Driven by overcoming challenges in the IT industry, Zone24x7 is creating innovative new-age solutions to modern tech problems. By placing itself at the core of contemporary problem-solving, the company is known for its great culture of taking on immense challenges and delivering world-class solutions. Today, Zone24x7 offers end-to-end technology consulting and engineering services encompassing hardware and software. Its wide-ranging specialties include software engineering, embedded systems, data science, RFID Technology, AI and Machine Learning, IoT, and many more.
Thus, it’s engaged in several exciting projects which serve as foundations for the future of technology. “Our solutions are at the backend almost everywhere. So there is a high chance that your everyday supermarket checkout counter uses our code in the backend of its POS,” shares the General Manager of Zone24x7, Vipula Liyanaarachchi. As it innovates and overcomes challenges, Zone24x7 has built a culture of customer-centric innovation, continuous learning, professionalism, caring for oneself, and integrity to create an inclusive environment for its associates.
What Makes Zone24x7 Stand Out from the Rest?
“We pride ourselves in accepting technical problems that others find difficult to solve and place this challenge over the desire to make money,” states the Head of Software Engineering at Zone24x7, Dhaminda Siriwardena. The company works with several technology stacks and deploys software solutions developed from scratch, working with programming languages of different levels, from Python, R, and C++, all the way to C. Over the years, Zone24x7 has built innovative solutions that meet the requirements of even the most challenging and risk-averse use cases.
A notable recent example is a real-time inventory system for a US Warehouse Company with an accuracy of 97% – where the industry average is only 70%. Notably, this success was achieved while working entirely remotely. “We could not visit the client facility in person due to the pandemic. Even still, we completed the project through online meetings,” Dhaminda highlights. Similarly, for every project, the company adopts a unique approach with a keen awareness of the customer’s requirements even as circumstances change. Thus, Zone24x7’s success lies in its innate ability to overcome any obstacle and create a positive impact on all stakeholders.
A Culture built on Diversity, Inclusion, and Learning
Diversity, inclusion, and a strong drive for learning have resonated within the culture at Zone24x7 since its inception. Their team comprises individuals of all ethnic backgrounds while maintaining a strong gender balance. Vipula states, “Diversity and inclusion have been a core part of our DNA since the beginning. We see past cultural or gender boundaries and bring forward the best people suited for the job.”
Atop these strong foundations, Zone24x7 has built a hybrid working environment where its associates have the freedom to work from anywhere. Thus, from Jaffna to Matara, you’ll find the team is spread out across all corners of the island. “The pandemic has resulted in a shift in the way we work. Our focus is to empower our teams to help them do their best work,” Dhaminda conveys. He further states that this approach has helped the team free their minds to work better at developing intellectual property.
The Importance of Learning to Zone24x7’s Culture
Vipula shares that Zone24x7 follows the ’70-20-10 Rule of Learning’ for its entire workforce’s technical and non-technical progress. “With this globally proven technique, we focus on the total growth of our team by learning 70% from experience, 20% from peers, and 10% through formal training sessions.” Accordingly, several initiatives for this method have been brought forward by a dedicated Learning and Development team within the company.
Technical Advancement of the Entire Company
The Learning and Development team at Zone24x7 develops individual learning plans for all its team members. “As a company, we support our employees by funding and giving them time to upskill themselves through certifications from international bodies. In doing so, we make sure the company grows with the growth of each member,” states Dhaminda. The company also uses a mentor system instead of a conventional management approach. Juniors are partnered with seniors to learn on the job and from their experience.
“We believe that failure is a point to learn. Therefore, even interns are put into deep water to work on live projects that would push them to better themselves daily,” he adds. Moreover, Zone24x7 provides its associates with regular rapid upskill programs from external trainers and opportunities to mingle with industry experts and university staff. Associates are also encouraged to engage in research and share their learnings as academic whitepapers in cutting-edge fields such as data science.
Helping People Grow beyond their Work
The Learning and Development team at Zone24x7 also incorporates regular training sessions for soft skills such as leadership, communication, and negotiation skills. Such programs contribute to the non-technical growth of its members. With this, mentors also undergo special training to emphasize the importance of their role within the company. The company also maintains an open-door policy for the senior management and technical teams. This policy allows anyone to approach senior leaders and learn from a vast pool of industry experience.
Taking on Challenges together as One team
As Zone24x7 continues to grow and take on new challenges, its leadership team makes conscious efforts to ensure every employee has a voice. “Our HR team engages with every employee at least once in six months and collates feedback on their wellbeing, suggested improvements, and overall experience at the company,” shares Vipula. In addition, a monthly ‘All Hands’ meeting also allows everyone to discuss projects, company decisions, and employee engagements freely.
These meetings, paired with the Employee Engagement survey, offer everyone at Zone24x7 a chance to voice their opinions transparently and inclusively. Vipula and Dhaminda both emphasize that for the company’s leadership, the results of these initiatives offer vital inputs for any management decisions. As Zone24x7 continues to grow as a technology leader, it is committed to conquering new challenges and moving toward the future with an inclusive environment for its employees. In the words of Vipula, “The world is headed towards an era of disruptive technology. Zone24x7 is gearing itself through our strong culture for learning to be ready to take on these new challenges and be the pioneers of tech innovation in the years ahead.”