In an Interview with Insights Success, Om Prakash, Managing Director of Saviom Software Pty Ltd shares about his journey and his contribution through Saviom Software. Over the last 30 odd years, he has donned many hats – Software Architect, Entrepreneur, Subject-matter Expert and Analyst. Behind every designation and role, he relates to just one idea – efficiency engineering.
Below are the highlights of the interview between Om Prakash and Insights Success.
Give a brief overview of your background and your role in Saviom Software.
My career began in the mid-80s before moving base from India to Sydney. As PwC’s former IT Director, I was closely involved in several cross-disciplinary projects, most notably the multi billion merger between PwC and Coopers & Lybrand in 1998.
After 15 years of project managerial ability and programming expertise in the software space, I decided to explore product development. Saviom’s inception came about after observing the need for a solution that offered unconditional insights into the resource pool.
I’ve always been a strong advocate for resource management as a science, as it is the only discipline at par with project management that ensures the right and available talent is being leveraged optimally. And as Saviom’s Managing Director, my role involves planning out the corporate strategy and in cultivating client relationships successfully with multinational enterprises wishing to deliver more projects successfully with fewer resources. After all, key resourcing decisions are possible by combining the power of resource and project management!
How do you diversify your organization’s solutions that appeal to your target audience?
The shift to agility coincides with the aim to be both efficient and effective. Saviom’s uniqueness lies in letting firms be agile and efficient from a resource angle. Saviom’s solutions let resource and project managers alike prepare for the future with an adequate supply and availability of the right resources to work. This is a win, especially when business executives are in the decision-making hotseat and need insights into how multiple projects and contracts are faring. Apart from reducing risks, having the right resources from the very start is also a great way for businesses to be more cost efficient.
What is your approach towards the latest technological innovations? How is it changing your role?
Experienced project managers are hyper-aware of change, and its implications. In my opinion, the only way around the uncertainty concerning work influxes is to follow emergent trends and stay several steps ahead of the market. I make the time to go through recent publications, articles, and company press releases.
As a person who enjoys being in the thick of action, I usually conference in on team-wide meetings to check in on how the marketing, sales, research and development teams are getting along. Considering the advent of Artificial Intelligence, machine learning and IoT applications, it is inevitable that user interactions with such technologies would change and in turn, influence product innovation.
As a strategist, technological innovation is giving me the information needed to lead teams better. The advantage of nurturing an agile work culture here at Saviom is the instant and valuable feedback from our global offices that keep me informed of trending and useful technologies being scoped out. Besides keeping the lines of communication open, innovation also brings up new areas of expertise that in turn lets me know which training measures to invest in prior to setting teams to work on challenging projects. After all, the better informed you are, the more efficient your teams are in delivering business value.
Describe some of the vital attributes that every CEO should possess.
This is subjective, but in my experience, the key attribute every CEO should possess is to remain a realist. They should also be open to receiving as well as giving feedback in order to give their employees a say in how processes should be run feasibly. Staying calm and composed is harder than it looks but is a non-negotiable trait when leading teams. A few other must-have attributes include being able to think and plan strategically. Given that new ideas are taking businesses by storm, a CEO should remain objective and unbiased when vetting out business models, creating roadmaps, making decisions and reviewing actions.
What are the experiences and lessons that you’ve learned across your journey?
I took a risk leaving my stable, high-paying career and don’t regret it one bit. For one, I had the support of my family and a wide circle of well-wishers, which helped during the most trying phases. After all, taking risks is part of the entrepreneurial journey. You can choose to see mistakes made either as a sign of failure or a lesson well-learnt. I chose the latter and relied on a mix of experiential instincts and sound counsel before taking a call. So long as you’re dedicated to your cause, you will see success sooner rather than later.
Where does Saviom Software see itself in the near future and how do you plan to sustain its competency?
Saviom prides itself on sustainable development keeping in mind the emergence of new full-stack technologies. Our research and development wing is currently working on AI-based project resource management. Plans are underway to create a new project management tool that helps professional services achieve compliance and quality service delivery while capitalizing on maximal billability. The long-term objective remains to have our product suites reach every corner of the globe, enabling small, medium and large enterprises to achieve high-maturity.
What advice would you like to give to the young minds?
The times are changing; be malleable when forging your future. Never miss an opportunity to learn and ask questions. Remember to listen as much as you speak so that you imbibe valuable feedback and remain objective when appraising a new situation. Try visualizing yourself in your career and find a mentor you can shadow to get hands on experience. Only then can you decide whether this is the path you’re destined to flourish in. Above all, remain humble and be thankful to the people you come across who take the time to guide you in the right direction.
