmartSMB explores the measures hotels are undertaking to accommodate increasing demands, and their plans for sustenance post 2020. By Diksha Vohra egy as a priority. And a lot of people are going to benefit from the same.” In-fact, in the UAE alone, there are 107 five-star hotels as of the first half of 2018 and close to 50 more are set to open by 2020. In the mid-sized range (three-star hotels), there are about 75000 rooms available which makes up for 67% of the total hotel room supply as of June 2018. This shows that the competition in the hotel industry is growing by each passing day. How then are hotels managing to differentiate themselves and cater to increasing occupancy rates? “As a direct-result of the Expo, trends have shifted towards re-purposing and refurbishments to an unprecedented scale,” says Sameer S. Siwani, Design Principal & Managing Director - BE: Consultants. When the expo was announced, everybody was anticipating the construction of new hotels but due to prevailing financial circumstances, many owners and operators decided to resort to refurbishments of existing properties instead. “Business-wise, aged properties have a distinct advantage; ie: existing reputation, ratings, good-will and

bankable clientele. Financially, cost of re-purposing is one-third compared to new-build; and in addition, the property remains partly-operational during refurbishment hence earns revenue and maintains client-patronage and loyalty.” Apart from these, the tourism industry is also witnessing an increase in usage of previously unused areas which are adding brownie points to the hotel’s appeal. “Redundant F&B spaces are being re-purposed to more relevant uses such as business-centers, collaborative work-spaces, meeting-suites, etc. There is also focus on elevating the quality of common-amenities that guests can enjoy together; ie: library-lounges, pool-decks, health spa-suites, inter-active cooking stations, food-halls, all of which improve overall guest-experience a lot better than just added creature-comforts to individual rooms. The addition of all of these clever-features coin the 'expo-ready' phrase.” In a country where tourism represents 20% of the emirate’s GDP which is expected to rise to 72% by 2026, such interesting developments will not only save a lot

HOSPITALITY

of funds but will also help create new concepts that would only add to the customer’s benefit. However, with an increase in the number of rooms and offerings due to growing competition, the prices are expected to go low. According to Oxford Business Group, there has been a reduction in hotel service charge from 10% to 7%. Although strong, Dubai’s Revenue per Availability Room represented a 6.2% decrease on a year-onyear basis. In conjunction with this, average room rates in Dubai fell by 4.4% in 2017, to $243, as occupancy rates fell 1.4 percentage points. “Prices are being driven lower and lower which tells us that previously they were not offering good value and/or there wasn't enough competition,” says Ryan Gazder, Founder, HCTS Hospitality Consultants. “Lower costs can be managed if there is high volume and there are economies of scale that say a 1000 room hotel can manage in terms of deals with transportation agents that a smaller property cannot manage.” He feels that hotels will curate special hospitality packages to attract more visitors. “…These can be long-stay and short-stay packages especially geared to cater to the needs of expo visitors. There would be combinations of half-board and full-board deals along with airport transfers and transportation to the expo along with passes to some local attractions.” While he feels that the service standards or trends haven’t changed much, he notices some major renovations taking place to ensure that the hotels are up to date and refreshed for the additional demand from Expo visitors. Kamila seconds Ryan and confirms that she too is in talks for collaboration not only with the Expo team but also with existing partners and new partners. “The idea is to build a strong base so that we all benefit as a whole,” she adds. The hotels, however, are not only preparing for the Expo2020 but are also spending a considerable amount of time planning for the era post the expo. According to Sameer, the endeavors to

“Lower costs can be managed if there is high volume and there are economies of scale that say a 1000 room hotel can manage in terms of deals with transportation agents that a smaller property cannot manage.”

she doesn’t expect a massive impact of the Expo2020 on their hotel. She expects more impact on the hotels located close to the Expo area or the airport. “Expo2020 is a part of our strategy but we’re not putting all our eggs in one basket,” she says. She is looking at maintain successful collaborations which would benefit her post the expo as well. “The Expo area will not be redundant. There are talks that it will be converted into an area with smaller pavilions with different events happening so its not like post the expo, there will be no activity in the region.” With many preparations in line for the Expo, hoteliers and hospitality consultants are quite positive about its impact. “There isn't the slightest doubt that Dubai will live-up-to its reputation of achieving an extra-ordinary expo-event site; and that will provide the high-impact spectacle. The rest could simply play a supporting role,” concludes Sameer.

achieve 'expo-ready' status are not being governed by haste or myopic vision. “There is a more sustainable view; and therein lie the merits of current discretion and modesty. The number of new-build hotels are largely in the vicinity of new-international airport and existing business-hubs; and these will continue to support visitors to Dubai way beyond the post-expo era. So this is mindful of a long-term vision of Dubai to be an unparalleled logistic and business hub besides the expected influx of pleasure-seeking Sameer S. Siwani visitors.” Design Principal & Managing Director, BE: Consultants As per Kamila,

September 2019 / SMARTSMB

TALKPOINT

AN HONEST CONCIERGE FOR YOUR HOUSING COMFORT

By Diksha Vohra

Anna Skigin

CEO, Frank Porter

Where did your story begin? What did you want to become when you were young? I was born in Russia, in St. Petersburg but I was raised in Toronto, Canada. I studied in Montreal but still I consider myself a Russian as my family moved back, so going home means going to St. Petersburg. I always wanted to have my own business, as I’m an entrepreneur at heart. I have also been involved in the banking world dealing with HNIs, as well as in selling contemporary art, again to similar people. Ev-er since I remember, I have had a passion for creating/launching things. But before starting Frank Por-ter, I had been involved in the banking world dealing with HNIs, as well as in selling contemporary art, again to similar people.

