[Techie Tuesday] How Kappu Jaykumar went from main Kindle’s beta program to constructing merchandise at Lowe’s Ind

Slightly greater than a yr into her position as Senior Director – IT at Lowe’s India, Kappu Jaykumar has already spearheaded quite a lot of firsts for the Fortune 50 house enchancment firm.

With over 25 years of expertise in know-how and product administration domains, Kappu joined Lowe’s India to construct the Digital Put up Buy expertise, which was virtually non-existent on the firm a yr in the past.

As a specialist in product constructing and administration throughout totally different industries and multinationals like Microsoft, Amazon, Walmart India, and Tesco, Kappu has a deep understanding of the product and ecommerce realms very nicely.

Constructing a seamless post-purchase expertise

Main the engineering and product groups at Lowe’s, Kappu’s core focus is the significance of the post-purchase expertise for purchasers. From the time of inserting an order till any returns or trade are made or guarantee declare, the circulation, she says, needs to be each seamless and frictionless.

“I’m a part of the digital organisation at Lowe’s that oversees the lifetime of a product proper after the client has paid for the acquisition, to its acquisition and after. It is buyer retention technique at its finest — together with real-time monitoring, installations, returns/cancellations, prolonged guarantee plans, claims — that helps a buyer with each want,” she explains.

Kappu understands buyer retention is six instances cheaper than acquisition as a result of retaining a buyer is rather a lot simpler.

“Returning prospects are 60 % prone to get satisfied concerning the merchandise and the seamless expertise will assist them navigate the method simply,” she provides.

In just below a yr, her group has constructed merchandise that defining buyer expertise at Lowe’s. These embody Subscriptions that “by no means existed at Lowe’s earlier than” and several other self-service capabilities, together with submitting guarantee claims and on-line returns system, permitting for real-time monitoring.

Profiting from the software program increase

Kappu was lucky to be in the fitting place on the proper time – when India was on the cusp of a software program increase within the late-90s. An industrial engineering graduate from Anna College, (now School of Engineering, Guindy), she additionally holds an MTech in Industrial Administration from IIT-Madras.

Rising up in Mylapore (then Madras), she was surrounded by science books as her father was an avid fanatic and DIY professional. The selection, on the time, was between medication and engineering.

As a “numbers particular person”, Kappu selected industrial engineering for its mixture of core science and behavioural science, which she discovered fascinating.

Quickly after graduating from IIT-Madras, in 1996, Kappu joined Ramco Methods to work on its ERP system Marshall, and on backend improvement utilizing Microsoft Applied sciences. The position supplied an interesting mixture of product administration and engineering, one that may maintain in good stead as she climbed up the ladder.

“It was an attention-grabbing three years, and we solely had web within the supervisor’s workplace. As a beginner, I bear in mind being allotted a 600MB onerous drive and a senior, who was given a 300MB onerous drive, and he was miffed,” she recollects.

The shift from industrial engineering to IT was a aware option to reap the benefits of India’s vital position as a service supplier for software program firms. Kappu had already began coding at Ramco, updating her abilities, and after three years, it was pure for her to shift to the US and be part of Microsoft in Seattle.

An entire new world

Kappu recollects, “Becoming a member of as a High quality Assurance engineer for the Jet Database Engine that powered MS Entry, my group went on to develop the SQL Server for CE.”

“From thick, fats telephones, Microsoft developed handheld good units. It was a very totally different world, work tradition, and I met a few of the smartest folks and sharpest minds. The position taught me that to grasp advanced issues, it’s important to break the system down into totally different layers and perceive what every one does,” she provides.

At Microsoft, the place she labored for seven years, Kappu was additionally a part of the Home windows Sharepoint Companies group, studying to construct shared servers and libraries that functions can leverage.

In 2006, she moved to Amazon, going from engineering to a product administration position to steer the worldwide technique and roll out Success by Amazon within the UK, Germany, and France.

“This was a technical product and administration position that helped me work with prospects intently, whose livelihoods have been constructed by promoting on Amazon. I discovered easy methods to serve prospects, and be empathetic and understanding of their wants,” she says.

Excessive visibility with Amazon Kindle

Her different necessary position in Amazon was main the worldwide beta program for Kindle, which Kappu calls an “thrilling and excessive seen programme”.

“I used to be lucky to be a part of Jeff Bezos’ imaginative and prescient to develop a product that caused a wedding of know-how and publishing. After I joined, we labored on the second and third visions of the Kindle, and the Kindle Improvement Package aside, from engaged on its Android and iOS variations,” she says.

She additionally recollects how the entire launch was very discreet and he or she couldn’t even take away the gadget out of her backpack whereas she was at house, and must sneak it into the toilet to check it.

In 2011, she moved again to Coimbatore, India, along with her husband with the goal of giving again to society. She helped the Isha Basis begin a administration institute. Nevertheless, that didn’t take off however the couple helped develop the Isha Perception, a management programme, which could be very well-liked even as we speak.

Alongside the way in which, the couple additionally volunteered with authorities colleges and NGOs, and labored intently with college students, prepping them for the board exams. An expertise she says, she loved immensely.

After two years, itching to get again to the company world, Kappu moved to Bengaluru to affix Walmart India to steer its Provider Administration Product and Expertise groups.

Kappu believes every product she has labored on has taught her one thing necessary. “SQL Server was all about core software program engineering. At Amazon, I learnt all about buyer empathy and the way the service provider is a crucial buyer as nicely. With Kindle, I acquired the visibility I had solely dreamed of; and at Walmart, I constructed an environment friendly provider administration system,” she says.

Eliminate the working lady guilt

Over time, many ladies have ventured into STEM however the challenges stay. What has been her expertise?

“I consider girls shouldn’t be responsible of getting a profession. After I joined Microsoft, my onboarding folder mentioned, ‘The place do you need to go as we speak?’ I consider, no matter gender, the onus is on us to maneuver ahead, and search a assist system and be persistent in what you do,” says Kappu.

Based on her, one must have the identical ardour all through one’s profession. “I’ve been the one lady in lots of groups. There isn’t a gender distinction within the software program trade. You simply must be comfy with what you’re doing and don’t have any psychological boundaries,” she provides.

Apparently, Kappu finds lots of happiness in Bharatanatyam, that she took up when she was round six years previous. Not solely has she by no means stopped practising and performing, however she additionally taught the dance type whereas she was in Seattle.

“My mother and father consider that one has to develop holistically to grasp how the world operates and capabilities. Dancing has moulded me – it’s not simply artistic, it’s additionally science, and I’m grateful I by no means missed a dance class whereas rising up. It has taught me focus, reminiscence abilities, and the ability of focus,” she says.

Throughout the lockdown, she continues studying Bharatanatyam on-line, and likewise one thing new every day.

“When you cease studying, you begin changing into complacent about issues. I’m now in retail, the place issues preserve altering and prospects preserve evolving and I’ve to be on my toes, considering how finest can create a greater expertise for my buyer,” she says.