In the following interview with Insights Success, Mr. Sarji. R. Mohammedali talks about how Citrus Informatics India brought innovations to the IT Space. Furthermore, he also provides an insight into the industry and how technology is reshaping the way of conducting business.
Below are the excerpts from the conversation.
Kindly brief us about your organization your vision, mission, and your values.
Started in January 2010, Citrus Informatics has been providing a wide array of IT management and engineering services including IT Consulting, Project Management, Technology Management, Product Management & Engineering, Architecture, Custom Software development, Application/Solution Development, Mobile Apps, Database Design and Administration, Data Analytics, Machine Learning, Cloud Computing, UX Design, Testing and Quality Assurance, as well as Digital Marketing.
We would like to be a leading player in the Information & Communication Technology space, harnessing the power of technology to deliver innovative solutions that meet our customers’ specific business requirements, enabling them to build a framework that will ensure sustainable growth for years to come.
Our Mission is to design, develop and deliver IT products, services and solutions that exceed client expectations in terms of quality, functionality, delivery time and total cost of ownership, and thus to become the partner of choice for our clients in the Information and Communication Technology space.
As the Founder/CEO of Citrus Informatics, describe your professional journey.
I have about 24 years of experience in the IT industry. I completed my engineering graduation in Computer Science. I also hold an MBA degree in Systems & Operations Management and a Post-graduate diploma in Software Marketing.
Over the years, I worked on projects spanning business domains such as Healthcare, Supply Logistics, Transportation, Device Integration, Real Estate, Non-Profit, Educational, Broadcasting, eCommerce, eLearning, Management etc.
During my professional tenure, I took on several roles from Project Leader/ Lead Software Engineer, Systems/Network Manager, Project/Program/Product Manager, Technical/solution architect and finally as CEO of Citrus Informatics.
What are the cutting-edge products/services offered by your organization?
Some of the business services provided by Citrus Informatics are –
Dedicated Research and Development – Many of the best industry players in the software industry are not willing to compromise on quality and expertise. Hence, cost alone is not a driver when it comes to foreign companies outsourcing their R&D. An efficient team of competent technical staff with their out of box thinking and determination is what has helped Citrus Informatics reach the levels of excellence that it has today.
Product Management and Engineering – Product engineering for Citrus Informatics is about successfully translating a product vision into reality. Citrus Informatics can help with the entire development life cycle of a product from conceptualization to post-implementation support.
Custom Software Development – A lot of customers have requirements that are very specific to their organization. A typical COTS solution does not solve their problem. Given their expertise in various frameworks, the Citrus team of engineers are able to design, develop and implement custom solutions for these segments of customers in shorter time spans.
Specialty Services – Citrus expertise also spans special areas such as architecture validation, integration services, penetration testing, security testing, and growth hacking as well.
IT consulting – Some of the problems brought forward by customers who reach out have already solutions in the market which they may not be aware of. Some others need an opinion on how best to execute a project. Over the years, Citrus has been able to provide valuable opinions to customers in solving their various business problems in many ways from pointing to COTS solutions, quick-fix suggestions or discussions that helped them define their business strategies. These customers see Citrus as a valuable firm where they can always go to for truthful and unbiased information and suggestions.
How has your organization sustained its market competency? What are the characteristics that set it apart?
We always learn and adapt to new technologies and trends. The engineers are trained from time to time. Hence, we are able to meet the needs of the customers effectively and efficiently. Projects are executed taking utmost care and customer priorities are always kept as top priority.
At Citrus, post-implementation analysis is done to learn from the experience so that we can tackle the shortcomings without an issue. We always strive for improvement and hence each post-implementation analysis focuses around all aspects of the project and process including project management & execution, engineering, technology selection, quality control and operations.
Customers always see us as folks who are reliable and trustworthy. The processes, methodologies, and tools that are used as part of the integrated project management approach result in better quality products. This coupled with robust frameworks and components ensures reduced cycle times, fast product delivery, lower cost of ownership, better risk mitigation, faster return on investment and quicker time to market. Even after outsourcing, clients have complete flexibility and control in every stage of product development.
Share your views on the latest trends in your industry. How are you keeping up with them?
The technology is moving from raw technology to Automation, AI, Machine Learning kind of areas. Keeping up with them is the only way to stay on top in this industry. Weekly seminars, periodic classes, sample assignments, evaluations and trial projects are done which help the team to keep themselves abreast in these areas.
How do you maintain a productive work culture at your company while motivating your employees?
Citrus Informatics is one of the top IT companies in Kerala that is known for its professional and healthy work atmosphere and opportunity for working in the latest and greatest technologies. We have a very friendly and family work environment. As a family, we at Citrus Informatics strive to achieve an atmosphere of confidence and mutual support, where every team member confidently contributes to their team and the team leader supports each team member. Ideas and opinions are appreciated and debating of ideas is encouraged to bring out the finest of ideas
Describe the experiences, achievements or lessons learned that have shaped the journey of the company.
We just don’t create a one size fits all solution. Every solution is tailored based on the requirements of the customer. As for COTS, we use them because it saves us time on development. Our idea is to leverage these kinds of applications and build solutions that really add value to the customer.
At Citrus Informatics we consider Human resources and knowledge as the most important assets. And hence we put a lot of effort into knowledge acquisition. As part of it, we familiarize ourselves with free open-source technologies and tools which reduces the cost of development and deployments. Additionally, microservices and libraries are created in a generalized format which makes it reusable. We also excel in performing deep customizations based on customer requirements.
Our greatest achievements are our long standing and returning customers. Many of them bring in others as well. That is actually great because it shows how people value us as an organization.
What are your future plans for the company? Where do you see the company in the years to come?
With a primary customer base in the USA and a minimal presence in the Middle East, Citrus Informatics is planning to expand its services to other countries covering Europe and Australia by 2020. Now that we have made our mark in the IT services space, we have recently started to build niche products meeting the needs of specific customer segments. These products are expected to hit the market in 2021.
Visit www.citrusinformatics.com to know more.
Mr. Sarji. R. Mohammedali | CEO | Citrus Informatics
