Realtors use technology to boost productivity

SALES slowdown, stagnating capital values and a need to manage resources better are pushing Indian realty firms to invest in technology that will help them achieve optimum productivity, information access and regulatory compliance.

End-to-end enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions, that manage diverse projects across different locations, are slowly finding favour. ERP vendors are seeing increased enquiries pushing them to develop tailored solutions targeted at mid-market realty firms.

When Delhi realty firm RDS Projects’ standalone ERP deployment failed, it turned to a solution that provided efficient management of projects across locations and customers: Aurigo Brix. Similar was IDEB’s case, which used Aurigo’s product across realty projects in Southeast Asia and India.

Recently, global tech giant SAP said Maharashtra-based builder City Corporation has gone live on its ERP solutions to help accelerate business plans, such as building 50,000 houses across five townships in Pune including India’s first digital township, Amanora Park Town.

SAP has signed deals with Chennai-based True Value Homes and the Kolkata-headquartered Tantia Construction and also counts GMR Infra and HCC as its major clients.

From tech biggies to mid-market IT firms, everybody is gunning for a slice of this market. While Bangalore-based Sonata Software has launched SonnetCONSTRUCT, a specialised ERP solution for this vertical, Oracle India and HP have teamed up for a bundled offering — Oracle Accelerate Solution for HP ProLiant servers — that will help mid-size businesses across verticals sustain and grow operations.

While vertical-specific ERP figures are not available, the overall market is expected to top $250 million in 2009, growing at a CAGR of over 25.2% between 2004 and 2009.

The firm recently launched its fifth generation product, BRIX 2009, an industry add-on to Microsoft’s ERP solution suite, Dynamics AX and available through select partner channels in the US, Middle East and Africa.