An Exclusive Interview with Hardik Gandhi, Founder and CEO, Zvolv

Enterprises need to leverage no-code intelligent automation platforms to modify and simplify the work management without complicated coding. No-code/low-code platforms are emerging as the set of technologies that help to optimize multiple business processes and workflow without any potential error efficiently and effectively. These platforms have started empowering enterprises that do not have sufficient knowledge of programming languages such as Python, R, and many more. The global no-code/low-code platform market is expected to reach US$233.43 billion in 2028 with a CAGR of 44.29%.

Here is an exclusive interview with Hardik Gandhi, Founder, and CEO, Zvolv, who has explained the exciting features of this no-code intelligence automation platform to solve multiple digital transformation challenges for different enterprises in this unprecedented time.

1. Tell us about ZVOLV, its offerings, and what differentiates it from its competitors?

Zvolv is a no-code intelligent automation platform that enables enterprises to build complex process applications, fast. Zvolv applications can be built in days due to the no-code nature of the platform (little to no developer involvement). The Zvolv platform combines business process automation features that allow tracking and managing human activities, along with intelligent automation bots that can replace and repetitive or error-prone data-centric activities from humans to software bots. This unique combination of BPM and RPA features allows the building of end-to-end integrated applications that solve the last mile digital transformation challenges in enterprises. Speed, customization flexibility, and intelligence capability (AI/ML integration and advanced analytics) differentiate Zvolv from other platforms.

Zvolv is led by a stellar team with past experience building and scaling products at global companies like Apple, Texas Instruments, Synopsis, and Arista. The leadership team has over 100 years of international experience with educational backgrounds from IITs, UC, Stanford, and other leading universities, and has over 35 collective patents.

2. What business processes can one perform, fix with a low-code/ no-code platform?

No-code/low-code platforms like Zvolv enable automating four different types of business processes:

• Automating business workflows across functions like finance, HR, operations, and support that involve data collection via digital forms, approvals based on delegation of authority, simple task and case tracking, and more. This includes typical applications like Capex/Opex approvals, employee on-boarding, maintenance ticketing, performance evaluation, etc. The solutions need to be simple, intuitive, and easily justifiable from a return on investment perspective.

• Plugging in gaps in ERP tools that are very expensive or time-consuming to implement within the ERP system. For example, exposing selective PO, invoice, or shipment data from ERP systems to outsiders via customer or vendor portals with self-service capabilities. Solutions need extensive integration capabilities with many different tools and customizable to accommodate unique business needs.

• Process orchestration and work management for inter-disciplinary processes that span across many different teams across the organization— like new product development, new store launch, new marketing campaigns, or cost-saving initiatives. Such processes require multiple different technology components and need a lot of customization, making off-the-shelf tools very difficult to drive value from. Platforms need to be featured as rich, flexible, and with enterprise-grade security and scalability for such applications.

• Intelligent applications that can leverage the vast amounts of different types of data collected by organizations in different tools and derive trends, predictions, and highlight deviations without requiring expensive data scientists crunching data day in and day out. Automated bots can process and order of magnitude more data and derive more insights than manually possible, with utmost accuracy.

3. With digitization now the norm, how has Zvolv helped brands improve their business and operation efficiency? (Case Studies)

Zvolv applications range from accelerating growth, driving better resource utilization and planning, and improving operational efficiency. The following are some high-impact solutions built on Zvolv:

• Zvolv has enabled leading retailers and QSRs to automate their site selection, new store opening, and compliance processes, on average helping cut downtime to launch by over 50%. Over 1000 new stores and outlets have been launched across brands using Zvolv powered solutions.

• A leading operator of over 800 nationwide supermarkets has been enabled to save over US$10M annually with ML-based resource optimization and rostering solutions that have leveled resources more efficiently across the network and saved over 15% in variable resource requirements.

• Zvolv-based data collection, real-time dashboarding, and analytics solutions are helping manage a construction portfolio of over 250 healthcare centers with reduced travel costs, pro-active escalations, and data-driven trends.

• Zvolv solutions have helped food services organizations stay operational through COVID-19 with rapidly launched apps for employee health monitoring, facility hygiene compliances, employee absence management, and maintenance processes.