How did the connection happen between the vastly different worlds of banking and short-term property management? Banking is all about investments, and SMARTSMB / September 2019

Anna Skigin – CEO of Frank Porter, a short-term property management company that brings tourists a home-like comfort with a hotel-like service, talks about the industry and its myths, and how she plans on bursting them while continuing to grow and serve. property is one of the investments. AirBnB is an alternative to hotels for the current generation and I had been running a few AirBnBs with friends and family around the globe for a while when I had come to Dubai for a vacation with my family. That time I realized that the market in Dubai for this is minuscule, almost non-existent. So I thought if I had been managing rental properties personally, why can’t I do it professionally and the idea of Frank Porter came up.

How do you get the ball rolling and what kind of challenges did you face in this market where the knowledge gap is huge and short-term property rental is fairly new, if not unheard of? Dubai is a new market for short-term property rental but Dubai being an international destination with so many people and expats from different nationalities being here helps a lot. Around 75% of the people know what AirBnB is as they travel abroad and are very excited that it is finally here

in Dubai. There is also the regulation passed by Dubai Tourism Authority in 2016 which legalized the business and hence pushed the business upwards and made it much easier for companies like us to set up. We have faced normal challenges that any business would face, but frankly, Dubai’s environment has helped us rather than otherwise.

How many properties in Dubai are people renting out and are they really happy to let their proper-ties being rented out on a daily or weekly basis? As you know, a lot of properties have gone down in value. So short-term rentals are attractive to peo-ple at this time as it allows them to make so much more money than in long-term renting, which is very exciting for all our clients. When we started, we had less than 8,000 properties across Dubai and right now we have more than 20,000 properties listed. We are focused on Dubai and are also launching in Abu Dhabi within a month with

Synergising the Mind & Technology Economy The biggest tech show in the Middle East, North Africa & South Asia

#GITEX2019

gitex.com

#gitexfuturestars

futurestarsSales@dwtc.com

TALKPOINT

plans to launch in Russia as well.

So when you say you are a concierge, what do you mean and who are your main competitors? We are a short term property rental and management company and we also help with the check-ins and check-outs, interior designing, photographing the property, handling the bed-sheets and linens, keeping the toiletries stocked, and guest support. So all in all, everything to do with managing the property and the guest experience. As a business, hotels are definitely are a competition but not in a direct way. People who go for hotels would not go for an AirBnB and vice versa. But for the price you pay for a hotel room, you can rent out a 1BHK apartment which offers you more than what a hotel room would offer. So not a direct competi-tion but on price points, yes.

What is the process if a property manager wants Frank Porter to manage their property and what if the owner wishes to use the property themselves? The first step is that we look at the property and provide an estimate. We have an in-house furnishing team that can help you furnish the property and make it ready to be out in the market in two weeks. Every property in Dubai has to be registered with the Department of Tourism, so we get all the docu-mentation done as per the licensing fee. As soon as the property is ready, furnished, registered and photographed, we list it out on the various platforms on Frank Porter. From there on, it is in the eyes of the owner. They can see all the bookings from the Frank Porter app and receive the money every month as per the statement available. Of course, our commission and charges are also mentioned in the same statement. The entire process is completely transparent. In case the owner wishes to use SMARTSMB / September 2019

the property, they can again use the app as a guest and register the booking. This helps us know about it and we can prepare the property accordingly.

How is short-term rental profitable on a regular basis, as opposed to the general thought? Clients make monthly returns when their properties get rented. Tourism is very high in Dubai and short-term rentals make anywhere between 20%40% more than the regular long-term rentals. The upcoming expo will bring in 20 million tourists and another 25 million the next year. We have about 80%-85% occupancy in our properties. Plus we do not have any lock-in with our clients and it is just a monthly deal. If our clients are not happy with the return, they can simply opt for something else. Share 3 myths about short-term property concierge that people tell you and what your response is to them. One is that returns are not as good as long-term rentals. Just because it goes up and down per month in shortterm versus a fixed monthly check in long-term, people tend to think of the latter as a more steady income but the highs of short-term end up making much more money. Second is their concern as to how their apartment will look and are worried about the damages. But since we maintain and clean the apartment after every guest, the issues are way less than they would be if it were a long-term rental. The third is the transparency as clients have a fear of what is happening in the property and who is living. Here the dashboard of our app helps and that fear of the unknown is dealt with.

Are you looking for collaborations with other brands who are offering short-term property rentals in an untapped market for you, or are you focusing on establishing your brand?

Right now we are just focusing on growth and expanding Frank Porter into other markets. Dubai is just one market here and there are a lot of other interesting markets in the Middle East and the GCC. We are happy to collaborate but it depends upon the prospective brand. We are not a start-up anymore as we have grown beyond that stage but yet we are in a stage where we can afford change for growth and development.

