Jayalakshmi Nagarajan COO At AAKIT On Reimagining ERP With Design Thinking

In this episode of Discover Dialogues, Vikramsinh Ghatge, Sr. Marketing Director and Editor-in-Chief at TechDogs, engages in an insightful conversation with Jayalakshmi Nagarajan, Chief Operating Officer at Aakit Technologies Pvt. Ltd. With more than 25 years of industry experience, Jaya shares her perspective on driving real ERP transformation across complex industries — from manufacturing and mill production to real estate and wholesale distribution.

What sets Jaya apart is her strategic clarity, operational rigor, and commitment to people-first leadership. Under her guidance, Aakit has helped enterprises modernize legacy systems not through technical brute force, but through an approach grounded in user empathy, process alignment, and precision delivery.

At the core of Aakit’s methodology is Design Thinking — not just as a trend, but as a practical framework to uncover true business needs. As Jaya explains in this conversation, Aakit breaks away from traditional ERP implementation patterns by involving users early, prototyping rapidly, and validating ideas through real-world feedback. This ensures ERP platforms are not only functional, but intuitive, scalable, and aligned with business outcomes.

Key Insights from This Episode:

• Why industries like manufacturing and real estate demand resilient, scalable ERP ecosystems

• Common pitfalls in SAP and cloud migrations—and how to sidestep them

• How Design Thinking transforms rigid systems into innovation platforms

• The mindset shift enterprises must embrace before adopting AI or S/4HANA

• How Aakit stands apart from conventional ERP vendors

• Success stories from brands like Madura, Kataline, and Lorenz

• How hypercare and co-created roadmaps drive long-term ERP value

Aakit’s distinct approach stands on three pillars:

1. Outcome-Focused Delivery
Success is defined upfront—beyond system go-lives. Aakit accelerates value realization through sector-specific templates, pre-built accelerators, and structured hypercare strategies.

2. Built-In Agility
Using a modular, cloud-native framework, Aakit ensures fast deployments, streamlined S/4HANA adoption, and adaptive iteration cycles. Agile sprints paired with the latest SAP updates fuel continuous business innovation.

3. Strategic Client Partnerships
Aakit stays engaged beyond implementation, with client success teams focused on co-creating roadmaps, enabling automation, and integrating emerging tech like AI, blockchain, and ESG reporting tools.

From aligning global teams to navigating cultural and operational complexities, Jaya shares how Aakit delivers execution excellence while staying true to its human-centered design philosophy.