Michele and Francesco Moretti tell all on the business IT consultancy and integration firm's current and future movements
CTG: What has led you to see a gap in the market and expand outside Italy?
MM: Italy doesn't instantly spring to mind as an innovation hub - our country is known globally for high-quality food and fashion. However, in the technology sector we apply the same craftsmanship that the ‘Made in Italy' brand is famous for. At Fincons, we customise our approach to each client so that they receive software tailored to their needs. Our service is highly personal, with consultants, business analysts and project managers working directly with clients on-site, in tandem to our remote delivery centre in Bari. This ensures that we are not seen as simply an IT service provider - we build relationships with our clients and get to know their businesses in a way that enables efficient problem-solving.
FM: Our approach is collaborative, and working with other European institutions naturally takes us outside of Italy. This is how we spot opportunities and areas where development is taking place. A couple of sectors in particular where digitalisation is fast developing are financial services and media and broadcast. We have teamed up with the Swiss company Appway to work on pioneering projects, such as a new client sign-up process for a key Italian bank that is entirely digital and requires no branch visits or physical signatures.
CTG: In your experience what are the key steps to encourage innovation within a business?
MM: The first step towards producing innovative ideas is to identify clients' points of pain, so that solutions can be brainstormed and implemented. The second key element is to ensure continual development on all fronts: IT solutions, new technologies, responses to overall business objectives of clients, and staff training. At Fincons, we take responsibility for ongoing training with our in-house business school, Fincons Group Academy, also based in Bari. With technology moving so quickly, standing still is not an option so continual learning must be a priority for an innovative business.
CTG: Which are the main innovative projects Fincons is working on?
FM: "We have developed several interesting solutions for Sky, with increased flexibility for viewers as one of the main objectives. Traditional broadcasters risk being surpassed if they do not adapt to new pricing models, such as the flexible pricing and service packages offered by pure broadband players. So we worked with Sky to design a new product called Commerce4Media, a platform allowing traditional broadcasters to tailor their offer and pricing to the demands of the modern customer. This meant users could choose items, such as a sporting event or a single series, as if they were picking from a shelf.