By Trend

A distinctive feature of the IT business in Azerbaijan is the stable growth of the market with an increasing share of local content, PwC Azerbaijan Technology Leader Farid Gattal told Trend.

"The development of a startup ecosystem, unfortunately, is impossible without the involvement of international practice. We need qualified personnel with relevant and modern education, as well as experienced mentors (mentors and coaches)," Gattal said.

“Another important factor is access to finance. Investment and venture funds ready to consider the most interesting business ideas are already functioning in Azerbaijan, but the greatest impetus to the development of local IT practices is given by enterprises and organizations acting as a customer or sponsors of digital products or services. That is, the business must generate demand for affordable IT solutions," he noted.

“At the same time, it’s a mistake to assume that any business problem can be solved with the help of local resources. It’s necessary to soberly weigh the possibilities and foreign alternatives, focus on gap needs and highly specialized solutions," the company’s representative also said.

Besides, he noted that the main consumers of IT technologies in Azerbaijan are private businesses and government organizations.

"The introduction of modern IT solutions, including solutions of ERP (enterprise resource management) class, contributes to the development of business in Azerbaijan in all sectors. IT solutions help to establish an efficient business, increase profitability, reduce costs, manage personnel and develop talents," Gattal emphasized. "In this context, consulting companies play a leading role in the issue of digital transformation, helping to build a roadmap for digital transformation - from IT strategy to the implementation of final initiatives."

"Not every technology or software is suitable for the task at hand. It is necessary to constantly evaluate the effectiveness and return on investment," he added.

The PwC representative also pointed out that small and medium businesses (SMEs) are building their strategy for a short period of time.

"SMEs are developing dynamically, but they are much more exposed to external risks, so it’s necessary to choose flexible IT solutions allowing you to quickly adapt business processes," Gattal said.

Along with the above, according to him, it’s necessary to attract international experience and expertise to Azerbaijan in order to conduct business effectively.

"Large business faces great risks when implementing ERP solutions. First of all, this is due to the unwillingness to transform. International experience and practice help in solving these issues. Many IT solutions in the local market haven’t yet been fully studied, and in Azerbaijan, there is a lack of qualified personnel. Nevertheless, many Azerbaijani companies are willing to pay for a practice that is already being applied in other countries," he concluded.