Sunil Rawat, Founder Systematix On Building Businesses and Creating Value

1.  How did you start your career and what motivated you to create Systematix?

I just hold a Diploma in Electronics and Telecommunication, with a lot of hurdles in accomplishing my education as I came from a mediocre family. Obviously, with Diploma, the job was difficult so started repairing Televisions then got into industrial maintenance, and then into computer hardware maintenance and sales. From then on a journey into the Information Technology world started and is still going on. 

Founded Systematix in 2005 with just a couple of people and today we are a team of 272 professionals working with companies globally. In my vast experience, I believe it is the passion to learn and hard work that is added to your success than just the education. In fact, passion pushes you to become an entrepreneur.

2. Why does Systematix exist? What is its main value proposition?

Even the best of the core applications does not address the changing needs of the Enterprises. IT or IT setup is evolving and you can't change the core applications but you can always extend with the new technologies around. So, this is why we primarily exist to help our clients leverage their existing setup and extend it with the help of new technologies and achieve their business goals.

We believe in #relationshipbeyondcontract, we don't tag ourselves as a business but we tag ourselves as a business solution provider and we make sure that the solution works for our clients. And that is how we have a relationship as old as 10 years with companies like Eicher-VECV and managing as many as 40 applications for them. 

We provide services like application modernization and product engineering to companies outside India to help them maintain their software products and modernize their platforms with features and functionalities like AI/ML.

We own IPR for the application called Cost IT Right which is an Intelligent cost estimation automation and cost control software designed to meet the operational needs of automobile manufacturers and their OEMs, bringing meaningful change in the complete ecosystem.

3. What are the most helpful technological platforms and tools, Systematix is working with?

Primarily the technology deck includes- Microsoft, Mobile application development-Native and Hybrid, Progressive Web Apps, Data Science, IoT, Robotic and Intelligent Process Automation (RPA and IPA) to deliver helpful services. 

We keep ourselves abreast with the latest technologies to incorporate and improve the business processes of our clients. The new-age technologies such as RPA/IPA and IoT have definitely helped our clients in reducing human dependency, saving operations time, and bringing accuracy. We also create conversational bots for business on Whatsapp - the world's largest messaging platform. They can be deployed for many business-use-cases. The most popular use cases are customer and sales support. 

4. Systematix has successfully delivered 2500+ projects, worked with 900+ International Clients, and owns a 250+ skilled workforce, what do you think about the numbers in the future?

We have been growing in double-digit numbers since our inception. We aspire to be a 1000 headcount company by 2022. Spotless, on-time delivery and Information security is our priority. Therefore, after ISO 9001:2015 and CMMI Level 3 appraisal, we are now working towards achieving ISO 27000. We hope to gain this by mid-2021.

5. How did you manage the COVID crisis? What changes did it bring for Systematix?

As we realized that the situation was getting worse, we allowed our team members to work from home even before lockdown. For nine months all team members are working from home. We already have achieved our target quarter in advance. The efficiency of our workforce did not go away. 

Systematix Infotech helped Eicher-VECV in designing a business performance app that works on top of these mainstream applications to pull relevant data in real-time and make it easy to get all critical numbers in real-time in one single system for actions and/or decisions. Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the entire study was done offsite and the team worked remotely to achieve the deadline for launch. Such a massive application was delivered to VECV during COVID-19.

It has definitely changed our work patterns, even brought us closer because being in the office you never realize that you need to connect with team members that often as they are sitting next door. Regular meetings, virtual calls, and other activities with team members have helped build strong bonds and improve efficiency in terms of delivery.

6. What do you think are the biggest challenges our industry will face in the next 5 years?

Information security or data security is one of the biggest challenges in the IT industry. It has become a huge priority for all businesses, big and small, no matter the vertical. However, there are still many difficulties that these businesses and associations must overcome if they truly hope to protect their data from hackers as well as major cybercriminal groups. After all, data breaches continue to occur in all industries, and the prevalence of these cyberattacks is not wavering despite the abundance of cybersecurity conversations.

7. What's the most important thing you're working on right now, and how are you making it happen? Would you like to share the most innovative product or service, Systematix is working on?

We have one product on which we are working right now that is Workshots - An advanced employee time tracking and productivity monitoring application. This application helps you know your team's actual productivity. It is a web-based application that provides time tracking, cost tracking, time-sheet management with automatic intermittent screenshot capturing. 

Adding up more applications to our product portfolio is Profitley - A Seamless B2B Ordering and Order Management Platform for Brands, Distributors, and Wholesalers.  It is a web and mobile app that enables sales automation for B2B businesses allowing their buyers to place orders digitally. It empowers them to monitor their entire sales operations with one-click.  

8. If you had to come up with 3 words to describe the culture you want to create, what would they be (e.g. open, hard-working, eccentric)?

The concept of Inclusive Growth is something that Systematix follows. We aspire to create sustainable growth and long-term value that will benefit all stakeholders, employees, and wider society.

9. What is the #1 aspect that you look for as a trait in all your employees when bringing them onto the team?

In our industry, human capital is the most valuable investment, and our philosophy while adding new talent to the team is - “hire for attitude and train for aptitude”. What it means is that we look for a growth mindset in people and provide them with ample opportunities and support to learn and grow with the business. 

We do not care much about fancy degrees or academic performance, we rely more on our own assessment of a candidate's potential and inherent drive to grow. And this has paid us well so far. The track record of the team is a testament to the same.

10. You have an award-winning 30 years’ experience in helping businesses transform their business model in the past. What are your tips for young entrepreneurs to accelerate their business growth?

That one tip or advice that I would like to give to young entrepreneurs is that “do not work for valuation but do it for your passion”. In the race of increasing numbers, young entrepreneurs have lost their focus on unit economics and profitability, which is fundamental for a sustained business. Instead of just focusing on valuation ensure that you are doing it to increase profitability.

11. How would you describe yourself in one word?

Tenacious

Key Takeaways 

• Do not work for valuation but do it for your passion.
• #relationshipbeyondcontract is the driving force behind healthy customer relationships.
• Systematix fosters inclusive growth and aspires to create sustainable growth and long-term value that will benefit all stakeholders, employees, and wider society.
• According to Sunil, “Hire for attitude and train for aptitude.” He attributes human capital is the most valuable investment. 
• Regular meetings, virtual calls, have helped build stronger bonds and improve efficiency in terms of delivery during the pandemic situation.
• Information security or data security is one of the biggest challenges in the IT industry.
• Sunil Rawat recommends new-age technologies RPA/IPA and IoT in helping consumers in reducing human dependency, saving operations time, and bringing accuracy.