What is next for 2020 and what more can we expect from Frank Porter in terms of new destinations and new expansions? Abu Dhabi is the next expansion after we make sure we have a solid base. We also have plans for oth-er GCC and Emirates countries. We are focusing on quality and we want to make sure we are prepared and equipped to handle the explosion of tourists in the coming year. So we want to make sure all our properties are in shape to receive guests and our team is in place to make their stay as comfortable and smooth as possible.

As a business, hotels are definitely are a competition but not in a direct way. People who go for hotels would not go for an AirBnB and vice versa.

COLUMN

STEERING YOUR

salesforce The region’s smaller enterprises are plentiful and vulnerable; but cloud-based CRM technology platforms can guide them to the optimal customer-experience model, writes Jake Callaway, Managing Director, MENA at 4C The Arab Gulf region is a mixed environment for small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs). Governments make it relatively easy to get started, but the vast volume of peers makes this a region in which to fail fast and hard if you lack the eye for your operating market and the strategy for competition.

“90% of the data that exists in the world today has been created over the past two years”. So many firms accumulate vast lakes that go untapped. But employ the right CRM suite, and

A 2018 report from Dubai's Department of Economic Development reveals that apart from VAT implementation, UAE SMEs regard competition as the one great challenge they face. Yes, business leaders remain upbeat about the future, but those whose optimism proves prescient will be those that bolster their technology stacks with a view to gaining an edge. A 2017 report from analyst firm Gartner showed that 81% of companies worldwide expected to be competing almost entirely on customer experience (CX) by this year. In the UAE, as in the rest of the GCC, SMEs make up a sizeable proportion of non-oil GDP and are now discovering this very need. From the retailer to the upstart manufacturer, Gulf small businesses operate in some of the most stiffly competitive markets ever seen in the region. Customers here are awash with options, well informed and able to switch to a competitor without ever leaving their chair. Without the right customer-relationship management (CRM) suite, companies are squandering the one weapon they have at their disposal capable of delivering outstanding CX: data.

The role of data in the optimal CX We have all heard hyperbole such as SMARTSMB / September 2019

Jake Callaway

Managing Director, MENA, 4C

suddenly your business comes alive. They don’t call it “digital transformation” for nothing. Good CRM allows your organisation to create an agile, proac-

COLUMN

tive salesforce. Leverage automated, targeted marketing-email campaigns to engage cold leads; deliver on your brand promises with slicker customer service; and generate more leads while slicing and dicing data to see what is working and what isn’t at every angle and every level of your business. It is hard to believe that we used the term “Information Age” as far back as the 1970s. What we were able to do with data back then pales in comparison to techniques available as standard in today’s leading CRM platforms. I can only imagine the incredulity among 70s sales executives if someone had tried to explain social listening to them. In 2019, your CRM system should be able to follow what people are saying about you on social media, responding with campaigns that target those platforms directly.

The rounded view, and what it means for CX The strength of a CRM application fed with rich, high-volume data stores is the ability to create a highly personalised, 360-degree view of a customer, so that front- and back-office

operations can be linked and synced. When marketing, sales, finance and other divisions have access to the same information presented in a visual, explicit format, they no longer encroach on one another’s efforts and can, in fact, supplement the customer experience in positive ways. By connecting your data to powerful analytics engines, you build a platform for lead-generation, conversion, process automation and, of course, improved customer satisfaction. It is the ultimate find-win-and-keep engine. Sales pipeline management is one area where automation is no cause for alarm. With your sales processes streamlined by CRM and your pipeline meticulously managed, agents no longer miss key events, and convert more effortlessly. And with system-generated advice on creating engaging emails and marketing campaigns, the findwin part of the process is shortened, and the win-keep portion becomes more reliable and less stressful. All these capabilities are vital to a small business jostling to be noticed. And all these capabilities would have been unavailable to such scales of enterprise just a decade ago. But the ad-

vent of cloud computing has put them within reach of even the most modest start-ups. The digital business, with the right cloud-based CRM must worry a lot less about the process of outstanding CX because the economies of scale inherent in the cloud elevate the SME to enterprise grade.

Keeping budgets in check And those economies? They mean you, the small business owner, are within grasping distance of AI, IoT, advanced analytics and a host of other tools that will allow you to keep your pipeline fed without haemorrhaging cash, as subscription costing models put you more in the driver seat than was possible when you had to acquire IT solutions in asset fashion. So, the future is bright. But, as with all moments of change, you must ride the wave at the right point or be left behind. Innovators move with purpose… and move first. Cloud-based CRM is a tool and opens the door to digital transformation. Move first and get ready for change.

September 2019 / SMARTSMB

COLUMN

LEVERAGING ERP TO OVERCOME INDUSTRY 4.0 CHALLENGES

Andy Coussins, senior vice president and head of sales, international, Epicor Software opines that as much as integration in Industry 4.0 is driven by automation, for the foreseeable future, most of the functions being integrated will still rely on human interactions challenges of their own, specifically around the continuous need for vertical and horizontal integration, effective management, and use of all the data generated, as well as the need for more complex risk management. Many regional manufacturers are addressing these challenges by investing in key supporting business technology—specifically, the right kind of ERP software—as one of the first steps on their transformation journey.

