Axcend also has solutions for optimizing the manufacturing environment. "Optimization solutions are more of metrics-driven. It helps you to manage both uptime and downtime, and innovation time is the key," he says.

"I have noticed that many SMBs do not have the know how to adopt a right solution for their company. Unfortunately, they go through a roller coaster ride and by the time they realize the solution adopted was wrong, they would have lost enough time on it. They do not get state-of-the-art talent. Their requirements are no different from large enterprises," notes Kumar.

IT spend
As regards IT spending among SMBs, Kumar says, "In the last three to five years, the total IT spend by SMEs is not that bad. But how judiciously they would have spent it is a question. However, their spend for the next year would be dismal. A lot of them lack proper planning, but spend when the actual need arises."

"The word IT is something SMEs won't like. In larger companies organizations purchase, in SMEs people purchase.
They think it is alien. You have to convince the CXO of the business benefits the solution brings in.  For SMEs, word of mouth on benefits of IT solutions works a lot. In certain segments, if you do not invest in IT, you may not be in competition after three to five years. That is something certain SMEs are realizing these days," says Kumar.