The Recipe For Growth In An IT Career

 Biztech2.com caught up with Benazir Miller, senior manager-Solutions and Technology, Shoppers Stop, for a free wheeling discussion on her experience in the IT space so far.

What role do you play in the IT team at Shoppers Stop?

The IT team at Shoppers Stop has a matrix structure with a business team working under the IT heads aligned to the business and another team (corporate IT) working under the group CTO. I am a part of the corporate IT team, which supports IT solution deployments for the umbrella group comprising Shoppers Stop, HyperCITY and Crossword. I am responsible for all customer-centric applications, which translates to point-of-sale and customer relationship management (CRM).

Could you throw some light on your past working experience?

I started my career with Shoppers Stop in the buying and merchandising department as an assistant. I have been with the IT function since nine years handling multiple job responsibilities. Initially, I was in charge of the e-mail solution (Lotus Notes) and server security; I have now moved on to becoming head, Customer-Centric Solutions.

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What are the technology challenges that you faced in this company?

Retail is a very dynamic business and new opportunities keep knocking, which calls for frequent and immediate enhancements to the system, implementing changes in a short span of time along with minimising long-term business impact and keeping customer (internal/ external) interest in mind all the way through. This finer nuance of retail keeps us on our toes and ensures that we keep innovating.

Do you think a senior position in IT demands a particular technology background or technical expertise?

Yes and no. Though it is important to understand the basics of technology infrastructure, it is more important to have the aptitude to interpret and understand business needs as well as translate them into solutions. One needs to be clear conceptually and be able to take the right decisions on the spur of the moment. As we move up the ladder, managing people becomes a bigger challenge than managing technology!

Would you like to share a unique business initiative you were a part of?

I led the implementation of I-Scan, a self-check-out solution, which helped in queue busting at HyperCITY, the big box hypermarket format where the average basket size is around 40-50 items. The self-check-out system was the first of its kind deployed in India and had previously been used by only about 20 retailers the world over. We chose to adopt the solution at a time when similar offerings from other vendors were only at a prototype stage.

Could you describe the path that led you to the position where you are today?

Being sincere, persistent, goal-oriented and having the right mentor are the keys to success. Recognising an opportunity when it presents itself, grabbing it with both hands and working with the team to translate it into a business-enhancing solution helped me reach where I am today. Basically, having the ambition and working hard towards it, is the recipe for growth!

How do you accomplish the balancing act between your personal and professional life? While doing so, how do you take out time for self as well?

Having a clear focus on deliverables, time management and a professional team to work with helps me maintain balance between the personal and professional life, not to undermine the importance of having a supportive family.