From vision to reality

Can you tell us about your digital transformation goals?

Founded in 2017, Arada is the most progressive and fastest-growing master developer in the Gulf. Our portfolio of projects across the UAE amounts to AED 50 billion, including two of Sharjah’s largest communities, Aljada and Masaar, as well as the Armani Beach Residences at Palm Jumeirah. Since its inception, Arada has sold over 13,000 units valued at AED 16 billion, completed 9,000 units, expanded into a series of diverse business lines, and launched a portfolio of supporting brands.

I joined Arada in August 2020, and the company was already experiencing rapid growth at that time. We had basic technology platforms to support day-to-day operations, but they were insufficient to support Arada’s rapid expansion. The expectations from Arada’s Executive Management were very clear. We recognized that global advances in technology digitization were constantly driving new ways of doing business, influencing the customer experience, and improving both business innovation and efficiency. As a result, it was vitally important for Arada to be at the forefront of the rapid pace of digital change. Additionally, the new working patterns, such as remote and hybrid working models, triggered during the COVID-19 pandemic forced everyone to adapt to these changing technology trends.

In order to secure a market-leading position in this space, we developed an exhaustive digital transformation strategy and execution plan called ‘EVOLVE.’ It is a 24–36-month program based on five key digital pillars, each consisting of multiple initiatives and deliveries to advance Arada’s digital maturity:

1. Next-generation infrastructure platform for rapid technology deployment and future scalability.
2. Application portfolio modernization to digitalize enterprise business processes.
3. Digitally Connected Enterprise to promote digital collaboration.
4. Create a digital connection with customers to enhance the customer experience.
5. Data Analytics and business insights for informed decision-making.

We initiated the transformation journey with an enterprise-level partnership with Microsoft, leveraging their versatile technology platforms, including Microsoft Azure, Office Infra, Power platforms, and Azure AI. We also utilize the Microsoft FinOps platform for automating finance, procurement, and HR operations and the Microsoft retail Point of Sale (PoS) platform. Additionally, we leverage the Microsoft Data Warehouse/Data Lakes with Power BI and other analytical tools to support our data analytics initiatives.

What is your cloud strategy?

As part of our EVOLVE transformation journey, we adopted a ‘cloud-first strategy’ to achieve a zero footprint for on-premises data centers. Currently, we are almost 85-90% on the cloud, with the exception of some shared drives/file servers for managing heavy design files and renders. However, we are actively exploring innovative options to migrate these resources to the cloud for improved collaboration.

Which property management system do you use?

We partnered with Salesforce at an enterprise scale to leverage their complete platform for end-to-end Property Life Cycle Management, which covers Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, Marketing Cloud, and the Lightning platform for rapid development activities. We manage our sales, sales operations, residential, commercial, retail leasing, CAFM, community management, event management, and many other process automation on this Salesforce platform. Currently, we are working with Salesforce on Einstein GPT use cases. One of our notable achievements as part of the EVOLVE program is the digitalization of the end-to-end real estate pre-construction process using the Salesforce platform, which is unique and innovative. For post-construction and related processes, we utilize the PMWeb PMIS platform, which is well-known in the real estate domain.

What is your current position in the digital transformation journey?

Since embarking on our digital transformation journey, EVOLVE, in January 2021, we have delivered an average of 40-50+ projects annually. We have progressed significantly in our digital transformation journey and have evolved from being a digital explorer to becoming a digital player.

We concluded our digital transformation program in the last quarter of 2023 with a strong focus on adoption, expansion, and fully-fledged operations. This transformation marks the beginning of finding new ways of doing things, and we are now focused on leveraging our newly invested technology platforms to continue growing and innovating.

What are your plans for this year?

Thanks to our digital transformation program, we have reached a level of digital maturity that allows us to focus on leveraging Machine Learning (ML), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Natural Language Processing (NLP) for interactions and collaborations. Currently, we are collaborating with Microsoft and Salesforce on practical use cases in this technology space.

While many vendors are touting their AI capabilities, we have recently deployed an Azure AI Service for IT service ticket management and inquiries. This AI bot can promptly determine if it’s a defect or a service request based on user interactions. Our objective is to understand user interactions, make necessary adjustments, and scale to maturity, enabling expansion to HR, Finance, and other related services. For customer services, we have already started with Salesforce Einstein GPT-driven services.

One of our significant in-house developments is the Arada Connect Digital Workspace Platform, which was introduced as part of the EVOLVE transformation program. This platform is an innovative and unified ‘Go-To’ place for all employees to interact and digitally collaborate with applications and services across Arada. It covers various features, such as Arada Intranet, Global Approval Worklist, Employee Self Services (ESS), Arada Insights for BI reports, and system dashboards. We are also ready to launch our Arada Super App and Arada eServices to extend similar service offerings to our customers.

What steps have you taken to enhance Arada’s cybersecurity posture?

We have implemented numerous safeguards and adhere to best practice governance as part of the digital transformation program. Our Cloud-First approach and presence have enabled us to rapidly implement these safeguards. However, cybersecurity is an area that requires continuous focus and progress. In the last quarter of 2023, we initiated our Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing (VAPT) exercise, scheduled for completion next month. The assessments and recommendations from this exercise will guide our future cybersecurity efforts.

What are your plans regarding PropTech?

I believe PropTech has significant potential to revolutionize the real estate sector. While many startups are emerging in PropTech, I am keen to see how existing giants like Microsoft and Salesforce adapt to these evolving trends. They have already begun acquiring tech companies and startups to prepare themselves.

As far as Arada is concerned, our current digital transformation has positioned us ahead in adopting these future trends.