On the eve of completion of its 100th year of existence, the J M BAXI GROUP embarked on the path of ‘Digital Transformation’ by drawing inspiration from its core values of Humility, Honesty, Innovation and Perseverance to ensure reaching out to its customers in a way that was both innovative in its experience as well as satisfying in terms of the value it offered to them.
Beginning of Digital Transformation at the J M Baxi Group
J M BAXI GROUP took a dual approach when it came to the digital transformation journey.
The primary aspect of the approach was to transform the way we did business. This was to be achieved by enhancing the penetration of technology in the way the business processes were conducted by the organization. This involves leapfrogging from the legacy systems that were used in the past to the latest and cutting-edge technologies that disrupt and deliver a step change in terms of effectiveness of the business processes and efficiencies in their delivery due to empowerment of the workforce.
The secondary aspect of the approach was an innovative and new approach to look at the information in terms of data as well as experience in terms of domain knowledge that we had at our disposal which would spawn out new software solutions. These solutions would be initially dogfooded by our own organizations, until we consider them to market as Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions catering to the entire industry in general.
Spawning of Platforms and Services
From the time we started this journey in December 2015 till the present date, the ‘DigiSquad’ initiative has given rise to the following platforms which are either completed or at the stage of deployment :
- ‘Portall 2.0’ platform for enabling integration of multiple systems of ports, CFS and ICD’s through a common integration layer thereby allowing their customers to interact with them real-time.
- India's ‘Port Community System’ platform which is what we have built for the Indian Ports Association in order to enable the entire Marine Logistics community to interact and collaborate through a single common platform.
- ‘Vridhi Lending’ platform for enabling the extension of credit from the distributors to the retailer. It also extends to the retailer over a mobile-interface for choosing the options of credit and the interest associated with it.
- ‘Diabos 3.0’ platform for enabling Global Voyage Management transactions enabled with state-of-the-art technologies in the field of Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Robotic Process Automation and Cognitive.
- ‘Portall Clear’ platform for enabling Landside Cargo Clearance solutions.
Segregation of Innovation Engine and the Final Products
As we go ahead with the progress in our digital transformation journey, the management felt a need for a clear segregation of the Innovation Engine from the Final products to the market.
This was the initiation of the thought for the evolution of ‘Arya Infosystems’ to don the role of the innovation engine for the J M BAXI GROUP while companies like Portall Infosystems, Diabos and JMB Incubators will own the responsibility to launch the products to the market.
- Arya Infosystems was conceptualized for developing into an organization for owning the following roles :
- Shared Services Arm of J M BAXI GROUP.
- DevOps Solution provider to the Platform solutions being created by market facing organizations like Portall Infosystems, Diabos, JMB Incubators.
- Integrated Infotech Solutions provider for the Logistics industry as the primary target and the other industries in general for Industry agnostic technologies.
Road Ahead
Arya Infosystems has begun the journey by undertaking multiple projects for J M BAXI GROUP and solutions for in Office Automation, Digitization in continuation with its delivery of the Platforms for projects like Port Community Systems of India, Portall Clear and Vridhi Lending platform.