A potential to drive long-term business growth, boost innovation and optimise costs — these are some of the key benefits that are pushing more businesses towards cloud migration and testing new ideas. The transformational power of cloud computing has enabled enterprises across sizes and sectors to leverage emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and augmented reality to manage data systems, as they focus on their core competencies and grow.
US-headquartered e-Emphasys was among the early players that catalysed the heavy equipment industry with an end-to-end digital transformation platform for equipment dealerships and rental companies. The company was established by brothers Milind and Sayam Bagade in 2000. From starting their entrepreneurial journey with a small TV satellite business in Mumbai to leading a global IT solutions company, the duo have led e-Emphasys to drive impact across industries like construction, mining, forestry, material handling, agriculture, heavy trucking and sanitation with disruptive technologies and deep industry expertise.
Today, e-Emphasys is tapping into the power of cloud-based technologies to launch pioneering solutions like industry-specific ERP software and integrated solutions that help its customers overcome complex business challenges.
YS talked to the companies’ two senior executives, Sachin Date, Senior Director- Extended Applications, e-Emphasys and Krishna Kant, Senior Director- R&D, e-Emphasys, about the company’s growth journey, what sets it apart and how does e-Emphasys see the heavy equipment rental industry evolving in the near future in an engaging fireside chat.
Here are a few key takeaways from the conversation:
Seamless integration, domain knowledge key differentiators
Talking about what sets e-Emphasys apart, Krishna Kant said that the company differed from its competitors as it offered its clients a platform that seamlessly integrated various enterprise class applications for field service applications like enterprise resource planning, customer relationship management, business intelligence and e-commerce.
“We not only build these enterprise class applications, but also ensure that they are working together seamlessly, which is a huge challenge for many organisations. The company has invested over 20 years in understanding the heavy equipment industry and its deep knowledge about the domain has helped it gain a competitive advantage and expand across 15 countries,” he added.
Leveraging AI to empower service providers
While explaining the various projects launched by e-Emphasys in the database and server technology space, Sachin said that the company is committed to providing quality experience to its clients and has a unique way of solving the problems they face. “We start with the problems being faced by the end-users and put together a mix of technologies that can solve their pain points. With this approach, we have been able to leverage both traditional technologies like .NET as well as new-age technologies like AI.”
He explained the unique process with the example of how service technicians often have to travel to a site where the machinery is installed, in case it develops a snag. “They might be able to find the fault, but they might not always have the expertise to solve the problem. They would need to consult a service expert, who might not be available at that time.”
But, he asks, wouldn’t it be better if instead of waiting to contact an expert, the technicians and the expert interact via an augmented reality setup? “That’s the problem we identified and combined three different technologies — computer vision, AI and networking technology — to create a unique augmented reality offering.”
e-Emphasys’ other AI-powered solutions include a product that can help service technicians assess a problem and a predictive analytics suite that can be used by professionals to estimate the delivery of the parts ordered by them.
Infra push, new technologies to boost cloud adoption
Krishna Kant noted that a dynamic business landscape is likely to pave the way for new opportunities for the company.
“With a focus on large projects and an infrastructural push by multiple stakeholders, the equipment fleet size of players is likely to grow. We might face challenges in technology adoption due to the unorganised nature of the industry, but things are changing rapidly especially with the shift towards cloud platforms, the 5G rollout and smartphone penetration.”
He also said that e-Emphasys’ inhouse ‘Step Fast’ methodology, that aims to reduce the ERP implementation timeframe from years to just a few months, gives it a unique advantage when it comes to getting customers to shed inhibitions about cloud adoption.
New geographies on future roadmap
Deep-diving into where e-Emphasys sees itself over the next few years, Sachin said that while his team saw a lot of consolidation in the industry, the company had nothing to worry about as it was positioned well to cater to bigger audiences and tackle future challenges.
Talking about the buzz around emerging markets, he said that the COVID-19 pandemic has put a lot of focus on e-commerce and the company was investing heavily in the industry. “Market-wise, most of our business comes from North American countries like Canada, the US and Mexico, but we also have a strong presence in the United Kingdom and the European Union, and we’re planning to strengthen our presence in the two geographies. We also plan to expand our operations in Australia and even China,” he added.
To catch the full conversation, click here.
