A lot of businesses start daily. Few survive beyond the initial start-up euphoria, and even fewer are able to thrive within this ever changing industry landscape. The one quality which sets the leaders of the thriving ones apart is the ‘ability to stay persistent’ as they navigate the ups and downs of the entrepreneurial journey. They are steadfast while being humble and open to any course corrections on the way. They value the trust which their employees and customers bestow on them and constantly work towards maintaining it with integrity. Technology is changing rapidly. Traditional business models are being disrupted and today’s leaders need to constantly adapt to newer business models. As businesses work towards staying relevant for the future, visionary CEO’s are constantly looking for ways to fundamentally transform their own businesses leveraging new age technologies and provide even greater value to their customers. To be the most trusted partner helping businesses navigate their futurification journey while disrupting his own enterprise by constantly identifying better ways of doing things, is how Hardik Parekh, Founder and CEO of Searce defines his organization’s vision.
Hardik’s Background: After successfully completing his Master’s in Industrial Engineering from the Texas A & M University, Hardik started his professional journey as a management consultant based out of Seattle providing Business Process Improvement consulting to several large enterprises including 10+ US State Department of Transportation. As a firm believer in the opportunities which the growing Indian economy had to offer, Hardik championed the ‘Reverse Brain Drain’cause while in US before finally settling back in India in 2004 and founding Searce – which he has successfully molded into one of the fastest growing cloud, automation and analytics led business transformation company in India and APAC. Hardik addresses any problem thrown his way with a futuristic approach. His ability to identify emerging trends, quick adaptability to newer business models and visionary ideas on how technology can fundamentally transform the way people work and live, quickly earns him a ‘Futurification Consultant’ title wherever he goes.
Under Hardik’s Leadership, Searce has grown to be more than just a consulting company which helps ‘futurify’ businesses leveraging cloud, automation and analytics. Searce’s services are aiding businesses to Reimagine ‘what’s next’. Redefine the ‘how’ & Realize the ‘next now’ while internally developing a culture of continually experimenting & challenging the status quo.
An example of how Searce innovates while believing that best practices are over-rated is it’s “Beyond Consulting” practice which Hardik defines as “Our unique philosophy of delivering ‘real value’ to our customers and not just another 80-page PDF document. We sit very close to the execution layer which allows us to focus all our efforts in driving true business transformation for our customers. Searce’s growth from a couple to over 1200+ enterprise customers in the last decade is a testament to the value this boutique beyond consulting firm is able to offer to its customers.
Searce specializes in helping businesses move to cloud, improve on cloud, build on the next generation cloud and truly adopt SaaS solutions driving change management. Some of the core service offerings include Cloud automation and Analytics Advisory, IaaS; PaaS, SaaS-Migration & Deployment; Change Management & Process Improvement Consulting, Cloud Solutions & Platform Engineering; Robotic Process Automation, and Business Process Management. Searce’s customer base across various sectors such as Logistics & Transportation, Retail-Manufacturing, Oil & Gas, Technology start-ups has benefited from Searce’s ability to drive collaboration across IT and Operations, automate business processes leveraging GSuite and Google Cloud Platform and build next generation technology solutions to solve real business problems leveraging machine learning and artificial intelligence.
Hardik’s Advice to the Budding Entrepreneurs – Hardik advises entrepreneurs should never stop experimenting. It is never easy for an entrepreneur and being persistent is the most important quality a business person should develop. He says, “Advancements in technology are changing the industry landscape for good. The ‘everything on-demand’ industry is helping bubble up individual creativity. Very soon, all one might need to launch his or her own start-up is a great online presence strategy, a skill/product which drives value & a good marketing plan. Times could not be more exciting to go out there and experiment with that crazy idea of yours! But most importantly, as you focus on reaching your ‘particular’ destination, don’t forget to enjoy the journey!! While he is firm about his idea’s, he is not rigid and is always open to suggestions for improvement and this is what he suggests others to do.
Hardik’s view on the future – The world is getting more and more connected, computing power becoming less expensive and the era of ‘everything as a service’ is becoming more prevalent. This is a phenomenal change as compared to anything that has ever happened before – businesses that adapt have a strong chance of surviving and riding this change to their advantage and the ones that do not, may no longer exist. For all the businesses who want to just move to cloud because everyone is, he says,”Moving to cloud is not going to transform your business, it will just enable the transformation. We help our clients realize and more so truly experience that cloud is more of a *strategic growth engine*. A strategic growth engine that accelerates innovation and helps you transform your business. This is a very different position that the cloud has taken. ” This is the beginning of the end of the ownership era and businesses need help to embrace everything as-a- service business model, which is a stepping stone to stay relevant for the future. Paying for access versus buying permanent licenses will help the transformation from exclusivity to ubiquity and prevent the wastage of resources that come with the ownership culture. He adds, “It’s not just about sharing files versus sending, its about changing the business model to apply the same principles to your business and think about how a TV, phone, mobile, car, printers & even a WC manufacturer can create a growth engine by creating new products & services – and Searce can help enable that for your business. ”
Website:-www.searce.com