Sapphire Consulting Services
Providing Solutions with Faster Time to Market and Lower Cost of Owner

The business landscape is getting more and more complex by the day, owing to the explosion of social media, diverse delivery platforms, disconnected and disparate information systems and silos, high competition, and the ever growing business needs of constant improvements. It is not possible for the IT service providers to be “IT service providers” any more. They have to become part of the solution, and find and suggest ways and means for their clients to be overcome such challenges.

Therefore, whenever a customer considers buying Oracle products to resolve a challenge, it asks Oracle about the vendors who understand things better, and are most suited to deliver the solutions. This is where New York based Sapphire Consulting has carved out a niche as a reliable and experienced partner.

A Partner, Not a Vendor

Sapphire covers a wide spectrum of Oracle products, including Oracle Applications, Oracle PeopleSoft, Oracle Fusion Middleware, Cloud, and Enterprise Mobility. It has delivered projects in the US, Middle East and Pakistan, in banking, government, manufacturing and education sectors.

Zuhair Siddiqui, CEO of Sapphire Consulting, said that the IT departments in many client organizations are keen to show their value additions, which creates a drive to get more things done with limited resources and timelines. So customers need implementers like Sapphire, which shares that passion, and has the ability to understand the business, and propose the most optimal solutions. Likewise, in scenarios where customers are coming out of failed implementations, clients are looking for partners who could get the work done, and not charge an arm and a leg for that. Only a firm like Sapphire, which has a very strong belief in its abilities, has a solid project management practice, and develops relations based on mutual trust and honesty, can take this risk.

Based on the experience that Sapphire has gained over all the years that Sapphire has been around, Zuhair believes that clients consider Technical Skills, Relevant Experience, Trust, and Relationship Management as the most important factors when choosing an implementation partner.

Sapphire has understood this clearly and being an IT service provider it invests heavily in these areas.

Zuhair also went on to add, “We also have a history of taking on projects that are challenged, and then deliver them as per the set targets.” To elaborate, Zuhair talked about JS Bank (formerly American Express Bank, Pakistan), where JS management had to release Amex systems within three months after acquisition. Sapphire stood up to the challenge, and implemented Oracle ERP R12 in a very short time span of three months. Also, Sapphire implemented Oracle ERP at Samba Bank Pakistan, to take cater for their back-office needs. Zuhair also highlighted an interested project, which is of Oracle SOA Suite implementation at Habib Bank Limited, where Sapphire has integrated Misys, Oracle Flexcube Direct Banking, Loxon, CTL and other banking applications.

Reasons to Pick Sapphire

Zuhair mentioned that since people form the core of any consulting practice, Sapphire invests heavily in building its human capital. Each employee is nurtured to think independently and responsibly. Also, everyone is given a chance to pick an area and excel in it. The result is that the clients get a competent and highly motivated team that owns the project, and is willing to go beyond the call of duty. Coupling this with Sapphire’s practice of engaging with project sponsors and client executives means that the project does not deviate from their core objectives.

Sapphire also works closely with Oracle to continuously align itself with Oracle’s future direction. Thus Sapphire can actually understand the rationale behind.

Marching Forward

Going forward Zuhair believes that Oracle Applications, Fusion Middleware, PeopleSoft, Cloud, and Enterprise Mobility are going to play a vital role in the market, as businesses want integrations, process improvements, infrastructure optimization (and rationalization) and mobility. With a large pool of experienced, highly motivated and skilled professionals onboard, the team at Sapphire believe that they are on the right track, and would work alongside Oracle in North American, Middle Eastern and African markets.