Technical adventurer: Chirag Lodha

All great adventurers have 5 things in common; curiosity, drive, meticulous planning,?imagination and a strong team spirit. But it isn’t just trekking across the arctic or climbing mountains that demonstrates an adventurer’s qualities. Today, we’re shining a spotlight on one of our most highly respected and praised team members, Chirag Lodha , our technical adventurer.

Like Veena, Chartered Accountant, Chirag, was a natural fit for our Accounting Integrations Team. Having led the creation of accounting integrations earlier in his career, we knew that Chirag had the in-depth knowledge of finance and a keen interest in product development that we needed. But these are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the makings of an exceptional integration expert.

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Described as ‘dynamic’, ‘sincere’ and ‘approachable’ there is no integration challenge that could possibly phase Chirag Lodha. We’ve been speaking to his colleagues, clients and Chirag himself, to find out why his work is so highly commended, time and time again.

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Meticulous preparation is important for any new journey of discovery. The development of our Brightpearl | TaxJar integration, the starting point of Chirag’s new product development for b.solutions, was one such journey. “It’s really an adventure for every new product that we build”, says Chirag, humbly, “and I’m proud to be able to make our clients’ day-to-day operations easier with a new application.”

Fast-forward a few weeks, and with his systematic planning, the resulting build was to such a comprehensive specification that the functionality was both flawless and future-proof. Partners approved the integration technology faster than we had ever seen before and clients were, unsurprisingly, thrilled with the functionality of the work.

“Chirag is FANTASTIC!” Amy Curtis, VP of Operations for Protech Products, and user of the Brightpearl | TaxJar integration, told us. After the implementation of Chirag’s brand-new integration, Protech’s transactions get imported throughout each day to prepare and submit accurate tax returns along with remittance, according to each state’s specific requirements. Filing details and deadlines are now completely taken care of, so Amy’s team don’t have to worry.

?Having benefited from his consultancy, clients like Pineapple Island, Bells of Steel and Merz Apothecary return to him for advice when they have a new requirement for their tech stack. And it’s no surprise, given the success of his innovative solutions that have been put to the test already.

With?Faire, Pineapple Island could sell to up to 500,000 retailers (and counting) across Europe, North America and Australia, reaching new markets to grow their wholesale relationships. Connecting Brightpearl via the integration that Chirag designed and directed, allowed the team a seamless back-office experience.

“Faire puts us in front of retailers across the world that may have never discovered us through the more traditional B2B routes of trade shows or paid advertising.” Says Alice Parmenter, Creative Director of Pineapple Island. “The integration has saved about 2 hours in admin time a day so far, as before we were having to input all our stock quantities and invoices manually.”

Chirag’s drive stems from the desire to create a better experience, to improve the status quo.?Diving into uncharted territory with this exact goal in mind has resulted in the creation of some of our most exciting new integrations involving Inventory Planner by Sage, Peoplevox and ChannelEngine.

This appetite for improvement is recognised by b.solutions Founder and Managing Director, Anthony Herve . “Chirag is sincere, dynamic and knowledgeable. He has a structured way of looking at things and is invested in the applications that he produces. He’s a much-valued member of our team.”

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As for his team spirit, Chirag’s ability to see both the big picture and have a deep understanding of the technical and functional sides of any project, create what Denish Faldu , Development Architect, describes as his ‘magic’. “An integration expert provides a bridge” he explains, “delivering an excellent experience to both clients and developers.” Chirag “challenges thinking in an enquiring way” agrees Claire Sykes , Portfolio Manager, and it’s this curiosity that is the vital spark to trigger forward momentum. It opens the doors to innovative solutions. It’s yet another reason why clients and colleagues not only enjoy working with him but having him as an extended member of their team as they grow and evolve.

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It truly is an adventure for him, planning a route, testing the water, leading his team safely and breaking new ground. He is the driving force behind some best-in class technical solutions and the perfect example of a great integration expert.

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