Arrk | Enterprise application

Posted Date : 17 Feb 2003

Nigel Griffiths MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Small Business met with representatives of Arrk to find out how small businesses are dealing with globalisation. The meeting was held as part of Mr Griffiths’ visit to the Millennium business park in Bombay, a park set up specifically for India’s IT Industry.

Mr Griffiths was shown around Arrk’s Indian offices by Julian Howison, Managing Director of Arrk limited who was delighted by the opportunity to demonstrate how Arrk are capitalising on the opportunities presented by global markets, “Many small businesses find themselves being squeezed by larger competitors and have trouble accessing the cost advantages offered by outsourcing. Arrk offers these companies access to offshore resources without the heavy investment or management overhead that is needed to go it alone.”

“Arrk is an example of how small businesses can engage on a global scale and compete with larger more established IT service companies. By working with partners in the UK and India we are opening up a gateway to India for businesses across Europe.” Mr Griffiths commented “I am delighted to be in India and see first hand how Arrk, a small UK company, has succeeded in meeting the challenges of globalisation.”

Working conditions offshore are a concern for many businesses investing in outsourcing and Mr Griffiths was keen to know how Arrk dealt with these challenges. Arrk has developed a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) framework, which ensures that the working conditions and benefits of employees in India and UK are closely aligned. For example, employees in each country receive the same holiday entitlement. Employees in India are also offered bank accounts – which many Indians can find hard to open without employer’s guarantees. Describing his company’s approach to CSR, Mr Howison said, “Arrk strives to adhere to the principles of fair trade. As a UK based company we can offer improved employment terms to those working in India and a great opportunity for personal development.”

“Offshore outsourcing can become focused on cost, but value for money and quality of service are becoming increasingly important measures for companies outsourcing now. Our CSR policy helps all our stakeholders and employees to understand how Arrk works in the global market.”

As offshore outsourcing becomes an accepted part of business strategy, the UK is placed in a strong position to capitalise on this advantage in Europe. UK companies like Arrk are opening up a gateway to India that will let businesses across Europe share the benefits.

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Posted Date : 22 Jan 2003

Arrk, a regional expert in outsourcing IT and business process projects to India is offering north west based companies the opportunity to learn about the impact offshore services will have on their business.

Many IT companies do not have the time or financial resources to invest in dedicated offshore centres, but by not factoring offshore outsourcing into their strategic planning, they risk losing out to more established companies, both UK based and those based in India.

Julian Howison, managing director of Arrk said, “The subject of the first briefing, ‘Making India work’ alludes to the difficulties that many companies have faced in managing projects with staff in different times zones and with very different cultural backgrounds.”

“Executives attending these briefings will come away with a better understanding of the risks and be better prepared to incorporate offshore outsourcing into their business planning.”

The series starts off on 27th February with a breakfast briefing for senior executives at the Bridgewater Hall in central Manchester. To register for a place visit www.arrk.net/news/seminar.html

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Posted Date : 22 Aug 2002

Deloitte & Touche created the Technology Fast 50 to support UK technology companies and champion innovation in the sector. The programme tracks the growth rates of technology companies in seven regions in the UK and Ireland, culminating in a national and European ranking in December 2002.

Arrk was founded to take advantage of the globalisation in the IT services market by offering smaller companies the cost advantages of offshore software development whilst avoiding the management overhead and risks of running an offshore team. From offices in Mumbai, India and a Manchester, UK Arrk provides IT services to a variety of public and private sector organisations.

Julian Howison, Managing Director and founder of Arrk said, “We are delighted to have been recognised in this way. Arrk exists to help companies to deliver excellent value from their IT investments and it is gratifying to see some of our customers in the Fast 50 awards as well.”

“Our business has always had an international remit. Although this award recognises companies based in the North of England, there will be some very happy people in Mumbai tomorrow morning.”

Fiona Wrightson, lead technology partner for the Northern Fast 50, said: “In a year of extraordinary adversity and when achieving growth remained the single biggest challenge the technology sector faces, these companies have demonstrated how to achieve excellence in niche markets.”

“While 2002 was a period of retrenchment and soul searching for technology companies, during which many elected to rethink their core business strategies, these finalists have continued to reinvent themselves in difficult circumstances.”

“It is therefore vital that the companies who continue to demonstrate strong growth are recognised for their strong management teams, as they are the key to innovation and employment growth in the region and the UK as a whole,” Fiona Wrightson added.

This year’s event is also co-sponsored by techMARK, the London Stock Exchange market for innovative technology companies, and supported by Intellect, the association for the UK’s IT, telecommunications and electronics industries. In the North, the programme is cosponsored by lawyers Pinsent Curtis Biddle and The Royal Bank of Scotland.

The Technology Fast 50 programme seeks out those companies that have shown impressive growth rates in the telecommunications, hardware, software and biotechnology markets over the last three financial years. All companies considered for an award must be headquartered in the North of England, must be technology-intensive, use unique technology in problem solving, or must devote a high percentage of effort to research and development.

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Posted Date : 17 Jul 2002

As a result of its continued growth the company has recently invested over $120,000 in establishing a wholly owned subsidiary, Arrk Solutions Pvt. Ltd., in Bombay.

The new offices, based in the prestigious hi-tech Millennium Business Park at Navi Mumbai, will accommodate a staff of over fifty highly skilled software developers and project managers. This team will work under the direction of the company's UK based consultants who provide the interface between their UK clients and the development teams.

Managing Director, Julian Howison, said "We have been investigating the possibility of establishing our own offshore development centre for sometime now. Following a recent trade mission arranged by MIDAS and with support from Trade Partners UK we have been able to make rapid progress in this direction". He continued "this is a strategic move by Arrk, giving us greater scope to accommodate the steady increase in business that we have experienced over the last 12 months".

Arrk's hybrid business model, blending a UK based consultancy team with an 'in-house' offshore facility, makes it commercially feasible to develop even relatively small projects offshore. "In addition to delivering high quality software solutions and value for money our skills and experience in managing offshore development significantly reduce the risks traditionally associated with offshore projects" says Howison.

A number of Arrk's clients will be visiting the new offices later this year, getting the chance to meet the development teams who have been working on their projects. Arrk will continue to work with its established Indian partners thus maintaining its flexible capacity and its ability to deliver solutions across a wide technological base.

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