Integration

ot long ago, Industry 4.0 and digital transformation were the domain of first movers only. Today they are high on the agenda for every regional manufacturing business. In fact, 62 percent of Middle East respondents to a PwC survey on Industry 4.0 were expecting to be at a high level of digitization and integration in 2020, compared with only 41 percent reporting such a high level in 2015. This investment is driven by the expectation of results. At the top end,

SMARTSMB / September 2019

around a third of respondents expected Industry 4.0 implementations to result in both cost savings and revenue gains of more than 20 percent within five years. As organizations in the Middle East start executing their Industry 4.0 agendas, a major focus will typically be on applications that use artificial intelligence (AI), big data, cloud, and the Internet of Things (IoT). While the advantages are well-documented, they do come with technology

While the right industry-specific ERP solution will fast-track your implementation, right out of the box, it will still need to be integrated with other systems—such as your IoT implementations—to achieve the depth and breadth of integration and automation called for by Industry 4.0. To simplify this integration—both internally and with suppliers, partners, or customers, the architecture and interfaces of your chosen ERP solution must to be streamlined, flexible, and based on standard open protocols. It also helps if the solution is designed specifically to take advantage of cloud computing frameworks, because a cloud-based platform can be ideal for integrating different business entities and locations, and in extending integration to suppliers and customers. But don’t forget the human element― as much as integration in Industry 4.0 is driven by automation, it isn’t always about robotics, IoT, or AI. For the fore-

COLUMN

seeable future, most of the functions you’ll be integrating will still rely on human interactions. It’s therefore important to think about how easily your ERP solution supports the human side of integration. Good mobile and social capabilities in an ERP solution will help your people integrate more effectively into your factory of the future. They’ll be able to work smarter and more productively, making your business more efficient and responsive as a result.

Actionable insights For the small-to-midsize manufacturer, analytics can be one of the biggest stumbling blocks, as it takes specialized skills to turn data into insight that you can act on. Ideally your ERP system won’t ask you to do all the hard work to pull actionable insights from data. Look for easy-to-use, pre-built, analytic functionality that is already mapped to your most likely common needs, such as materials handling, financials, sales, or production. This is particularly important when it comes to analytics that help you answer those all-important ‘why’ questions. If the ERP solution is designed specifically for manufacturing and this extends to its embedded analytics,

you’ll be able to get going quickly with analytics that deliver real insight. Make sure you have the flexibility to customize and build your own views, queries, reports, and dashboards, as you gain confidence and discover new needs.

Risk management No ERP system is going to eliminate all potential risks, but it helps if your chosen ERP solution—the backbone of your business—is itself secure, reliable, and scalable. It should also give you the visibility to simplify governance and compliance. Many small-to-midsize manufacturers choose software-as-a-service (SaaS) ERP because they can’t devote nearly as many resources to infrastructure, application, and data security—or to IT maintenance and support—as a specialized IT service provider can. As well as offering a more reliable and secure service, a SaaS ERP solution can give you automatic access to updates and upgrades that keep you compliant with regulatory changes. This means you can stay on top of new financial controls, tax laws, reporting requirements, and international trade

requirements. Businesses often point to SaaS models as a way of keeping pace with technology-driven change to remain competitive with the best, forgetting that there are significant risk management advantages too. If you choose the SaaS model for greater business assurance, make sure the provider offers you a satisfactory level of control over how and when updates and upgrades happen. At the same time, even if you don’t want to take advantage of ERP delivered through a SaaS model, look for a solution that offers a flexible cloudbased architecture in an onsite hosted option. That way you get most of the benefits of a cloud model—but in your preferred hosting environment. Ideally, you also want the flexibility to move to a SaaS version in the future that will be better for your business. Irrespective of whether you call it Industry 4.0 or digital transformation, it doesn’t change the fundamental nature and scale of the revolution taking place, nor the challenges facing regional manufacturers as they try to identify and take the right steps to survive. But by investing in the right ERP platform, manufacturers can face these challenges head on and not just survive, but go on to thrive, and grow.

September 2019 / SMARTSMB

IT DIRECTORY

DCG MEMBERS LIST Company Name

Head of Company

Name of Company Description Sales Person

LAI FAI COMPUTER TRADING LLC

ANWAR SADATH CHUNDETHODI

SHEBIN V.

LOGICOM FZE

SPIROS RAFAILOCITS

LUCKY FALCON GENERAL TRADING LLC LUCKY STAR COMPUTERS LLC

Contact

E-mail

Major in building modified PC for the gamers, designers, architectures, workstations and for the high end users in an organisation or at home; we also have the all kind of best IT peripherals (incl connectors, splitters, projector screens, batteries, extenstions & so on)

04-3425533 056-6994877

shebin@laifai.ae

Kamal Shah

Logicom is a leading regional Distributor of Technology Solutions and Services covering a wide area in Europe, Middle East and North Africa.

04-5078888 056-6868358

s.rafailovits@logicom.ae

MANISH HARWANI

Dealing in Hardware & software products in entire IT range.