• A leading manufacturer of heavy machine equipment is using Zvolv to track their supply chain from plants to customer installations across four continents including tracking issues, warranty claims, and reverse logistics. The average time to report successful installs and resolve issues has been reduced from over six months to less than a week.

4. How can brands leverage low-code/no-code platforms to improve digital customer journeys?

Business employees are used to using state-of-the-art applications in their daily life, with a lot of advanced AI/ML technology behind the scenes that improve experience multi-fold (like social recommendations, chatbots, and messaging apps). But when it comes to applications used at work, often time employees have to make do with solutions that are behind by several generations, or many times non-existent. Manual processes abound, requiring walk-in or phone-based or email-based requests, and no real-time tracking. Self-help web-portals, if available, are difficult to navigate and much time obsolete due to the evolution of the enterprise processes, that the tech team has been unable to keep pace with.

Low-code and no-code platforms like Zvolv are extremely effective at driving efficiency and improving the experience for processes internal to enterprises as well as involving partners and vendors. Applications build on such modern platforms use state-of-the-art technology and UI/UX with the capability to leverage intelligence in terms of AI or ML to further the employee experience. With a reduced dependence on developers, applications are easier to evolve and keep pace with rapidly transforming processes. This can improve employee efficiency and job satisfaction manyfold.

5. Tell us about ZVOLV's pricing structure and its current revenue model?

Zvolv has a very unique licensing model. Zvolv charges an annual license fee based on the number of building blocks used across the customer's applications. There is no limit on the number of users or how widely the applications get used. This allows customers to pay only for what they build and use.

This opens up the doors for enterprises to use the Zvolv applications widely, both inside and outside the organizations, without escalating license costs. For many types of externally focused applications, this model makes Zvolv an order of magnitude cheaper than other options which charge based on per user.

Zvolv also offers a unique white-glove-treatment on-boarding option. Customers choose this for a fixed cost for one to three months and during this period Zvolv devotes a business analyst and implementation specialist to help the customers with process mining and implementation, change management, training, and support. In this way, customers get to realize the value from their first set of applications much faster, and get trained to self-manage and build future applications themselves over time.

6. What has been the impact of COVID-19 on businesses, and how can ZVOLV and platforms like this help in the business's recovery?

Zvolv has seen businesses automating at a much faster rate due to the impact of COVID-19, primarily due to a couple of reasons:

• Changes in business models require much more tracking and data management. Some clients have gone from B2B to B2B2C type business models while others have gone from B2C to B2B.

• The need for making data-driven decisions rather than gut-feel decisions, especially at the ground level. Distributed decision-making has its flaws due to personal preferences and distracted employees end up making flawed decisions.

• Eliminating any bottlenecks due to people not being available. With the uncertain nature of employee availability, a lot of processes are being redefined and automated where possible to prevent stalled decisions or execution.

• Remote work requires many processes to be automated that were traditionally walk-in processes. Finance, HR, and support processes are being revamped and automated where possible.

7. What is the one trend in the no-code development world that will be a game-changer in the coming years?

Today's generation of citizen developers are building applications on a variety of off-shelf SaaS tools resulting in all sorts of point applications that don't talk to each other, data is not unified nor in control of IT teams, and licensing costs are not managed well. In the end, these end up being short-lived applications with no clear ownership and rarely scale beyond individual teams.

The company believes that the future of no-code/low-code platforms lies in 'assisted DIY' by 'IT-certified' citizen developers.

IT teams would certify both development platforms and business users capable of developing on such platforms with implementation experts helping ensure applications conform to interoperability, security, and scalability norms.

With Zvolv's model, organizations sign up for the Zvolv platform not to build one application, but as an investment in the future. Zvolv provides roadmap flexibility with the integration of all key technology components across BPM, RPA, AI/ML, and advanced analytics, allowing for many new applications in the future. With private cloud deployment options, organizations are in full control of data residency, security, scalability, and interoperability.

8. What are your growth plans for the next 12 months?

Zvolv is expanding rapidly in the APAC/A&Z and ME markets in the coming year with dozens of system integration, reseller and sales partners, as well as complementary product partners.