Mahindra and Mahindra Financial Services Limited (MMFSL) is aggressively strengthening its internal IT infrastructure in a bid to better serve its customers and compete effectively in the market. Suresh A. Shanmugam, national head, Information Systems and Technology, MMFSL gives a lowdown on the technological initiatives undertaken by the company to storm ahead of its competitors.

How important is IT for a non-banking financial institution like MMFSL?

IT matters a lot when you talk of a service industry. The business at present depends on how fast we deploy the products and services and ensure the collection on time through the available technology. Business and technology strategy has the same vision; it drives the interest required for corporate customer care to ensure solutions support services as per the requirements and demands raised by our business. Without technology support, extracting information from remote locations would be difficult.

How has the company benefited from the handhelds deployed across all your branches?

We have deployed 700 handheld devices. Hand held device is mainly used for three entities - customer, staff (task force) and the management. Our 80% of collection is cash and handling such huge volumes is posing a problem in an Indian scenario. By deploying such a device, our executives are able to know the exact amount to be collected from the client online; further he is able to cut a receipt anywhere anytime. This enables him to do better negotiation with proper supporting.

Even an executive's incentive or performance is measured through this device on time on line. Further the queries about the client or the reasons given by the customer in-terms of follow-ups are captured and updated in the central server. Based on the pilot inputs, the deployment is in phases and based on the observation it will be deployed full-fledged.

Among the few benefits provided by the device are improved customer service, better controls and information online, good negotiation between the two, performances based on the online information, efficient efforts and rewards on time and last but not the least mini branches are available at the customer's place.

Tell us about the minicomputers project and how will it serve MMFSL?

The devices with the LAN card with more memory will be deployed at the connected locations where business is less and systems would be used only for cutting the receipts and business capture. This device doesn’t require the infrastructure for a PC or printer on the environmental resources on a monitory mode. Further such devices are very handy for those locations, which operate with less man power with all controls within the technology deployed across. Mini branches will be available at customer place which will also provide information about the customer, the information about the company on schemes and communication will be captured for future references.

What are the major areas of IT investment at MMFSL?

It differs from area to area and year to year, when the focus and business requirement was more on IT infrastructure we invested more on the infrastructure. Then the flow moved towards connectivity and expansion of links and we invested the maximum. In between we thought of providing laptops to all the performed task force and the investment was towards that.

In future, areas like DRS and SAN/ NAS related solutions will take the focus and investments will be towards that. This year we are focusing mainly on connectivity. We are planning to launch the kiosks projects on 2nd October this year. The project will be launched first zonal wise then regional wise and then to other remote locations. This kiosks project will be available to all our customers across 360 locations in India.