CIOs Should Talk To Peers For Vendor-Neutral Views

In conversation with Biztech2.com, R D Malav, VP-IT of Jindal Poly Films tells us why peer group networking is most valuable as it helps in getting to know vendor neutral perspective and other people’s first-hand experiences in implementing technology. He also delves into his future IT roadmap for the company.

What are the major IT-related concerns relevant to the manufacturing business? How do you resolve them?

Ours is a commodity-based business and so sale of products is the backbone of business. Obviously, the support of IT infrastructure plays a very vital role in the day-to-day functioning.

Ideally, the IT department should be agile so that it can accommodate the ever changing business requirements and also because it has to be quick in responding to the diversified set up. I also feel that in order to be able to respond to issues in real-time, and make quick decisions, having an efficient mode of communication is eminent. Therefore, we had long implemented video conferencing, emailing and online collaboration systems. We have been quite progressive in adopting newer solutions available in the market and we were few of the early adopters of virtualisation- in all its avatars- server, desktop, network and storage.

I want to invest in cloud but I feel there still needs to be a lot of clarity to it. There is no standardisation on the definition of cloud and vendors define according to their own understanding. I feel that the requisite synergy required for cloud still isn’t there.

How do you ensure investment in solutions and products that suit your requirement best?

I make it a point to attend various CIO forums, both national and international, as well as vendor and media events. I feel all these events are platforms to gain insight on the latest on-goings in my field. I think they provide valuable opportunities to network with the peer group, and learn from others’ experiences and the challenges that they faced. Networking with peers also gives a vendor neutral perspective on various technologies available and those that are suitable for business needs. Apart from these there are IT websites and magazines. But I feel that peer group networking is most valuable because we get to know of other people’s first-hand experiences in implementing technology.

Are customised and specialised applications available easily?

Yes, it is an era of packaged deals and almost all solutions are available. There is no need to reinvent the wheel. In my case, all solutions are available in the market. In some cases, there arises the need for customised applications on a particular solution- which is very routine demand these days, and is well taken care of.

What is your roadmap for the future?

Firstly, we are working towards a conscious shift in ensuring that whatever IT solution or application we implement, it should be user-friendly. Second, we would want to move towards applications that hold promise in the future. For instance, I feel iPads would be successful in the future and it is high time that we bring their usage into our daily business functions.

I am also looking at something called corporate performance management. This inculcates various tools and technologies which would be used to provide updated information based on analytics and intelligent visual signals to users.