CIOInsider India Magazine
.png){kind=logo}
Ravi Kajaria
Founder & Digital Transformation Leader
In this era, technology plays a vital role in the growth of any business. Thus, it is important to rightly invest in appropriate technology assets to gain a competitive edge. This is where companies enlist the service of a CIO (Chief Information Officer). A CIO develops and oversees the implementation of IT strategies while staying in line with their financial and operational goals. Companies these days prefer to outsource CIO services from an external provider rather than invest in employing a permanent CIO. Helping such companies is Granuler.
Established in 2020, Granuler is an advisory firm with a focus to provide CIO Advisory with flexible models to organizations that intend to transform their businesses with the help of technology. The services offered are unique and have the potential to bring about a transformation to the organizations.
In conversation with Ravi Kajaria, Founder & Digital Transformation Leader,Granuler.
Tell us about the inception story of Granuler and the benchmarks it has set in the industry so far.
Before Granuler, I was heading the IT department for an established pharma company in Mumbai. I was part of implementing ERP SAP for India, the US, and the UK with quality management systems and compliance systems integration. During those years, I was able to identify a scope for providing CIO as a service to companies. The idea was incepted after understanding the importance of improving an organization’s IT strategy to meet and align with the ever changing variables and dynamics of the business realm. However, only established companies are able to afford and hire a fulltime CIO or an IT head to cater to these needs. Granuler levels the playground for small sized companies and midsized
companies. We help SMEs to afford highend consulting services to address their business requirements.
I have been part of key IT transformation projects globally involving ERP implementations, analytics, CRM, and new technology implementations in the UK, EU, APAC & Australia. This has helped me in providing a structure to this service which makes it a game changer. This is where we differ from the most of other players, especially freelancers, in the market. Recently, I got on board with MSMEx and tata nexarc for CIO advisory, which gives me the edge to offer more to this landscape.
Granuler’s primary goal is to help the clients or the business leaders to efficiently handle the company operations and at the same time plan strategically for the business growth
Give a brief description of the company's CIO as a service model. What are the value additions the clients can expect from the services?
Granuler provides the right consulting for technology transformation. That is, if a client intends to grow his business in terms of turnover, there is a need for an effective technology transformation project. If a company is about to expand, it is also equally important to have the right resources, i.e., technology, to manage the responsibilities. Typically, companies tend to spend on technologies without understanding their scope and for this reason, they need a consultant who can provide them with the right solution. We align with the other business process experts who work around the clock to provide value to clients on end-to-end business avenues. Granuler also
provides technology coaching to MSMEs with mentorship programs with shorter stints of 4 weeks to 2 months.This helps in reducing the overall cost of IT consulting.
What are the upcoming technological industry trends that the company is looking to adopt?
I recommend my clients implement ERP and CRM software and then come up with a proper analytics report. Based on all these reports, we define a whole IT roadmap for the company. Besides, adopting advanced technology is crucial for companies these days to eradicate the risk of data manipulation. In addition, other technologies recommended are AI, ML, React.js, React Native, low code/no code platforms, SAP along with other latest technologies. The company also guides in other aspects like cybersecurity, the right implementation strategy, and many other latest technology platforms which integrate well over all and ensure the right vision for the organization's growth.
How do Granuler's IT transformation initiatives help and transform the workflows and business rules of the organizations?
Granuler’s primary goal is to help the clients or the business leaders to efficiently handle the company operations and at the same time plan strategically for the business growth. For instance, there are companies that run most of their operations manually. This leads to frequent review meetings to manage various operations and there is a risk of data manipulation or fraudulent activities. Moreover, this leaves no time for the leaders for undertaking strategic business decisions. Granuler encourages the use of technology for effortless workflow and also assists leaders to build a future-proof IT roadmap for their company.
What are the future plans of Granuler and how does it plan to execute them?
We intend to become a global player by adding many fellow CIOs under us in the future. We also plan to expand globally and are in discussions with some partners in European countries to be our channel partners. In addition to this, we are looking forward to partnering with technology companies where we can mutually benefit each other. As well as, we are also looking at delegates to our memberships with the MSME forum and global India business forums along with some foreign delegates that can aid us in expanding to the African region.