04-2662570 055-9546271

manishh@luckyfc.ae

K. UMA SHANKARI

UMA IYER

IT Retailer - Available wide range of IT products - Workstations, Server,Commercial, Consumers Laptops & Desktops.

04-3514445 050-6515971

shankari@luckystardubai. com

04-3083555 055-6089907

mkapadia@magnumconnect. com

MAGNUM CONNECT FZCO

MUSTANSIR HAMZA

MURTUZA KAPADIA

Magnum Connect (MAGNUM) a value added distributor in the UAE was established in 1999. The company portfolio covers products & services in the areas of Infrastructural Cabling, Networking, Audio Video and Access Control office automation. The principal brands carried by Magnum

MAXMA GEN TRADING LLC

ANIL K. NIHALANEY

MUKESH KODNANI

Maxma General Trading, established in the Year 2013 under company laws of U.A.E., is located in Bur Dubai the heart of Computer Market in Dubai. We are involved in import, export, and trading services.We, as a retail and wholesale company, source and service both overseas and domestic customers.

04-3553868 055-2786739

mutex@emirates.net.ae

MAXTOUCH COMPUTERS LLC

RAMESH BELANI

REMESH BELANI

Maxtouch Computers LLC is a leading SMB Solutions Provider and a trusted Distributor for major brands in the country.

04-3592786 050-6215574

ramesh@maxtouchgulf.com

MICRO ZONE GENERAL TRADING LLC

MD. SUHAIB MIYANJI

ZEESHAN SHAH

Importers of Factory Refubished Laptops, New Projectors, Desktops. Best prices.

04-3524563 052-7131498

shuaib@microzone.ae

ZEESHAN ABBAS

Microtrans LLC â€“ Major Component Player in EMEA,Industryâ€™s one of most trusted entity since 2004, More than 15 years of Experience in IT Distribution.Positive reputation for doing only genuine products business hence rated as one of the most valued partner by many brands.Reaching out to over active 1,500 resellers one of the pioneers in managing and running MicroDistribution Business.

04-3511818 050-6247058

raees@microtransdubai.com

04-8831351 055-4405929

mitesh@mitsumigroup.com

MICROTRANS LLC

RAEES AHMED ROHILE

MITSUMI DISTRIBUTIONS[Old Sun Distribution]

MITESH SHAH

BHARGAV MEHTA

Mitsumi Distribution provides a wide range of supply chain solutions for all categories of Information Technology products (PCs, PC building blocks, networking, software and enterprise solution products) and Consumer and Lifestyle products (Telecom, Entertainment products and Digital Printing Machines) for the leading brands which have been dominating for years.

MOHD. SOHAIL TRADING CO. LLC

AHMED KHALIL

NAZIR AHMED

Dealing in hard drives, ssd, memories, components & new and used Laptops, accessories & laptop bags.

04-3936015 055-5565714

ahmedmstdubai@gmail.com

MYZ COMPUTERS LLC

MAHBOOB NAYEBKHIL

JAHED

MYZ COMPUTERS LLS THE LEADING PROVIDER OF NETWORKING EQUIPMENTS (TP-LINK, LINKSYS, ASUS, DLINK, MERCUSYS, MYZ CABLES AND MYZ TONER CARTRIDGES)

04-3511825 050-1508220

info@myzcomputers.com

NATIONAL STORES LLC

SALAH KHOORY

RAJESH NAIK

Distributors for Canon Photo video , SanDisk consumer storage , WD Retail products , G- technology solutions, GP consumer Batteries, Moser trimmer & shavers , Crownline small domestic appliances and Mobiles from WIKO and KZEN.

04-3535365 050-6947801

info@jk.ae

NEW COMPUTERS TRADING CO LLC

MOHAMMAD GIADO

SASI KUMAR

Trading of Computers, Computer parts & Peripherals

04-3933554 050-4547820

newcompu@emirates.net.ae

NEW TREND COMPUTER NETWORKS (LLC)

ASHOK KUMAR

GIREESH KUMAR

Networking Products, Computer Peripherals, Networking Cable

04-3931145 050-7781064

ashok@newtrend.com

SANDEEP BHAGTANI

Distributors of LOGITECH ( PC and Notebook Accessories , Gaming , Video Conferencing) , RAPOO ( Gaming , PC and Notebook Accessories... Mouse , Keyboard , Headsets , Etc... , HP Cables and Adapters , ESET Nod 32 Antivrus , Internet Security , Business Security )VIEWSONIC LED Monitors , Gaming Monitors , Interactive Displays , IRIS Portable Scanners , KINGSONS Laptop Bags , ALLOCACOC Powecubes.

04-3510127 055-9851931

sunny@newcom.ae

04-3591455 050-6596028

ajayjamba@ngc.ae

04-3966996 055-9996542

ibrahimojha@gmail.com

NEWCOM COMPUTER SYSTEMS LLC

GHOLAM REZA MALEKI

NEXT GENERATION COMPUTERS LLC

AJAY JAMBA

MOHD. MUJEEB

Next Generation Computers is an IT solutions company that focuses on empowering businesses with cutting edge technology solutions. With valuable experience in providing technology solutions to organizations and government sectors in a diversity of verticals we focus on delivering high quality products and services to the end user.

