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Softdator Solutions invests % of profit into R&D – what kind of R&D projects is the company involved in at present? During the last six months, R&D budget has been increased up to 25-30 percent. The majority of our R&D recourses were directed to our newly built specialized asset tracking platform for ship, vessel or container tracking in offshore zones. Secondly, mobile application solutions. More of our clients prefers our software via mobile applications (iGeoTrack available on App Store and Google Play). Another area that is being continually improved is fuel monitoring, for heavy vehicles and site construction site operations. How long have Softdator Solutions been investing in R&D and custom development? Forming our business strategy, we clearly stated to be the innovatively crafted workshop rather than the large retail store that you could find so many in UAE. On our visits to the client, we try to understand the vision of the operations in 5 years from now. That makes customers interested in SOFTDATOR SOLUTIONS. MENA is the emerging market, private companies, and governmental units are very open and co-operative for innovations, and you can meet most of the entrepreneurs here in Dubai during various exhibitions and conferences. We consider it very significant R&D input. What kind of solutions – and in what areas – do clients demand and how does the R&D department respond to these needs? The focus is the more cost efficient and more intelligent solutions that would require a lot less time for report analysis. That is in first demand today as many companies are cutting any additional cost due to low oil prices. Before launching any new project or upgrade, our IT team must test it not twice but five times to make sure that utilization will require as low recourses as possible while benefit must be very high. What would you consider to be one of the most significant achievements in this field? (Please detail project or provide supporting press information) I would specify three projects; The first is a solar panel empowered vehicles monitoring system. Our client The Sustainable City Dubai (initiated by H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum) requested to devel-
Edvardas Gindrenas Managing Director, Softdator Solutions
op the particular module to monitor the battery level of buggies as continuous driving on low battery level decreases its lifetime. This wasn’t largest fleet project but we foresee the development to be prospect in future. Another solution was developed for regions well known transportation company Mubarak and Sons General Land Transport. The client requested to prepare special delivery report that could increase the operations by the third was delivered successfully. And finally, fuel monitoring solutions; using the existing system we see our clients saving 10 – 25 percent on monthly fuel bills in very different ways with. If we look at the fuel budget of the average company that would make form ten thousand to millions of dollars per month. To this extent even one percent plays a high role, not to mention twenty-five. We keep investing and brainstorming towards fuel solutions. You mentioned MENA. How do you execute the projects outside the UAE? How is it different in terms of client expectations and requirements? Indeed, around 20% of our customers and projects are outside UAE. Mostly KSA, Qatar, and Oman, therefore, we work on business ventures in Iraq, Jordan, Sudan, etc. Thanks to well-developed communication infrastructure today it is not necessary to follow the project in Sudan or Al Basra from UAE office. Therefore, we send our staff and project managers to other countries especially in the beginning of the project that benefits both
client and our professionals to extend the professional horizon. Understanding of telematics and its role is operations in UAE and rest of MENA is still visible. Here, companies are very challenging regardless of the fleet size, operational volume while outside only larger companies try to get out of the box. We encourage small ones that no company is born to be big it’s strict planning, monitoring and intelligent decisions made it big. In business, it’s a very proud feeling to see your client growing with your contribution. Why is it important for a company to develop its solutions to today’s business challenges? The biggest challenge is the precise cost planning. When I compare us to similar companies outsourcing the entire solution I can see, financially they have more flexible. That is not unique to our industry I talk to other manufacturers, and they quote the same. However, the largest benefits are stability and ability. Manufacturers considered being more stable by the nature of the management. We don’t have reckless growth and unexpected downfalls because most of our profit are reinvest back which keeps money inside the company. The important factor is that our clients are large and more loyal to us, the customer loss rate is bellow 5% yearly, and most of the losses related to the internal financial meltdown that has little relation to our services. I believe every business or entrepreneur must create something new to society if it aims to have a long path. Logistics News ME | February 2017 | 53