Laxmikant Kathare, the Founder and Director of Improsys, is recognized as one of India’s most visionary ERP leaders, driving innovation and excellence in the software development landscape. As a first-generation entrepreneur with a background in Production Engineering and a post-graduation in Systems Management from Mumbai University, Laxmikant brings over 25 years of rich experience in business consulting, corporate training, and system analysis across various sectors, including manufacturing, healthcare, and logistics.

His journey began with a keen understanding of the market’s need for customized ERP solutions, particularly for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in India. Identifying this gap, Laxmikant established Improsys to provide tailored software solutions that address the unique challenges faced by businesses. Under his leadership, Improsys has developed web-based ERP software that not only meets current business needs but also allows for phased implementation, enabling clients to prioritize and address their most pressing concerns within budgetary constraints.

Laxmikant’s commitment to customer satisfaction is evident in his policy of prioritizing support, regardless of the project’s commercial value. This approach has fostered a loyal customer base, resulting in repeat business and referrals. He also emphasizes creating a positive work environment for his employees, focusing on growth opportunities and learning, which has helped Improsys retain top talent in the industry.

As a technology leader, Laxmikant understands the importance of staying updated with the latest trends, investing in research and development in areas such as IoT, cloud computing, and AI. His socially responsible ethos drives him to provide software solutions for NGOs addressing critical issues like the environment, health, education, child labour, pollution, and climate change.

In an exclusive interview with CIOLook India, Laxmikant spoke in detail about his journey, achievements, Improsys’ tremendous success, and his plans.

Please brief our audience about Improsys, its USPs, and how you are currently positioned as one of the best ERP Solution Providers.

We provide business services in the areas of business consulting, corporate training, and software development with a special focus on productivity, quality, and delivery, resulting in bottom-line improvement for clients. Our software solutions are designed considering the needs of manufacturing, engineering, and logistic businesses which require customized software solutions to meet their specific business needs. Improsys is certified with Quality management standards ISO 9001:2015 and Information Security Management standards ISO 27001:2013. All systems and procedures are periodically audited for compliance with standards. We are providing software solutions and products for ERP software, Production planning software, OEE Monitoring software, WMS Software, CRM, Inventory management software, Audit Management Software, Quality Management software, Complaint Management software (8D), Change Management Software, Asset Management software, APQP software, PPAP software, FMEA Software, Project Management software, Task Management software, Document Management software, etc.

At Improsys, quality is a continuous process, which is a key factor responsible for the satisfaction of the customer’s top management as well as end users. We are committed to providing defect-free software products conforming to customer requirements on time by complying with the requirements of the quality management system and continuously improving its effectiveness through management reviews of the quality objectives. We believe in TQM (Total Quality Management) covering various sections of the organization.

Our success can be measured based on our satisfied customer base across different countries and business segments. Improsys could reach to top 10 service providers across the globe on the foundation of customer satisfaction, resulting from strong support processes, which has led to high ranking on various customer satisfaction metrics.

Satisfied customer feedback surveyed by independent US-based market research agencies has resulted in Improsys being ranked among the top players in the global manufacturing inventory software market in 2020 and one of the key players in recent years in manufacturing segments.

Tell us more about your offerings and what aspects make you stand out in the cutthroat competition.

Improsys web-based ERP software is designed by a Manufacturing Industry expert with over two-and-a-half decades of experience helping organizations improve profitability, cash flow, on-time delivery, quality, productivity, and customer satisfaction. It is implemented by functional domain consultants who are experts in managing change in complex manufacturing environments. The software is designed based on Lean organization principles and the DMAIC methodology of Six Sigma, helping organizations excel by measuring actual performance against defined standards, with deviations provided as trend analysis for corrective action.

Improsys appoints a dedicated business analyst during the pre-sales stage to identify and understand client requirements and propose solutions to meet their needs. The company follows the PDCA methodology for implementation, handholding, and support, deploying a dedicated support team available through various channels to provide live support to end-users.

Improsys stands out in the competitive ERP market due to its tailor-made solution approach and affordable customized offerings. The company is preferred for its expert implementation and long-term handholding support provided by business excellence leaders who understand both client management’s long-term needs and the requirement for simplicity and user-friendliness for end-users.