ONLINE COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY LLC

IBRAHIM OJHA

Import & Export in wholesale and retail of all IT products

SMARTSMB / September 2019

IT DIRECTORY

Company Name

Head of Company

Name of Company Description Sales Person

NINJA COMPUTERS LLC

MUKESH KUMAR

Contact

E-mail

NINJA GROUP OF COMPANIES has been in the United Arab Emirates, since the year 1992 having diversified business ventures in Electronics (Since 1992), Textiles (Since 1996), Foodstuff IndustryCommodities (Since 2003), Computers- Branded (Since 2006) and FMCG (Foodstuff Division).

04-3510030 055-6088209

mukesh@ninjagroup.com

04-3932612 055-7025247

chirag@nitimea.com

NITI COMPUTERS LLC

MANOJ SHROFF

CHIRAG SHAH

NITI Computers LLC is a branch of Niti group which focuses on distribution of Information Technology, Networking, and Security hardware and software Products. Our Product lines include laptops, desktops, printers, toners, IT accessories, POS systems and CCTV cameras. Our branches are located in 3 continents mainly in Africa, Asia & USA. For more information please visit www.nitimea.com

POINT SOLUTIONS (LLC)

RAJKUMAR G. BHATIA

Data Backup & Storage | Data Recovery | ICT Infrastructure | IT Support | Dubai Based Cloud Data Centre.

04-3936777 050-6240061

raj.bhatia@pointsolutions. net

050-7888507

adlima@portdesigns.com

PORT DESIGNS

ALOYSIUS DLIMA

PORT Designs are one of the world’s leading players in luggage and accessories for technology products. Distributed in more than 60 countries worldwide, the company markets a complete offer of products for tablets, laptop cases, backpacks and trolleys as well as an accessories range designed to complement new technologies.

PREMIER COMPUTERS LLC

PRAKASH (PREM) MENGANI

KAPIL MANWANI

Major Wholesalers and Exporters of Printers, Consumables, Copiers, Desktops, Servers, Networking Products and much more

04-3934707 055-2206797

info@premiercomputers.ae

PREVIEW GEN. TRADING LLC

MAHENDRA GODWANI

Preview was Est. in 2005 and we are Importers, Exporters and Wholesalers of Laptops, Desktops , Printers Projectors and Peripherals also we are Manufacturer of â€œPREMAXâ€ Brand IT , Electronics and Security Products.

04-2289740 050-5245776

mahendra@previewllc.com

PRIMITIVE WORLD TRADING LLC

DEEPAK NALAWADE

Leading importers & exporters of IT consumables & peripherals.

04-3544704 050-4552209

pwt@eim.ae

PRINTCOM LLC

SUNIL LALWANI

Import & Export in wholesale and retail of all IT products

04-3934292 050-5386637

printcomdxb@gmail.com

04-3932070 050-8543611

manoj@printekllc.com

PRINTEK SUPPLIES LLC

MANOJ TIWARI

DINESH GATHANI

Printek Supplies is located in heart of Burdubai, Computer Street, Printek Supplies has become UAE's one of the leading wholesale source for Printer Supplies, consumables, accessories and office products. Printek Supplies represents leading manufacturers of impact and non-impact printer supplies, magnetic and optical data storage media and traditional office products.

PROACTIVE COMPUTERS LLC

DINESH GOPLANI

PRAKASH GOPLANI

Point of sale distributors /resellers, Barcoding technology solution providers.

04-3254494 055-8903474

proactiv@eim.ae

Q-LINE ELECTRONICS LLC

SUNNY MENGHANI

KAMAL PANJABI

Dealing in Hardware, software & Security Surveilence products in entire IT range.

04-3510588 050-6251964

qline@eim.ae

04-8800444 055-8004438

sales@touchmate.net

QUALITY COMPUTER LLC

VASANT MENGHANI

PETER JETWANI

Quality Group, Since 30 years in IT & Electronics Business. TOUCHMATE is a Brand of Quality Group and has Factory in Shenzhen China for manufacturer of TOUCHMATE Tablets, Mobiles, Notebooks, All-in-one Computers, Latest tech Accessories, Peripherals, Homeappliances, Lighting Products which are best for Distribution, Corporate, Dealer channels, Supermarkets and Retail chains and support OEM to direct customers worldwide.

QUANTAM POINT ELECTRONICS TRADING LLC

HAFIDH ABBAS AMIN

AKHIL REDDY

We are a Trading Company that provides Electronics, Computer, Laptops, Video Games, Computer Accessories

04-3518188 055-6604123

sales@quantumpoint.ae

04-3257763 055-9933001

rishis@ritgroup.ae

RISHI IMPEX TECHNOLOGIES LLC

RISHI SHAH

RIToffer technology and services that include consultancy and project management around our core capabilities in complex infrastructure projects, security services, storage solution maintenance and support as well as data management and storage solutions. RIT works with its clients through a combination of deep-level business and technical expertise, an extensive knowledge of today’s technologies, and a mature, highly capable delivery and services infrastructure.

