The Shape of Work

#110: Bhagvan Kommadi on digital transformation, communication in the new normal

Springworks Season 1 Episode 110

On this episode of The Shape of Work podcast, our guest is Bhagvan Kommadi, Director of Product Engineering at ValueMomentum - a software & solutions firm focused on the Insurance, Banking and Healthcare industries.

Having been in the IT industry for over two decades, Bhagvan’s experiences range from large-scale enterprise development to helping incubate software product start-ups. 

In this episode, he shares his thoughts on digital information, communication and rethinking our relationship with work in the new normal. Everything from challenges to opportunities of remote work in this conversation.

Bhagvan Kommadi podcast talks about how 10 years back when no one had even anticipated the pandemic, a bank initiated the thought of building a proper content management platform. The thought was greatly criticized by many as they believed that it was not right for a bank, whose functions and requirements are very different, to establish a digital platform for content management. The idea behind this was to create a brand experience, target touchpoints, create intern solutions, collect, organize, and produce digital assets, create digital audio-video, broadcasting, web-publishing, analytics systems, and marketing. Little did anyone know that the thought initiated so long ago would be executed prominently now.

Bhagwan compares the lockdown situation to that of a war room scenario, where everyone is stuck at home, but still, need to execute their operations. He terms such a state a “stalled state”,

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

Digitization has enhanced and made efficient all operations, from classrooms at schools to the banks and companies, which has made the lives of people much easier. Bhagwan mentions the various online platforms available such as Zoom, Teams, GoToMeeting, Webex which have various features, such as self-up-gradation, the possibility to share documents, etc.

WHERE NEXT?

Bhagwan talked about how before the pandemic the organizations followed a system wherein during a meeting everyone would be in one room, with a whiteboard and having brainstorming sessions, jotting down ideas and debating. But the lockdown took the collaboration to the next level. Earlier, IT operations had external office applications in case of any emergency or for future purposes, but it was never expected that it would go full-fledged in a short period. The organizations realized the need to collaborate and work in real-time despite being situated at different locations. This brought in the Cloud systems. Everybody now has all the features available on their laptops and have the access to work from anywhere without the need for a particular office desktop to work.

HOW TO HAVE A NORMAL LIFE WHILE WORKING FROM HOME?

Bhagwan finally talked about how two years ago, everyone was swaddled to the office, but the lockdown made people realize that interactions were possible around their own house also. He emphasized the balance that is needed while working from home. Before the whole WFH system, everyone had a set routine, from getting up in the morning to going to their workplace, taking lunch breaks, and coming back home. But now, an individual can get up and get started with work.

Learning to take breaks is very essential in work life. The touchpoints to interact with the people and environment around and not be confined to the laptop with web meetings and office colleagues. 

Follow Bhagvan on LinkedIn

Get the highlights of this episode in our blog.

Produced by: Priya Bhatt
Podcast host: Abhash Kumar