Which industry sectors are you catering to primarily? Please name a few of your customers from different segments.
Infor caters to around 16 wide ranging industry sectors including industrial manufacturing, industrial machinery and equipment, retail, fashion and financial services. Some of our customers from different segments are Thermax, Future Group, L&T, Jewelex, MyEco Energy, ITI Ltd.
Manufacturing businesses today require speed, agility, innovation and continuous upgradation while being customer-centric. How are you helping them achieve this?
Concerns of the manufacturing industry include pressures to improve performance owing to increasing competition. Additionally, supply chain partners, contractors, fabricators and suppliers all tend to gravitate to companies that are easy to do business with and who enjoy the conveniences of modern solutions.
Technology adoption seems to be the clear strategy to resolve this and Digital Transformation is not just a buzzword but the reality in the industry today. However, the shift is that many technologies that were considered disruptive only a few years ago have already received substantial traction and are largely considered "must have" capabilities. Speed, agility, innovation and mobility, have moved from the "nice to have" category to a standard way manufacturers connect with colleagues, collaborate with partners, and gain access to critical data, anytime, anywhere. An IDC report says 74 percent of manufacturers are using mobility solutions today, with that figure expected to reach 98 percent by 2020.
Cloud deployment is another technology that is quickly gaining traction among manufacturers. The early resistance to cloud solutions for critical applications is steadily eroding. IDC says 52 percent of surveyed manufacturers are already seeing major impact from cloud technologies. The landscape is fast evolving and it is very important for manufacturers to remain relevant in this highly competitive environment and keep with the change.
Have you made any new product announcements in the recent times? Please tell us about the same.
Yes, we are very excited about the recent launch of ‘Coleman' - an enterprise-grade, industry-specific artificial intelligence platform. This is the most significant product announcement since Infor CloudSuite in 2014. Much like Infor CloudSuite marked the first industry-specific ERP suites in the cloud, the introduction of powerful AI into business applications through Infor Coleman marks another milestone achievement in the evolution of enterprise software. Coleman was named in honour of Katherine Coleman Johnson, a physicist and mathematician whose critical calculations helped man reach the moon. She is a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom and has a passion for STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) - a passion that Infor shares.
What key trends do you think will shape the future of the industry in the coming times? How will you be leveraging on the same?
I truly believe that AI is the new UI. McKinsey reported that 20 percent of the average work week is spent searching and gathering information - imagine how much more productive people can be if they are able to delegate such tasks to artificial intelligence and focus instead on more valuable work. That's pretty incredible, and it barely scratches the surface of what Coleman can do to help us maximise human potential.
Tell us about your Partner network in India.
The Infor Partner Network is an extension of Infor's reach to the market. We recruited seven new partners in FY17 as a part of the Infor Partner Network and we are doubling down this number in FY18. To date, partners in India contribute around 30 percent to the channel business and 50 percent of services are delivered by system integrators who have specialised knowledge and skills on Infor Solutions.
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