ZILLIONe Business Solutions provides three main categories of services: enterprise resource planning software, implementation of off-the-shelf software solutions, and custom software development. It focuses on Microsoft technologies and develops its own horizontal software products as well as unique solutions for specific industries. ZILLIONe aims to expand its expertise globally in areas like mobile and cloud technologies. It has extensive experience developing industry-specific software, with the unique ability to integrate custom solutions into any ERP system. ZILLIONe recruits and trains students to become software developers and works to retain staff despite attrition through training and career development programs.

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What does ZILLIONe Business
Solutions do?
ZILLIONe has three major business
categories: enterprise business applications
(ERP), off-the-shelf software solutions
from reputable suppliers which we resell
and implement; systems integration and
infrastructure solutions and the software
development operation, which undertakes
custom-made software development.
We work primarily on Microsoft technology,
because MS is our partner for many other
solutions and is proven – as opposed to
open-source type software.
Our software development has two major
components: We build our own horizontal
products; for example, we have developed
a human resources management system
helping companies to manage their human
capital efficiently. The other aspect is
custom-made software, building unique
solutions for the requirements of different
industries.
Sometimes “off the shelf” solutions don’t suit
your entire requirement, or if they do, they
might not fit in with your unique business
needs. They also have other inherent
disadvantages. A bespoke application is
design to your requirements, matches your
business, is more responsive to your needs
and you can adapt easily to changes, which
can be made quickly.
What of the future?
We will continue our investments on new
product/ technology innovations and new
markets. We want to take the expertise
we have and market it in regions outside
our base in Sri Lanka, Maldives and India.
We are already expanding into places
in Oceania, such as Fiji and Tonga. Our
strategy is to go global with a selected
solutions to establish niche markets. Based
on our experience in Maldives and Fiji, we
are selecting markets where Sri Lankan
professionals are established, with good
reputations, and where we will be valued for
our capabilities.
New innovations in mobile and cloud
technology will be the key to success. We
have dedicated teams working in these
new technologies and already successful in
signing up with new clients in Sri Lanka and
other countries.
What gives you an edge over your
competitors?
Because of our experience and expertise
in the ERP field, we have the very rare
and unique capability of integrating our
custom-made solutions to any ERP system.
Because of our long experience in ERP, we
have had exposure of working in nearly 40
industries, which helps us to understand,
and create solutions for, new industries that
we encounter. We have highly talented and
specialised professionals working in the
all aspects of software development, thus
giving us the opportunity to build world class
systems which exceed the expectations of
our customers.
Having been in software development since its inception in 1979, ZILLIONe has
extensive experience in producing industry-specific software solutions for a broad
range of industries. We spoke to Thushitha Kularatne, General Manager, Enterprise
Business Solutions, who is responsible for entire software development operation
, which is the largest SBU of ZILIONe group.
ZILLIONe:
for Versatile Bespoke
Software Development
Unique Expertise
“Sometimes “off
the shelf” solutions
don’t suityour entire
requirement, or if they
do, they might not fit
in with your unique
business needs. They
also have other inherent
disadvantages”
Thushitha Kularatne,
General Manager,
Enterprise Business
Solutions
Who are your clients?
We have done various solutions, for
example a telco-specific point-of-sale
solution, One of the leading mobile
operators has been using our system for
several years in their offices and franchises,
around the country. At any one time upto a
thousand users may be using the system,
so it is quite large. The unique custom-made
solution, enabling comprehensive support
to their customers, gives them a competitive
advantage over other operators. We have
done an air cargo handling solution for
an overseas airline, to manage the entire
documentation process, providing airway
bills and customer invoices and so on. We
have given a total distribution system for a
major cement manufacturer, monitoring silo
operations and logistics.
For the tea industry we have automated
their manufacturing resource planning
systems, especially their packing material.
Exporters pack their tea in different printed
packages, from small sachet packets up to
large bags, which are relatively expensive;
inappropriate ordering can lead to excess
stocks, which have to be disposed of. Our
system has saved millions for customers.
This system provides a comprehensive
solution for material planning, inventory
purchases and management, material
issuances and valuation, shipments
handling and costing and etc..
What are the challenges you face in
recruiting and keeping staff?
We recruit young graduates from both
state and private universities for software
development. We have close relationships
with SLIIT, which produces the largest
number of IT graduates; the University of
Moratuwa; and the University of Colombo.
We sponsor their events and help at their
career days, mainly to attract these techies.
We also provide internship programmes to
students as part of their industrial education
and, uniquely, get them involved in hands-
on experience of real commercial projects,
rather than using them for internal work. If
satisfied, we absorb them into our cadre.
Staff attrition is very common in the industry.
We lose a lot of staff to foreign opportunities.
Because of the training and career
development programmes we do, and the
job rotation we use to enrich their growth, we
have managed to keep it at an acceptable
level.
And he ended in confidence by saying,
“Our main focus in future will be mobile and
cloud, in view of the increased demand for
application development on mobile platforms
and the changing nature of application
development due to the cloud model.
Security will be a major concern. Based
on our past performance, I think the future
will see us becoming a major Sri Lankan
software player internationally.”
HIDI|ZILLIONe Special Supplement