CriticalRiver Inc.: A Value-based Engagement with Customers

Anji Maram, CEO

Conceptualized in 2014, CriticalRiver Inc. was founded by veterans who have spent several years designing applications at Oracle Corporation. The founders believed that their strength lies in the expertise to implement Oracle solutions becoming the crucial differentiator. In an interview with CIO Applications, Anji Maram, CEO at CriticalRiver Inc., sheds light on their team-based and collaborative approach towards implementing Oracle solutions for its customers and delivering them a value-based engagement.

What are the challenges that the modern day stakeholders face in the market?

Every company has at least 10-12 vendors, and most vendors, unfortunately, do not pay attention the customer needs. This creates a gap between the company and the vendor. CriticalRiver bridges gaps like these with its customer-oriented approach and provides its clients with a comprehensive solution solving their day-to-day and long-term problems. The team strives to understand the client's predicaments regarding technology and business process and resolves the issues within customer's budget.

We prioritize understanding our customer's requirements entirely before starting any project. That is the first and most crucial step in our books. This helps us strategize with precision for what's needed and gives us room for new developments.

This we believe is what makes us differently poised to solve the modern day business problems.

How does this process happen? Typically, what are the steps?

The process starts with a meeting of technology experts where all ideas are put forth to efficiently plan the project according to the client's business processes and necessities. After designing a tailor-made solution based on the requirements, the firm ensures proper implementation of the same in the customer's environment. In case of any implementation failures or any other queries by the client, our quality service team assists the firm in mitigating issues.

We engage all the critical stakeholders of the process or a project in the company from the beginning till the end—maintaining transparency between the company and the stakeholders. This approach has helped the firm in winning repeat projects from their clients.

What are the solutions that CriticalRiver provides to its customers?

The company's technical prowess in designing Oracle E-Business Suite applications is a differentiating factor for the company. The portfolio of Oracle solutions includes Oracle Financials, Oracle SCM, partner-related applications, Oracle HCM cloud, Oracle CX cloud, and Oracle Sales Cloud.

We prioritize understanding our customer's requirements completely before starting any project. That is the first and most crucial step in our books. This helps us strategize with precision for what's needed and gives us room for new developments

The firm also has expertise in integrating and implementing the best of energy and utility practice with the help of Oracle utility applications. The in-depth market experience and thought leadership of the CriticalRiver team regarding customer-specific industries has helped us solve issues while giving us tremendous advantage making it easier to enter any market.

Shed more light on CriticalRiver's product portfolio?

CriticalRiver offers a ready to use, fully digital supplier management solution—mSupplier. This product works in synchronization with Oracle EBS, Oracle cloud applications, ERP applications. mSupplier empowers business in effortlessly integrating suppliers into procurement and purchasing cycle while enhancing productivity.

This solution addresses the challenges even with the external supplier transactions. Everything from registration, purchasing, invoicing, and payments are covered.

Tell us about an instance where the company has helped the client in enhancing their business performance and achieving strategic goals?

Recently, CriticalRiver was tasked with implementing Oracle HCM cloud application for a Hi-tech manufacturing company with the HCM application proactively managing all the facets of the client's workforce.

However, we did not stop with a simple HCM Solution implementation, we also enabled Oracle merit, RSC, and Taleo implementation for the client. Today, our team continues to support the client's HCM application streamlining the business performance and compliance related aspects.

What kind of a role do you envision CriticalRiver playing with futuristic solutions?

Let’s start with Cloud, everyone is!

As every business is making a move towards the cloud, CriticalRiver is working towards making that move successful.

We are continually creating new opportunities supporting Oracle Corporation to increase revenue and profit for its customers. The company's goal for this year is to bring innovative technologies together in helping customers, integrating them with ERP cloud solutions or CRM solutions, enabling customers in the cloud at the same time.

We have an in-house CriticalRiver Labs where our employees are constantly working on the latest technological trends like IoT, machine learning, and big data. Even though it’s in a nascent stage, the CR Labs as we call it, has come up with numerous solutions and POCs in Machine Learning, Big Data Analytics, and more! The lab researchers create use cases for the customers to provide them with better output with the help of technologies.

From Intel to Dubai Airport Freezone, we have had solutions that have come out of the CR Labs helping our customers immensely.