Unplugged with iSolution

Unplugged with iSolution: Got Camel Milk? One Company's Tech-Powered Quest

• iSolution • Season 1 • Episode 4

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Reach out!

The convergence of ancient traditions and cutting-edge technology creates fascinating business opportunities that few have fully explored. In this thought-provoking conversation with Mohamed, IT Director at Sawani, we journey through the unexpected realm where Saudi Arabian heritage dairy meets digital transformation.

Mohamed reveals how Sawani has positioned itself as a pioneer in bringing traditional goat and camel milk products to modern consumers. Beyond just milk, they've expanded into cheese, yogurt, and even gelato while preserving the cultural significance and exceptional nutritional benefits these products offer. What's particularly ambitious is their vision to take these distinctly Saudi products global, targeting markets in America, Europe, and China where consumer demand exists but remains largely untapped.

At the heart of this mission is a sophisticated technology strategy that treats IT as an inseparable component of business operations. Mohamed shares insights from his 12+ years of technology experience, emphasizing concepts like the smart farm approach for camel care, robust ERP implementations, and cybersecurity foundations. His philosophy of "security first, with data as an asset" guides a comprehensive digital transformation that enables business resilience while optimizing customer experiences. The omni-channel ecosystem they're building unifies B2B and B2C interactions across digital and physical touchpoints, creating seamless customer journeys while capturing valuable data that Mohamed describes as "digital gold."

Technology professionals will find particular value in Mohamed's career advice: embrace continuous learning, develop specialized expertise, adapt to rapid changes like the AI revolution, and always align technology solutions with business strategy. His perspective on the boundless potential of technology—from AI to healthcare innovations—reflects a profound understanding of how these tools can ultimately improve human quality of life when implemented thoughtfully. Subscribe to our podcast for more conversations with visionary leaders who are bridging tradition and innovation to create tomorrow's business solutions.

Introduction to Sawani and Its Mission

Speaker 1

Unplugged . We are honored to have you with us and we know that it will be a very nice podcast because the topic is very nice .

Speaker 2

Of course it is an honor for me , kevin . It is my pleasure , of course . Thank you for the beautiful invitation and God willing to share great knowledge and ideas for the people who are present in the address . God willing .

Speaker 1

Before we start with knowledge sharing , I want you to give us a quick brief . What is Sawani , what do is Sawani and what is its mission and vision in the Kingdom ?

Speaker 2

Sawani is an investment company specialized in the production of goat milk Products that are available to the consumer and enhance the heritage in the Kingdom , In addition to the elements and elements of the camel milk , of course . It is considered a unique product in the market . It is available in a consumer way for people . Of course , we are only talking about milk . We have milk , milk cheese , yogurt , gelato , ice cream .

Speaker 2

I have a partnership with you , yes , amazing so we will , of course , taste you from it . You must come to us and honor us , of course . So it is , of course , traditional food , in addition to the great nutritional benefits that are present in it . So I am so proud that I participated in a mission like Sawani and , god willing , we will be able to save the work and the effort required from us completely .

Speaker 1

I have a small question about Sawani , the work and the effort required from us completely . I have a small question about a second Today . The product is not a commercial product . It is not a general product . I mean , we are not used to it . Maybe in Saudi Arabia this is present in the kingdom , but outside the kingdom this is not a custom

IT Challenges and Smart Farm Concept

Speaker 1

. Do you consider that you can get out of this subject from the kingdom outside the kingdom ?

Speaker 2

Of course we are part of the strategy and the vision of the company that the products should be international . We have target markets , markets of America , Europe and China . There is a demand for products , but we don't know about it .

Speaker 1

Yes , Of course .

Speaker 2

So now we can deliver the product , which is made in Saudi Arabia , by Saudi Arabia , to the people abroad , in the countries that are in the world . Of course , the products are very excellent , rich in nutrients . Honestly , it's part of the culture should be distributed . I mean it's necessary .

Speaker 1

What challenges do you have today , that you live , in the life we live today , in technology , in development , in AI ? What problems are you facing To be transparent ?

Speaker 2

Kevin , it is an integral part of the business any type of business . In Sawani we are leveraging technology to serve the business , technology for business services . You talk about smart farm concept Smart farm it's very available in camel caring and such . You also have manufacturing and the ARP solutions that are working on it , plus other challenges in cybersecurity , in infrastructure , of course . The infrastructure that we have on GCP Construction challenges transportation and transformation leading to business intelligence and even AI . This component is an integral part of the business . Don't segregate or distribute IT from the business .

Speaker 1

They are one part An integral part An integral part .

Speaker 2

So there are challenges and there are jobs Everyday .

