Godrej InfoTech offers ERP at a betting price

MUMBAI, INDIA: SMB organizations have been vary of deploying enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions because it would mean a huge investment and the entire deployment could also take several months. That is why Godrej InfoTech Ltd (GITL) is offering a pre-configured ERP package for Rs 6.90 lakh.

What is interesting is that the company is taking the channel route for this product, which is called EnCompass. Around three years ago, GIL had tried to work with channel partners for the same product. “However ERP installations take several months and partners who would give us leads  This time around GITL is working with the channel because it wants to take EnCompass to smaller cities, where it will not be able to cater to the customers itself. Additionally, this product takes 45 days to go live, which GITL hopes will go down well with the channel.

EnCompass or ‘ERP in a Box’ is an in-house product of GITL that comes with a Microsoft Small Business Suite, a Dell server and Quick Start Implementation, which enables an organization to be an ERP organization in less than two months. Currently GITL has a customer base of 100 and is working with 10 channel partners, of which only two are from the IT sector. “We are also working with partners who cater to niche verticals, as they can give us the requisite reach in certain verticals,” noted Patra.

ERP in a Box comes with a three years on-site support system, which will be extended by GITL itself. “For the software part we support the solution and for the hardware there is Dell. So the channel just has to go and deploy the solution and we will look after its operability,” Patra said.

But how can a partner be sure that once he introduces his customer to GITL the latter will not work with the client directly? Assuaging these fears, Patra said that GITL has internal CRM systems and once a partner logs in a certain customer lead, GITL’s internal direct team or any other channel can’t work with that client. “Besides, since we don’t have reach in the smaller market, we are working with the channel to reach out to more customers,” Patra clarified.