In Techimply’s first Exclusive interview, we wanted to introduce to our readers - someone who broke industry barriers and led his organization by adapting and innovating with market trends over a period.
And we came across the right person, Mr. Nilesh Shah, it has been more than 19 years since he started “Spine Technologies” - an organization best known for its HR Suite & Fixed Asset Solutions.
When in talks, with Mr. Nilesh Shah the CEO of Spine Technologies, we asked about his initial days as the CEO of Spine and how he nurtured Spine over a period - to which he replied:
Initially, when we started we were into customized solutions and multiple products. Then we realized we are scattered and unable to pursue standardized products, so we cut off on other applications and adopted a focused approach. Having worked with several applications we could gauge the demand for HR products in the coming years.
However, then HR software & the department itself wasn’t so much of a need but a luxury. With the changing market and technological culture, we knew this product had a long way to go. We came up with a product that is segmented agnostic and scalable. We had a great success ratio even at the early stage. Meanwhile, fixed asset management software also took our attention as this too is a need of the hour which is why we have ‘Spine Asset’ now.
So exactly who can use Spine software and why would they opt for Spine?
Any company - that has an employee count of more than 20 and is looking forward to automating its HR and payroll processes most efficiently and cost-effectively - can use Spine.
Generalized software, zero customization, standardization, huge client retention, fast implementation, and multiple deployment options. Due to long-term relationships, the client gets the benefit of analytics and can fetch data of several years, which makes one opt for Spine.
As a CEO you have to make decisions daily, so what is your decision-making mechanism?
Decision-making is always based on two things - one being customer priorities and expectation, which is more inclined towards service and support and the other is product enhancement on a day-to-day basis as per the market need and market shift. Market needs and shifts are based on the client’s specification which we try to generalize so that other clients can also benefit from the feature.
The readers would like to know the moments in your time with Spine when you thought that - “Spine Technologies was done” and “Spine Technologies did it”:
There was a phase when the market was demanding cloud-based deployment but we did not have it. We could feel the heat and only then we could come up with a cloud-based solution. This came up as an opportunity to expand on service. We never felt Spine technologies was done as such, we always felt there is a lot of scope in the market for the product. The only thing is to grow sustainably and bring in continuous change in terms of the latest technology etc.
Next was the time when we started channel sales and could build a channel network. As we have a product that can be used and learned by all and is time tested. When our product was error-free and standardized we came up with a thought, as to why we should restrict ourselves and not allow partners to do the implementation. It is when we broke the barriers and trained our channel partners to learn and implement.
Through this journey of ups and downs, what has been the measure of success for you, and have you reached it yet?
We have not reached it yet. I don’t believe there is an upper limit to success. We are yet keen to see more heights. One parameter to measure is of course our client’s count and also the number of years they have been associated with us. We have got clients who are using our software for more than 15-20 years, which is rare in the market.
So what about the aftermath of Covid on Spine Technologies:
Initially, we only used to do implementation on site but due to covid, we trained our employees to implement our software offsite. In terms of demos, clients also have an acceptance for online demos, which expedited the process. The statistics have increased exponentially in terms of our services per day.
If you were to tell us in one line, about how Spine will cope with the dynamic changes in the industry, then what would it be?
The acceptance of automation and growing digitization will make Spine cope up with the future demand.
We are very keen to know the factors you consider before moving into an alliance and the value added by the alliance with Techimply?
From any of our stakeholders, we make sure they are inclined towards upliftment and benefits of both parties. Their value deliveries, commitment fulfillment, work culture are some other factors brought into consideration.
Techimply has added value with the revenue as well as with the reach of Spine Technologies over a period. The gradual increase in quality traffic and clients delivered by Techimply is promising.
Lastly, a piece of advice to young Entrepreneurs:
Be selfless while choosing a segment to serve others. By your business idea or profession try to solve a problem that the society is going through and success shall follow along with inner peace.
