Success lies in going the extra mile, giving more than what customers expect: Salman Hussain

** Tell us about iTecknologi Group of Companies. When did it come into existence and with what vision?**

iTecknologi Group of Companies is a dream that has successfully transformed itself into a reality. Most technology companies have focused on creating customer facilitation or ease of purchase for customers by using technology interface; iTecknologi on the other hand have focused on creating more value for our customers as an add-on to our existing services. For example, if you are a bank’s customer, what if the bank provides you information such as what is your spending behavior, how much you have spent on average in past 12 months, how much you tend to spend on weekly basis, and how your current behavior of spending differs from your average yearly spending. So, our focus is simple, bring more relevant information to customers through just a flick of his finger and enhance is service experience. Therefore, we laid the foundation of an enterprise which will address the gaps and develop catalytic solutions for organizations to help them in developing their competitive advantages, enabling them to have pertinent intelligence for their operations and services to take better business decisions and also address the requirements of individuals who seek quality services.

As the name suggests, iTecknologi stands for advancement through technology. iTecknologi as a group strives to be a leading global provider of machine-to-machine (M2M) communication solutions. We aspire to become the best IOT Company from Pakistan. Constant innovation is the key to scale new heights of business, operational efficiencies and provide optimum customer satisfaction. We feel Pakistan is far behind in advancement in many fields and iTecknologi came into existence with the purpose of providing tailor made solutions for organizations seeking ‘advancement’ solutions. Our understanding is that our solutions should bring about a positive impact in the businesses and in the lives of whoever consumes our products and services. We believe in long term relationships and tend to instigate this inkling into all that we do. Everyone is more concerned with top line and bottom-line targets; we additionally target relationships which should result in a win-win situation.

From the legacy point of view, I would like iTecknologi to be recalled and remembered as the shining star of Pakistan. Our presence in other countries signifies the fact that our intent is to be a leading global entity which not only introduces the latest and most modern technological tools to our beloved country but also spreads the positive image of Pakistan on global level.

** Can you please give a small overview of the companies that are a part of your conglomerate?**

iTecknologi Group of Companies generally pursue tech-based solutions development, however, our companies offer a diverse range of offerings. Ma’sha’Allah we are a significant part of multiple industries and our products are consumed by businesses belonging to various industries and also individuals.

We are in the business of Asset Tracking and Security, where our state-of-the-art solutions provide our individual customers with convenience, security, peace of mind, whereas the corporations require innovative solutions which should result in automation, savings and efficiencies in their businesses. We felt that every brand or company in similar business provides more or less the same products and services, or claims to have similar products and services, so we made it a point to improvise on the generally accepted solutions and provide not only mundane tracking services, but give them with complete intelligence about their moving asset. Be it fuel consumption, checks on mileage, maintenance, driving behavioral checks and a whole world of information is provided to our customers free of any additional cost.

Our business clients also enjoy tailor made tracking facilities, tools and information dashboards which empower them to not only keep various checks but also result in actual, evident and measurable KPIs which in turn gives them competitive advantages, savings against losses and various costs and also an overall efficient operation. Organizations are now well familiar with what they can achieve through our solutions and that is why our clients are leading companies in Oil and Gas, Textile, Pharmaceutical, FMCG, and Financial Sectors.

We recently celebrated deployment of 50,000 tracking units. We reached this feat in just 2 years which is a record in this industry. We consider this a testament of our top-notch services.

Moreover, one of our companies is iTecknologi Logistics which provides complete, convenient and flawless solutions to importers and exporters. From import to clearing of goods to transportation to desired destination we do it all. The idea is to keep our clients at ease and provide them with as much convenience as possible which otherwise is a tedious work.

Then there is ‘Data on Things’, a Korean technology which was introduced in Pakistan through our company ‘The Coder Pakistan’. It is the next generation invisible coding on images and also on sounds which make the non-digital things, digital. We have enabled our customers by providing many never-before-seen high tech security and marketing solutions through our DoT solutions.

We are also in the business of GIS mapping and have the most comprehensive navigation platform for cars and cell phones. We are providing customized mapping solutions to our clients based on their business requirements.

Our company Avolox is also an integral part of iTecknologi Group and in a very short span of time it has excelled in the field of complex software and mobile application development. It is heartening to see that Avolox clients, who are mostly based outside Pakistan are amazed with the expertise and services being provided to them from this country.