SAICOM COMPUTERS

HARESH KUMAR AMLANI

YOGESH KIRTANI

Saicom Computer LLC is a major importer & exporter of computer accessories to the Middleast, Asia, Africa & Europe with offices worldwide including China, USA & Pakistan.

04-3552829 050-4948753

hareshsf@emirates.net.ae

SATRAH COMPUTER TRADING LLC

NARESH KUMAR

SIDHARTH

Leading reseller for Comuter accessories, peripherals & all IT products.

04-3936508 050-6950850

naresh@satrahdxb.com

SCANTRANS COMPUTERS LLC

ANIL KUMAR BERIYA

Scantrans Computers LLC deals in networking brands like TP Link, Dlink, Cisco, Netgear, Kiwes & 3M

04-3937252 050-4578836

scanme@eim.ae

SDC FZE

SERGEY DIDENKO

AKHILESH P T

We are a leading IT distribution company operating through a network of Partners and Integrators in Middle East , CIS and Africa.

04-8101000 055-5038422

sales@sdcit.ae

SEA NET COMPUTERS LLC

VINOD CHHUGANI

WHOLESALE, EXPORTS & IMPORTS OF LAPTOPS, DESKTOPS, PRINTERS & ACCESSORIES

04-3939436 050-5282939

sea_net@eim.ae

SMILE COMPUTERS LLC

BHARAT SAWLANI

VISHAL ATMARAMANI

Importer and Wholesaler of Apple, Google & Microsoft (Surface) range of products.

04-3938399 055-4153225

sales@smilecomputers.net

September 2019 / SMARTSMB

TECH WATCH

PHILIPS BUSINESS MONITORS MMD, Middle East brand licensing partner of Philips Monitors, has unveiled their new B9 series of B2B Touch Monitors in Middle East. The new range of monitors consists of two models; 222B9T and 242B9T with resolution 1920x1080 that uses Projected-Capacitive (P-Cap) touch and support up to 10 points in addition to advanced IP54 protection against water and dust. These screens provide users the flexibility of choosing their preferred angle for greater ergonomic comfort and the feature-rich monitors are a perfect fit for sectors as diverse as retail, point of sale (POS), point of information (POI). These highly versatile monitors also feature a wide array of connectivity options including VGA, HDMI and DVI.

Key features and highlights: • Dust/Water Protection: First

digit: Solids-The first digit indicates the level of protection that the enclosure provides against access to hazardous parts (e.g., electrical conductors, moving parts) and the ingress of solid foreign objects. Second digit: Liquid-Protection of the equipment inside the enclosure against harmful ingress of water.

• Stand Design: Vertical screen is not enough for touch, user prefer more angle when performing tasks with touch angle adjustments have to be smooth and easy for ergonomic comfort. • Diverse Connectivity Options: B9 Monitors enables use of DisplayPort, HDMI, and VGA connections.

• Built-in Speakers: Enjoy quality sound while keeping your desk clear. No need to bother with add-on speakers.

DELL OPTIPLEX 7070 ULTRA Dell Technologies today announced the new OptiPlex 7070 Ultra, an innovative desktop that stores its small and powerful technology vertically inside a thin and light display stand. The industry’s most flexible, zero-footprint desktop design, the OptiPlex 7070 Ultra is beautiful, space-saving, and clutter-free; as well as fully modular so customers can configure and upgrade as needed throughout the product lifecycle. This means the PC and display of this zero-footprint desktop can be upgraded and serviced independently of one another. Dell’s customer research shows companies like the ability to upgrade their systems. They also enjoy the aesthetics of the All-in-One. Because customers tend to upgrade their computers more frequently than their displays, the independent upgradability of the Ultra brings the best of the traditional desktop and the All-in-One together into a single, new, innovative platform. The OptiPlex 7070 Ultra features configurable elements for ultimate flexibility and performance. Additionally, a recent Dell study shows that using two monitors can boost worker productivity by up to 21%. The Ultra can support up to three displays – from 19 to 27 inches – for increased productivity. Power, data, video and

SMARTSMB / September 2019

TECH WATCH

audio are transmitted in one single cable when the Ultra is paired with Dell USB-C monitors. Earlier this year, Dell Technologies announced Unified Workspace, a visionary approach to end-user computing designed to give workers a frustration-free, ready-to-work experience while empowering IT with automated, open and intelligent management solutions. The new OptiPlex portfolio is optimized with Dell Technologies Unified Workspace so IT can easily deploy, secure, manage and support these devices, and users can be productive on day one.

