IBS Software is a company dedicated to offering services to the travel and logistics industry, including the hospitality and aviation segments. BI, data warehousing, application development and re-engineering are some of its offerings and some clients that IBS caters to include Emirates, Cathay Pacific and Hyatt Hotels and Resorts. V K Mathews, CTO, IBS Software, shares with Biztech2.0 his insights about the use of IT in the aviation industry.

How would you profile IBS software?

IBS software is a product-led company. Our goal is to develop state-of-the-art solutions and products. We have our services spread across various segments like airline systems, airport operations, cargo and logistics, oil and gas logistics, travel, tourism and hospitality.

What is the current scenario in the aviation industry?

If you look at the aviation industry, it is evident that it needs solutions, which can continuously give airlines a competitive edge, considering the rate at which the industry is growing and the resultant fierce competition. The industry at the moment needs to retain its profit margin while simultaneously coping with growth. All this could lead to acute shortage of human resources. Thus, the industry needs to have IT systems in place to respond to changing customer needs, business models and market situations. They also need IT systems that will reduce fixed costs, which might also mean looking at outsourcing as an option.

What according to you are the immediate application and software requirements of this industry?

The need of the hour of the aviation industry is a next-generation passenger response system and improved CRM solutions.

How does your company innovate and launch new products?

We look at key process areas in the different verticals that we cater to. Then we decide whether we need to re-engineer existing processes or develop new products. To match our products to the industry requirements, we have a group of experts from the aviation industry, who are a part of a forum we have set up and give us industry insights. They influence the development of the products to a large extent.

Please share your views on the evolution of the IT solutions industry both from a vendor's perspective as well as someone who has headed an IT division.

IT is going to shape the future of the industries we are associated with. Providing a competitive edge and reducing costs, the onus for both these heavily rests on the IT infrastructure. By having the right IT systems in place within various folds of the company, productivity is definitely going to increase. The role of IT will significantly increase over the years. The Indian aviation industry is going through tremendous change and this pace of change is facilitated by IT. There are also other factors at play here like privatisation, globalisation, economic growth and demographics. India is one of the fastest growing aviation markets.

In your previous capacity as the GM-IT of Emirates, what were the main challenges faced by you? What were some of the best practices that you followed?

I was one of the formative managers of Emirates. In my capacity then, I had to ensure that the right IT systems and strategies were formulated and implemented. Systems in the aviation industry should be in sync with the growth in order for the business to be profitable and meet the associated challenges.

One of the best practices that I followed was to ensure that any IT concept had to be clear in terms of what it was and the value that it could add to the company. I was very particular about implementing things properly. All deployments had to be meaningful.

Has the IT solutions market evolved enough since then to meet industry demands?

There will always be a gap between what is needed and what is available. There needs to be constant upgradation. Good airlines make it a point to refurbish their IT and update it constantly. This is also a way of innovating.

Where does the Indian aviation industry stand when it comes to technology adoption?

The Indian aviation industry is at a primitive stage of IT adoption, though it is progressively understanding the need for high-end IT systems. There is now a need for more efficient and customer-focused IT systems. Technology is today concentrated on specific areas. Airlines need to choose what suits their needs best. IT is going to be the defining factor for the success of airlines.