Speaker 1

We got some From your speech . There is a great passion for IT and technology . Tell me a little bit . How did you start ?

Speaker 2

How did you enter this field ? I have experience more than 12 years

IT Leadership Advice for Professionals

Speaker 2

. I have a passion for IT . Every day I'm eager to learn something new . It is like the sea it has no end .

Speaker 2

But you have to learn new skills , new technologies , looking forward for the optimized solution Based on my experience . I work with several industries Something that has a relationship with home products , something in the healthcare sectors , and these things are present . But the resilience in IT , the business resilience , is a concept you need to adapt Each and every solution you implement in the company . There must be a flexibility for growth , for development , for change . It is a sea , but there is a part in the skill to learn how to choose the right solution at the right time at the right cost . So I crossed Alhamdul God 12 years of experience and I have learned a lot about cybersecurity , technology , infrastructure and so on , and , thank God , we're still learning every day .

Speaker 1

IT is a passion , of course , of course . That's why it's clear from your way of talking to IT that there's a a passion Of course . That's why it's clear in your new way of speaking to IT that there's a great passion , this passion and this leadership that you have . If you want to transfer it to IT professionals , you want to tell them that you need to do one , two , three . What's the advice you'd give them ?

Speaker 2

Of course . I mean there's a lot of advice , but the advice that's useful is the important one to it Learn digital transformation . If you work in infrastructure , focus on infrastructure . Don't stop learning . You have to learn something new every day . The IT industry Every day we have new technology . Look at AI . Who can imagine that 3 or 4 years ago there were people working in AI Now ? The second advice is you need to adapt to change . Let's learn AI . How to maximize the benefit of AI in your work . Right , I mean everybody using AI to understand the concept . The third advice for people you need to have a focused career track . You need to know where you are going . Don't be like scattered , scattered every way . You need to be focused , specialized . Of course , learn and work , change and follow the leaders in the market and learn . In certain point of time , certain day , you be a leader . You will be responsible for a team that works with it . You need to pass the same passion , the same journey , the same knowledge that we have .

Speaker 1

In the history of Sawani , we used to say in Lebanese this example is also present here you were a guide in a mountain , you became a guide in a cliff Of course .

Speaker 2

From a modern inspiration , of course . Of course the advice must be useful . Everybody gets advice from everywhere , but you must take the advice that will benefit you and listen to the advice . As a leadership , you must listen to the junior in the team before the senior Right , maybe you missed something . You need to influence the people how they are doing their job in the better way Always Correct and focused , problem resolving and focused on technology transformation . Any solution that wants to come to the company must have a return of investment .

Speaker 1

Right .

Speaker 2

If you don't buy anything , if you don't work on any solution , it has no value in the business and it will not match the business strategy .

Speaker 1

Can you name two or three technologies that you are currently working on ? Something that is developing operations , making the team more efficient ? What are the things you are working on right now ?

Speaker 2

One of the most important things that you have . What are the things you are

Omni-Channel Ecosystem and Business Strategy

Speaker 2

working on right now ? Website , multiple sales channels , but one of the initiatives that I have decided to go with is the omni-channel ecosystem . This is what gathers everything from B2B , from B2C interaction for sales , offline and online . Of course , we started talking about business .

Speaker 1

This is the focal point where you need to focus on the business you said that they are an integral part , so now the goal is to increase the revenue stream you are making and you need to focus on the business .

Speaker 2

You said that they are a part that is not divided . The goal is to increase the revenue stream you are making and you want to sell . In selling , you start to eat the revenue stream and work on Omni Channel . In manufacturing . You want to work on optimizing the infrastructure . You want to have a strong ARP . You want to have digitalization for the services that you have In the farm , in the factories . You make each and every employee in your company life easier . Every day . I don't get solutions from people to tell you how to work .

Speaker 1

I come to this life , this team of yours .

Speaker 2

In addition , the base you work on is a cyber security base . Security first the concept is one of the strategy pillars that I work on in base Security first , right the concept , one of the strategy pillars that I work on in IT security first , with data as an asset . This is where you start talking about IT versus the business Right Third pillar you need to tackle it is the business resilience . Okay , where you have a solutions , you can make an expansion and change in the future . One of the most important things is the digital customer . If you are working in a company , you work on sales , you start working on the digital marketing segment , for these days , you know all the work through the internet and the aggregators that are present in the market , so how to reach the customer seamlessly . At the same time , you have all the pillars covered and you have the full journey clear . This is the real challenge in IT .

Speaker 1

How important is data I mean from what you're saying today . Data is very essential Because you can customize , you can map the customer's journey . How important is data for you as an IT director and how much do you rely on this topic ?