Highlights: • Independent upgrade of the PC and display[5], so customers can swap out, upgrade or service any part at any time • A monitor stand that integrates the PC within and includes physical security options designed to protect against tampering • Flexible configurations ideal for multi-user, open-plan workspaces • Configurable to different use cases or work styles with compatible products like a height adjustable stand, fixed stand, VESA mount, Dell Single Monitor Arm | MSA20 for superior adjustability and Dell Dual Monitor Arm | MDA20 for added desk agility • Performance and scalability to match users’ needs, up to Intel Core vPro i7 processors, 64GB of RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD and 2TB HDD

TOSHIBA’S 16TB CAPACITY N300 AND X300 DRIVES Toshiba Gulf FZE (“Toshiba”) announces the addition of new 16TB helium-sealed models to both the N300 and X300 Series. The 16TB models offer 14% more capacity than 14TB models. The 16TB models also double the buffer size of the 14TB models, increasing from 256MB to 512MB. The 16TB N300 and X300 Series utilize a 9-disk helium-sealed design, delivering increased storage density with a lower hard drive operating power profile. Toshiba’s laser welding technology and case design keep the helium securely sealed inside an industry-standard 3.5-inch drive enclosure. Toshiba’s 16TB N300 and X300 deliver new levels of storage capacity and density while offering improved power efficiency utilizing our advanced helium-sealed design.The 16TB N300 and X300 show Toshiba’s commitment to advancing HDD design to meet the evolving storage needs for performance, gaming, and small office NAS applications. As file size continues to grow, the 16TB capacity will enable both gamers and NAS users to efficiently store and access large amounts of data. The 16TB N300 and X300 models are expected to be available in Q4 2019.

of up to 180TB/year, 7200rpm performance and integrated sensors to compensate for rotational vibrations. • Designed for PC and high-end desktop workstations, the X300 Series delivers 7200rpm performance, drive stabilization technologies for improved reliability and Toshiba’s cache technology to optimize cache allocation during read/write to provide high-level performance in real time. • The N300 NAS series includes a 3-year limited warranty, and X300 Performance series includes a 2-year limited warranty.

Highlights: • The N300 Series is ideal for applications like home office and small business NAS and private cloud storage, with up to eight drive bays supported. • Designed for 24/7 operation, the N300 Series has a workload rating September 2019 / SMARTSMB

MARKET MONITOR

In 2021, artificial intelligence (AI) augmentation will create $2.9 trillion of business value and 6.2 billion hours of worker productivity globally, according to Gartner, Inc. Gartner defines augmented intelligence as a human-centered partnership model of people and AI working together to enhance cognitive performance. This includes learning, decision making and new experiences. “Augmented intelligence is all about people taking advantage of AI,” said Svetlana Sicular, research vice president at Gartner. “As AI technology evolves, the combined human and AI capabilities that augmented intelligence allows will deliver the greatest benefits to enterprises.”

Business Value of Augmented Intelligence Gartner’s AI business value forecast highlights decision support/augmentation as the largest type of AI by business value-add with the fewest early barriers to adoption (see Figure 1). By

AI AUGMENTATION WILL CREATE $2.9 TRILLION OF BUSINESS VALUE IN 2021 2030, decision support/augmentation will surpass all other types of AI initiatives to account for 44% of the global AI-derived business value.

Augmented Intelligence Enhances Customer Experience Customer experience is the primary source of AI-derived business value, according to the Gartner AI business value forecast. Augmented intelligence reduces mistakes while delivering customer convenience and personalization at scale, democratizing what was previously available to the select few. “The goal is to be more efficient with automation, while complementing it with a human touch and common sense to manage the risks of decision automation,” said Ms. Sicular.

RESEARCH REVEALS THREE KEY CAPABILITIES OF HIGH PERFORMING CIOS

Top-performing CIOs are focusing more on business leadership and the goals of the customers, employees, and other business functions, rather than technology operations, according to new research from ServiceNow.

The global survey of 516 CIOs, conducted by Oxford Economics, examined the most important capabilities for the modern CIO. For many years, CIOs were focused primarily on IT. The survey shows that nearly two-thirds (63%) of CIOs believe business and leadership skills are more important than technology acumen — and, critically, the most successful CIOs are those who have positioned themselves firmly as business visionaries.

SMARTSMB / September 2019

The three things that separate around one-fifth of CIOs that consider themselves effective, across the most important CIO capabilities, from the rest are: -They are further along at digitising workflows -They build C-suite influence -They focus externally on customers The highest-performing CIOs focus on strategy versus operations and aligning the goals of IT with the goals of the business. These CIOs also report higher levels of productivity, innovation and customer satisfaction in their organisation and have the strongest relationships with other business leaders, in particular the CEO and chief

“The excitement about AI tools, services and algorithms misses a crucial point: The goal of AI should be to empower humans to be better, smarter and happier, not to create a ‘machine world’ for its own sake,” said Ms. Sicular. “Augmented intelligence is a design approach to winning with AI, and it assists machines and people alike to perform at their best.” human resources officer (CHRO). There is a consensus among most CIOs that establishing partnerships and cross-team projects at C-level is a critical part of their role: • 64% of CIOs agree that their role is to educate other members of the C-suite on digital technologies • 69% say collaborating with the CEO on setting organisational roadmaps is key to their role • 77% of CIOs say their core responsibilities include collaborating with the CHRO on talent strategies From a technology perspective, the most successful CIOs are those who are building consensus and action around automating and integrating work processes and introducing digital workflows to drive outcomes. They recognise the importance of digital workflows in increasing efficiency (80%), financial performance (78%), productivity (78%), employee performance (76%), and innovation (75%).

Hi, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re Salesforce. We help companies unify marketing, sales, service, commerce, and IT on the #1 CRM platform, so you can give every customer the personal experiences they love. Visit salesforce.com/eu/learnmore.