“Technology will always be central to sustaining Mai Dubai” – Adrian DCunha, Head of IT

Adrian DCunha is the Head of IT at Mai Dubai. He works primarily to drive digital transformation and operational excellence in company. With a 6+ year tenure, he has witnessed tremendous organisation growth and recently took the time to discuss it. 

How has Mai Dubai’s growth impacted the way operations are managed across the organisation?

Mai Dubai’s rapid growth has required us to rethink how we manage our operations from end-to-end. As volumes increase, customers increase, and we expand into new regions or product lines, the complexity of operations grows. This pushed us to standardise workflows and reduce mounting paperwork.

We had to introduce more touchpoints and needed real-time visibility into operations. Our growth accelerated the shift from traditionally managed processes to a more connected, data-driven, automated operating model.

What were the key operational challenges Mai Dubai faced as the business scaled?

Scaling introduced several challenges and process bottlenecks, mainly from inconsistent workflows and a dependency on manual tracking. Operational teams spent most of their time digging out information and handling repetitive tasks. With information scattered across emails, some of it was often lost in transit.

As processes became more complex, the need for coordinated workflows and timely decisions became critical. This is where platforms like Kissflow played a role—helping us bring structure, automate repetitive tasks, and create a more streamlined flow of information across teams.

How important has digital transformation been in enabling agility and efficiency across Mai Dubai’s operations?

Digital transformation has been foundational to our agility. By digitising workflows and integrating data from different systems, we’ve been able to make faster decisions, eliminate inefficiencies, and respond to operational demands proactively.

Automation has also freed employees from routine tasks, allowing them to focus on higher-value work such as process optimisation, quality improvements, and enhancing customer experience. Platforms like Kissflow have enabled us to accelerate this transition without heavy reliance on traditional development cycles.

Why did Mai Dubai need to look beyond core ERP systems like SAP to drive process improvements?

SAP systems are excellent for transactional processes. However, they do not cover the dynamic workflows that sit between departments—those that require human approvals, collaboration, messaging, and escalations.

Even if we attempted to build these within SAP, it would be costly and time-intensive. Many of our operational challenges existed around ERP, not within it. A low-code, no-code platform allowed us to rapidly build and customise applications without altering our core SAP systems.

How has automating internal workflows changed collaboration between business, operations, and IT teams?

Automating workflows at Mai Dubai has made collaboration between business, operations, and IT far more seamless and structured.

With Kissflow, cross-functional approvals are now centralised, trackable, and governed by SLAs, eliminating back-and-forth emails and manual follow-ups. This has improved visibility, reduced delays, and enabled teams to work together more efficiently in real time.

What impact has automation had on speed, accuracy, and visibility in day-to-day operations?

Automation has released cycle time. It has minimised errors without the need for manual entry, and it was also compliant across multiple processes.

How did employees adapt to the transition from manual processes to digital workflows?

We involved employees early by gathering their inputs during workflow design and providing hands-on training. Once teams experienced how easy the systems were to use—and how automation reduced their workload—many employees proactively began requesting new automations to improve their own processes.

Employees at Mai Dubai adapted quickly to digital workflows due to the simplicity and speed of Kissflow. With intuitive interfaces, automated notifications, and clear process visibility, teams moved away from email-based tracking to structured workflows. The ability to build and manage processes in-house also empowered teams, making adoption smooth and efficient.

What role has IT played in enabling business teams to participate in transformation initiatives?

IT plays the role of an enabler rather than a gatekeeper. We provide scalable platforms, establish governance frameworks, and guide teams in designing structured workflows. With low-code tools, business teams are empowered to directly collaborate in building and refining processes as they evolve.

What does the next phase of digital transformation look like for Mai Dubai?

The next phase involves deeper automation by linking workflows and embedding them with ERP systems. Currently, we have limited integration touchpoints, but the goal is to enable seamless integration while managing decision-making processes outside the ERP layer.

How do you see technology supporting Mai Dubai’s long-term growth and operational resilience?

Technology will remain central to sustaining growth at Mai Dubai. It helps us automate and integrate processes, reduce operational risk, and scale efficiently.

It strengthens resilience through real-time insights and faster response mechanisms. Ultimately, technology enables us to deliver higher quality, greater reliability, and a better overall customer experience.

Image Credit: Mai Dubai