4. SES TECHNOLOGIES: broadbasing principals

START-UP YEAR:
1992

NO OF PARTNERS: 3,500

BRANCHES: 19 

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES: Components, laptops, peripherals and networking products

AGENCY OPERATIONS: Adaptec, Acer India, Compex, Dialogic, Intel, Molex Seagate, Entrasys, Tandberg, Lexmark, Mercury and InWin.

ADDRESS: 194, Arvind Chambers, Western Express Highway, Andheri (E), Mumbai - 400 069.

TEL: 022-2682 2299, 2682 2288

FAX: 022-2682 0306

WEB SITE:www.sesindia.com.
 

AGENCY REVENUE (RS Cr)
MEASURES THAT MATTERED
	ERP set-up helped increase productivity by 75%
	Started 'Value-Added Division'

Expansion of its channel base and a personalized selling approach helped SES Technologies achieve the #4 position.

Positioned at #4 in the Silver Club, SES Technologies jumped two place from its #6 position in 2001-02 with a growth rate of 22%. While the industry was grappling with the hangover of the slowdown, SES was broadbasing its principals and customers with well-planned strategies and robust infrastructure.

The company expanded its channel community as well as its employees. Its partner base increased from 2,700 to over 3,500, while employees were scaled up from 80 to 105. It also added a branch in Coimbatore taking the list of branches to 19. 

A fully functional ERP set-up was the company's strong point and helped in increasing productivity by 75%. Says PK Krishnaprasad, CEO, "My team is happy working the ERP package. It has helped a lot in streamlining our business as well as planning our future strategies."

The highlight of the year the 'Value-Added Division' formed by the company. It consists of a dedicated team that works on a unique sales method. Networking products from Dialogic and other companies are sold through this division with an emphasis on technical support. "It is a personalized selling approach, which has helped us do good business even in bad times," explains
Krishnaprasad. 

SES also added six new principals which included an exclusive distribution arrangement with Mercury for optical drives, among other products. Some other tie-ups were Adaptech, Enterasys, Tandberg Data, Lexmark and InWin. At the same time, it dropped Accton to increase its focus on the new networking entrants. During the year, it added BenQ products, but the deal fell through with the latter changing its distribution model.

Intel, though, continues to be the biggest revenue contributor for SES. However, the vendors's contribution reduced from 70% last year to around 55% this fiscal.

The year-end also saw the company's Pondicherry unit receiving the ISO 9001 certification. "This certification shows how serious we are about providing quality products. It has definitely helped us increase our business," adds
Krishnaprasad. 

SES's future plans includes adding new principals, if it justifies good margins. The company is forming a core group of key partners across the country for its networking business. 

It is also scouting for opportunities in the export and STP zones for its range of products by facilitating dollar billing through its Singapore operations. For this fiscal, SES has set itself a growth target of 20%, in sync with the industry