Speaker 2

Of course , data . Again , you can consider it as an asset , and I myself call it as an asset digital gold , a currency . Data not only gives you data that is available in the company . Data is delivered to the company's decision maker through a dashboard , through insights , you can make a financial

Data as Digital Gold

Speaker 2

impact . The data that is available right now can help you have a competitive market advantage over others . How do you work ?

Speaker 2

The smart thing about data is to have secure data , accurate data , to capture the data across the market . Even if I sell my products through other platforms , this is a challenge . How do I get the data ? One of the very important things to pay attention to in a data company versus Data security , a big part of security . The data is yours and also , according to the regulations that exist , the data of the client is also present with you . You have to think about how to protect it , how to work on it . So this is essential , and also we are talking about cyber security first , and data how you make a combination of it . You give value to the company and you protect yourself .

Speaker 1

They told me that you love traveling a lot . Right , this is a problem in data leakage value maps or google earth or anything . You need to go to a country . You have the ability to say , for example , I want to be in X , I will be in X , where do you go ?

Speaker 2

I can go to Florida or I like the culture there . Bx , where do you go ? I can go to Florida at the moment . I like the culture there , the sea and the weather . At this moment , I'm going to Florida , okay , especially in the winter . The weather is winter , exactly , but the weather will be nice , okay . This is a direct question , a direct answer Correct and we did this .

Speaker 1

If you want transportation , if you have the ability to have something extraordinary , what superpower do you like to have ?

Speaker 2

Look as a superpower , forget the movies .

Speaker 2

Forget the movies . I , as a person , I love the superpower that I always like to have with me and with others , which is knowledge by God , kevin , an every day I'm trying to deliver , which is using technology to help humanity . To help humanity , by the way , you have a lot of diseases and researches being solved in technology . You have the planet we live in , the waste and products and radiation are being solved in technology . The chat , gpt and AI tools that are now in the world have made a big jump in the medical healthcare sectors in terms of operations and diagnosis of diseases . So we are in the coming era . Each and everybody will have the superpower to work in the place he is in . This will improve the quality of life of man . It will improve the relationships that exist on the planet this is the real superpower that I hope to have with me and the relationships in the universe . This is the real superpower that I hope to have and everyone has Nice answer .

Speaker 1

Thank you . A comment on this topic . I have a question for you , a question

Technology's Future and Closing Thoughts

Speaker 1

like this . I would like to ask it IT wise , technology wise do you think we will reach one day a place where we can have I know that this is present in Neuralink , where they're working on Tesla I think we can reach a place where we can put a chip to know all the knowledge we want to know , for example , a chip that makes me know all the instruments , a chip that makes me speak all the languages . I think we can reach this . That's my personal opinion .

Speaker 2

My personal opinion is that the edge of technology is not there . There's no edge . It's open . 10 years ago , 15 years ago , we didn't even have cell phones to talk A video to talk to someone else . It's there . We now have AI , we have robotics . It's most possible to be there in certain point of time , but when , how and the regulation on it . That's what they say . Let me tell you something as a person . Now , I believe in technology . You have AI , you have business intelligence , you have robotics . These are new things that everyone likes to work on .

Speaker 2

But , as a tip for any person in the industry , before you bring this technology and work on it , you must have studied it From the security , from the governance of your data , from the service provider that provides it . There are tier one technologies that you can work on , but the misuse of technology is present . As a person who works on your device , you upload data and information about you on uncertified websites to seek some help and information if it's wrong . This is also a big part of the companies as cybersecurity . This is a must . So AI is still in the early stage . We are looking for , we hope , to have , the chip that can treat people , not just the knowledge . There are a lot of diseases now that can be treated . There is also A change in lifestyle For the human . So Inshallah , I mean this technology Can In a day Provide better Quality and add value To the human Quality of life For all , for all nations . So I hope so , inshallah , it could be done . It's present , so I hope so , inshallah Could be done .

Speaker 1

Mujooda Mumk . Let's see , let's see , let's see where it takes us . Mr Mohamed , it was an amazing episode . You need to promise us that we will be sitting longer , with more details , and we will know more about you Of course , the pleasure is mine , but the next time you will be with us , no problem With camel milk .

Speaker 2

No , with camel milk , no problem . And a cup of coffee with camel milk . We'll talk more , inshallah .

Speaker 1

That's it . Promise me , dear viewers . What I want to ask from them is that they please follow us on LinkedIn , subscribe to YouTube and take the link to Amazon Music , spotify , apple Podcasts below . Thank you , mr Mohamed . Thank you , thank you .

Speaker 2

Mohamed , may God give you good health .