Jayalakshmi Nagarajan COO At AAKIT On Reimagining ERP With Design Thinking

In this episode of Discover Dialogues, Vikramsinh Ghatge, Senior Marketing Director and Editor-in-Chief at TechDogs, engages in a compelling conversation with Jayalakshmi Nagarajan, Chief Operating Officer at Aakit Technologies Pvt. Ltd. With over 25 years of experience, Jaya shares her unique perspective on delivering effective ERP transformations in high-stakes industries.

Having led complex ERP projects across manufacturing, mill production, real estate, and wholesale sectors, Jaya emphasizes that successful transformation is less about the code and more about people, processes, and precision. Her approach centers around people-first leadership, strategic foresight, and a commitment to operational excellence.

Aakit’s ERP philosophy is grounded in Design Thinking—not as a buzzword, but as a practical framework for aligning technology with user needs. Instead of retrofitting legacy processes into modern systems, Aakit engages cross-functional teams from the outset, rapidly prototypes ideas, and continuously tests with end users. This human-centered methodology results in ERP solutions that are intuitive, efficient, and directly tied to business outcomes.

Highlights from the Episode:

• Why sectors like manufacturing and real estate demand robust ERP systems

• The most common pitfalls in SAP and cloud migrations—and how to sidestep them

• How Design Thinking introduces innovation into standardized environments

• The cultural and mindset shifts required to embrace AI and S/4HANA

• How Aakit differentiates itself from traditional ERP vendors

• Customer success stories featuring Madura, Kataline, and Lorenz

• Aakit’s focus on long-term value through hypercare and collaborative roadmap planning

Aakit’s Differentiators:

1. Outcome-Driven Delivery:
Success at Aakit is measured beyond just system go-lives. Their approach begins with defining clear business outcomes and leveraging pre-built accelerators, industry templates, and hypercare to streamline delivery and enhance ROI.

2. Built-In Agility:
With a modular, cloud-first architecture, Aakit enables fast S/4HANA implementations and continuous iteration. Agile sprint methodologies and alignment with SAP’s latest advancements ensure organizations can adapt and innovate quickly.

3. Strategic Partnerships for the Long Haul:
Aakit remains committed well beyond go-live. Their client success teams work closely with enterprises to co-develop long-term roadmaps, champion intelligent automation, and explore emerging technologies like blockchain and sustainability reporting.

Throughout the discussion, Jaya also touches on Aakit’s global project execution strategies, highlighting how the company balances operational complexity with a steadfast human-centered approach. For organizations seeking to modernize their ERP systems with clarity and confidence, Aakit’s story is one worth exploring.