Aforeserve
A name for flexibility, agility, affordability, reliability, reach and responsiveness
At the turn of the century when the whole world was in the grip of impending global computer chaos due to the Y2K phenomenon that was expected to afflict computer systemsglobally, Mr. Soumitra Gupta and Mr. Arunabha Das in Kolkata started Aforeserve in the year 2000.
Starting with the break-fix and repair services for motherboards and monitors for customers like HCL, as well as creating talent pools required in large numbers by the local IT industry through ventures like PRO-FED, the company grew over the years, adding a wide range of services and a large number of marquee customers and Brands.
In the year 2012, the company turned into a full-scale services organization and started wider offerings like AMC/FMS/Managed services to the customers across segments like BFSI/Govt/PSU/Corporate.
With their focus on the B2B services and addressing all the segments of the market with their varied service offerings, Aforeserve now covers the entire lifecycle of IT infrastructure through a complete range of services – AMC/FMS Multivendor Services, Infra Managed Services, Site Preparation and Consulting, Installation and Commissioning, onsite repairs , warranty repairs , hi-tech and high-complexity chip-level repairs of IT components, preventive maintenance , EOL ( End-of-Life) support, special services like project roll-outs,operations & maintenance for projects , disposal of expired assets, etc.
The group has specialized repair factories for chip-level repairs of all IT components like motherboards of laptops/desktops/servers, TFT monitors, hard disks, memories, network equipment like router/switches, projectors and mobile devices and also provides T&M services with resources across multiple skills and platforms
Today, most enterprises and organizations have a heterogeneous IT landscape comprising IT equipment from a variety of OEMs and these are in various stages of their lifecycle.
Some of these would be under OEM warranty while others would be in the post-warranty phase and possibly, under the service umbrella of OEMs, which is quite expensive.
There could be others which are at the EOS (End-of-Support) phase from the OEM and hence not under service coverage at all. Every organization faces this challenge of keeping the whole IT landscape in prime working condition and available to its users on a continuous basis.
Aforeserve provides a one-stop solution for Multi-vendor services for heterogeneous IT equipment at any stage of its lifecycle, even after the warranty period is over and/or when it is EOS from OEM suppliers, thereby reducing the TCO (Total Cost of Ownership)
In order to know more about the firm, our editorial team spoke to Rajeev Asija, the CEO of Aforeserve
The company has an extensive PAN India support network of service points with 51 offices and 310+RE locations across the country. Because of the wider footprint, their engineers can respond to customer requirements with minimum response time, which gives them an edge in the market.
Their integrated Service and Support model, offers end-to-end IT lifecycle services across brands, platforms, and technologies, thus eliminating the complexity of managing service commitments and relationships with multiple vendors.
Flexibility, Agility, Affordability and Responsiveness offered through a service delivery model that is adaptable to budget considerations, flexibility, location preferences and mission-critical needs of the customer.
Superior Repair capabilities and Quality of service – Highly differentiated and chip-level repair capabilities backed by 44000 Sq. Ft of state of the art, ISO9000 certified RoHS and ESD compliant repair facilities with a team of 400+ trained engineers.
Key Partner associations: The long years of association with leading OEMs and ODMs of the world has helped them build up an inclusive knowledge bank based on best practices and procedures.
Attracting and retaining the right talent is the biggest challenge for any company and so is the case with Aforeserve. Over the years, they have been able to attract, engage and retain key personnel and hence grow the company and create a culture of performance across the organization.
Creating market share in a crowded and fragmented market for IT Infra services is a challenge for all the service providers and the firm has addressed this by differentiating themselves through customer focus coupled with agility, flexibility, and responsiveness.
Today, Customer Satisfaction is a key performance metric across the company and there is a huge emphasis on the Quality of Service.
Services for more than 18000branches ofvarious PSU Banks and Insurance Companies
Repairs of 35000+units at company's repair facility every month
Repairs of 28000+ mobile phones every month
Managing the services at 4700 Digital Cinema screens at Cineplexes across the country
Manages Services for a large number of Corporate in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and other parts of the country
90000 laptops project for UP Govt. during 2016-17
The company grew at a CAGR of 38% over last 4 years and the outlook for growth looks healthy. They are a well-oiled team of nearly 4500 employees and a large and growing family of customers.
The group has accolades in the form of 'Company of the Year' and 'Brand of the Year' from leading market publications in 2016 as well as 2017. The company has received special recognition from Partners like HP, ACER, Infosys, and Lenovo for services partnership with them over the years.
Aforeserve addresses the entire market comprising OEMs/ODMs/SI's and End Customers. While the OEMs/ODMs/SI's include Global Brands and leaders like HP , Lenovo , NCR , ECS and many others, the End Customers include multiple clients in segments like BFSI, Govt, PSU, Corporate, and Education. More than 170 of the ET500 are customers for Aforeserve services.
The company is at a point where it wants to become a benchmark for the industry and a leading brand for IT lifecycle services. The group wants to generate prosperity for its employees in terms of career growth and creation of assets. It targets are/to
annuity base of more than 250Cr
Add at least 20 new Clients for Managed services every year
Repair volumes in excess of 1 Million Phones in a year
Foray into Cloud services and the international market for its services
The group plans to diversify into Cloud services for its future prospects- . Secondly, the automation in IMS delivery alongwith focus on end-point security would be of paramount importance.
Rajeev Asija
"One must take risks to drive growth. While the appetite for risk may vary as it can adversely impact the enterprise, it is a must to be successful. So, a balanced approach helps and the onus lies with the leader to do this."
Well known for his expertise in the IT industry, he possesses 35 years of experience. Prior to joining Aforeserve, he served HCL for almost three decades; with last 7 years as the Head of the Business and COO.
His focus on the strategy, business development, and execution –with emphasis on processes and people ensure that the existing business and projects get managed better in terms of revenue, cost, and customer satisfaction According to him, adding new Lines of Business – D2C, Repairs, Projects, and Mobility would enable and drive the growth of the company to create value and thereby enable growth and creation of assets for their employees too, in line with the Vision and Mission of the Company. His advice for the young ones out there–
Think longer term
Focus on Quality of service
Stay customer focused
Build a good team
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