Abrand that resembles help & freedom to society with an incredible desire to succeed, CYGEN was set up in December 2019, with a vision to support start-ups & SMEs in managing their business and workforce effectively to ensure that they are well-connected and achieve scalable success. The firm is led by MK. Srivinita Sharma, Managing Director, is a women leader driven by the agenda to help SMEs and retail businesses improve their bottom line, by managing their workforce and keeping them well-connected. There are three major traits that Srivinita practices and follows while implementing a strategy or making any decision - Persuasiveness, Empathy & Resilience. These have marked her journey right from the start and are the reason behind her well-strived success. Recognizing her journey, Women Entrepreneur magazine recently engaged in a one-on-one interaction with Srivinita Sharma, Managing Director, Cygen IT Consulting & Software Solutions. Let’s hear from her.

As a business leader, tell us about some of the prior industry experiences that you bring to the table.

I graduated in the field of Electronics and Communications, and later went on to pursue a specialized degree for Masters in Multimedia, which helped me in building my career in the IT sector. I have worked with leading MNCs over the years and then, eventually started Cygen IT. While the pandemic imposed certain challenges on every industry type, this includes staff management. Skilled Staff, roster management, shortage of labour, pay rates, training, and employee well-being are the key areas where the focus lies. I have had the opportunity to travel around the world and have experienced and collaborated with multiple start-ups and SMEs. The exposure that I had, thus developed a passion in me to build something of my own and bring change into SME space on employee engagement and retail automation.

 Introduce us to CYGEN IT and tell us about some of its most unique features.

The majority of start-ups and SMEs today fail due to staff management, wages, and inadequate training to maintain their well-being, and they also struggle with billing and expense management. CYGEN has launched its two unique products - CYGEN - CONNECT for employee management and CYGEN - MPOS for billing and Integrated automation.

CYGEN CONNECT is an application available on both the Google Play store and the app store for staff to get connected with their businesses to get to know daily tasks, and schedules, check-in/out with their rosters, and connect to their peers from a business chat. Employers will be able to check their time of entries, process payroll, assign tasks, and get the desired output. Start-ups & SMEs can use the application to generate billing for customers and manage leads and expenses. The application has increased 300 percent employee engagement, 150 percent accuracy in time recording for in/out, and has reduced paperwork, providing ease of customer billing to SMEs.

CYGEN MPOS, a mobile-based billing engine for SMEs or retailers, ensures effective retail or restaurant billing. Retail automation with high-tech reporting helps understand every-hour-based sales statistics to decide the staff requirement and manage them through CONNECT. Users have experienced an increase in revenue, also profit margins have gone up due to staff augmentation.

Both products are available for FREEMIUM options for SMEs and any retail businesses to use.

What are the different responsibilities you shoulder as the Director of Cygen IT? What steps do you take to overcome the roadblocks that you encounter?

I manage a lot of responsibilities, Product Design is one of the most crucial of all as it requires strong research backing. As a solution maker, my solutions need to fit the market trends and be a perfect fit. Also, training, nurturing, and developing my team is my core job which requires consistent support all along.

Finding skilled staff members with a genuine and passionate mind frame is a challenge for every industry. In the IT industry, getting resources is one of the major concerns and thereby it’s a constant search to ensure that the team is being taken care of, guided, and motivated at all times. Effective team management, of course, CYGEN CONNECT plays a crucial role and hence it’s aligned well towards any start-up or SME’s growth.

"Young women entrepreneurs are much needed in our society and my foremost advice to them is to have faith and confidence in themselves and their businesses"

In your opinion what are some of the most significant milestones that you have achieved throughout your professional journey?

CYGEN is a bootstrapped entity and has achieved the required revenue and growth while developing products and survived the pandemic without any business loans. Constant chase theory to overcome any success, with this ever-changing world every day is filled with new challenges and we need to handle them carefully and succeed.

What would be your advice to young women and girls who also aspire to become business leaders and entrepreneurs in the future?

Young women entrepreneurs are much needed in our society and my foremost advice to them is to have faith and confidence in themselves and their businesses. Be the face of your company and connect with other female entrepreneurs. Never let the imposter syndrome hold you back and have patience. Remember, it takes time!

Mk. Srivinita Sharma, Md, Cygen It Consulting & Software Solutions

Srivinita Sharma is a graduate of Electronics and Communications with a specialized Master's in Multimedia (IACG) International Academy of Computer Graphics. She has a vast experience in the IT industry and is able to apply the exposure she gained through her journey to add value to the SMEs and retail businesses.