We have also made investments in fleet of cars for our company ‘Carros’ which deals in providing top notch car rental solutions. Here too, we want our clients to feel the difference that we are not your run of the mill rent a car company. Our corporate clients feel the difference when they manage their whole fleet in the most convenient manner and always well informed.

Last but definitely not the least, we acquired The New York Pizza with the aim of entering into the food industry and to diversify our investment portfolio. The aim again is to provide better product quality with better service to make this unit one of the leading brands in Pakistan.

** Your organization, products, services and solutions are quite technology oriented, how significant do think technology and innovation are for businesses in Pakistan?**

Innovation is inevitable. Be it manufacturing industry or service industry everyone needs to constantly upgrade and provide better services, better products and make the world a better place. As Einstein rightly said that ‘change is the only constant’, so in order to excel, every business must continue to adapt and improvise. We believe that innovation in what we do is a culture that we have successfully nurtured within our Group companies.

“Pakistan is and will remain a huge market, full of potential for almost every type of business, but yes, digital is the future.”

Your group crossed PKR 1 Billion in the last financial year and that too in a very short span of time, what is the secret behind your group’s success?

My experience is that if we create the right value for our customers, the right value for their money, they will not only remain your customers but will become loyal and also advocate your brand, your company. Success lies in going the extra mile, giving more than what customers expect, coming up with better solutions, better products. I know everyone says the same thing, but the secret lies in actually practicing this, not only saying it.

Other than that, I believe that the intent also plays a huge part. Good intentions are rewarded.

Last but not the least, an organization’s success is primarily due to the team involved. Alhamdulillah, we have been blessed with a good team of professionals, who understand the company’s vision and direction. We have always tried to create an inclusive culture so everyone knows their responsibility and the march towards success becomes a cumulative effort

You are also contributing to Pakistan’s economy through export of software, how different is global market from Pakistani market?

Yes, software is a very vast field. Global market is quite advance and their requirements are also of higher level since most of the developed countries are already far ahead in technology and value chain. But it is good for us, since we learn globally and are able to provide similar solutions to our clients in Pakistan. I personally feel that there is no dearth of ideas here and we as Pakistanis are quite talented in every field, all we need is the right direction to channel our efforts. It is quite heartening to see startups getting international funding. I am quite hopeful that a lot will change for the better here. Pakistan is and will remain a huge market full of potential for almost every type of business, but yes, digital is the future.

You have mentioned about your success factors how will you make sure that iTecknologi remains a successful enterprise?

I believe that everyone seeks value for money. Any product that we consume, any service that we use, we seek quality, convenience, saving and the right value for money. For this belief, as an entity we are constantly investing in better factors of production. The life of an entrepreneur is based on constantly exploring opportunities and evolution of businesses into producers of elements which are not only better but are sustainable. We can create competitive advantages, but they should be robust and sustainable for a long period of time. Other than that, based on our expertise and unique solutions, we are not only helping our clients in elevating their business quotient, but also seek opportunities to make lives better of society at large. Having all this at the core of our businesses will keep us ahead and be more successful.

How do you see the future of business in Pakistan, keeping in view the pandemic situation that we are going through and also generally?

It has become a cliché that this pandemic has opened our eyes to many things and every company, every organization has its own learning; majority of Pakistan has started to believe that without going digital or having digital channels or tools to conduct business from the confines of one’s home are the need of the hour. I see a lot of positives from this. The public in general has realized that digital is more than just social platforms. Online transactions have increased, inclusion of non-network people has increased manifold and people have started using online services and app-based services on a regular basis. Indeed, this is the start of the new normal and we all will see further evolution on this front. All businesses need to have elaborate strategies for keeping themselves alive and kicking. Our plans, policies and forward thinking bore the benefits that Alhamdulillah we thrived in these times too. Not a single person was laid off, in fact I am humble that Almighty enabled us to increase our workforce this year. Yes, some more aggressive plans were tapered and delayed a bit but the upside is that 2021 will be the year of enormous growth.

Pakistan has always been and will remain the land of big opportunities, we are the fifth most populous country of the world with brilliant resources. The biggest opportunity still is the room for improvement on every front, so all we need to do is be better, do better and come up with better products and services to have loyal stakeholders. Businesses need to improve the quality of whatever they produce and they will always find consumers who want the right value for their money.

My mantra for future will be global strength, further exceeding customers’ expectations, more diversification in business, sustainability initiatives. The common ingredients to achieve all this will be better technology and delighted workforce. I have a strong belief that if we worked on these elements, reaching new heights of success will be an automatic process.