Improsys ERP software focuses on key manufacturing business requirements, such as complex bill of material management with frequent change handling, production scheduling, machine OEE and workforce productivity monitoring, and detailed quality management modules. International customers prefer manufacturing vendors with well-implemented quality and productivity monitoring software like Improsys ERP, which helps organizations scale operations and increase sales through consistent quality and delivery assurance. Growing organizations prefer Improsys ERP software for its ability to support their expansion plans.

What professional qualities and values do you think your clients admire in you the most?

• Improsys focuses on people, their lives, work, and dreams: The Improsys User Experience team works to discover people’s actual needs, including the needs they cannot always articulate. Armed with that information, Improsys provides solutions that solve real-world problems, improving and simplifying people’s lives.
• At Improsys, every millisecond counts: Nothing is more valuable than people’s time. Improsys software is designed to eliminate end users’ non-value-added activities.
• Improsys believes simplicity is powerful: Improsys believes that simplicity fuels many elements of good design, including ease of use, speed, visual appeal, and accessibility.
• Improsys engages beginners and attracts experts: The best Improsys designs appear quite simple on the surface but include powerful features that are easily accessible to those users who want them. Our intent is to invite beginners with a great initial experience while also attracting power users whose excitement and expertise will draw others to the product.

A well-designed Improsys service lets new users jump in, offers help when necessary, and ensures that users can make simple and intuitive use of the service’s most valuable features. Progressive disclosure of advanced features encourages people to expand their usage of the service whenever appropriate.

• Improsys dares to innovate: We encourage new ideas to emerge and play. Instead of just matching the features of existing products, we want to change the game through innovation.
• Improsys is designed for the world: Our goal is to provide contextually relevant solutions that are available through the medium and methods that make sense to users. The User Experience team researches the fundamental differences in user experiences worldwide and works to provide the right solution for each audience, device, and culture.
• Improsys plans for today and tomorrow’s business: Improsys stays updated with the latest technologies and helps its customers use the most innovative, disruptive technologies for business excellence.
• Improsys delights the eye without distracting the mind: If people looked at an Improsys product and said, “Wow, that is beautiful!” the User Experience team would cheer. A positive first impression makes users comfortable, assures them that the product is reliable and professional, and encourages people to make the product their own.
• Our mission: ‘Be worthy of people’s trust: Improsys demonstrates respect for users right to own and control their own data. Improsys is transparent about how it uses information and never shares data outside without a user’s explicit consent.
• Improsysadds a human touch.

As an experienced leader, in your opinion, how does the adoption of AI&ML impact the ERP solution space, and how is your company adapting to the change?

Improsys is equipped to provide better ERP software solutions by adopting advancements in IoT, Cloud computing, and AI to make manufacturing organizations become the SMART factories of tomorrow. With advancements in 5G and internet advancement, Improsys is leveraging on redesigning computing environments by using edge computing to collect data at machine, equipment, and instrument levels and transmit it to cloud servers for further data analysis and BI purposes. Improsys has already redesigned its application to utilize advancements in microservice-based software architecture to fully use AI and ML to improve the quality of decision-making for its clients. APIs are made available to collaborate with other software solutions and leverage the competitive advantage of the use of innovative and economically ready-to-use solutions on the cloud.

Considering the current industry scenario, what kind of challenges do you face, and how do you drive your company to overcome them?

The current ERP market has reached saturation levels. Customers now need solutions not only to manage their in-house operations but also to complete their supply chain, which could help them reduce costs across the supply chain. The ERP market faces the challenge of becoming more affordable with the ability to collaborate across the supply chain, which requires costly expert services. Hiring and retaining new skill sets and providing services at affordable prices have become two extreme ends. We are overcoming this challenge by outsourcing expert skill sets and scaling up the customer base with the SAS model, providing software on subscription charges at affordable prices.

What would be your advice to budding entrepreneurs who aspire to venture into the ERP space?

New budding entrepreneurs should adopt disruptive technologies to provide innovative solutions at affordable prices.

How do you envision scaling Improsys’ operations and offerings in the future?

We will offer software solutions on a SaaS model in the cloud to scale up operations and reduce costs. This will also help us reach customers across domestic boundaries and the globe. We’re establishing a partner network worldwide to reach potential untapped customers in developing countries.

With a strong vision for the future, Laxmikant Kathare is not only shaping the trajectory of Improsys but also influencing the broader ERP landscape in India, making him a leader to watch in the ever-evolving world of technology. For more information, please visit https://improsys.in/.