Jianfei Xu, CEO and CTO of DRAXware holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Degree in Construction Engineering and Management from the University of Alberta. In addition, Jianfei also holds a Master of Science in Structural Engineering and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, China.
Jianfei knows how to put the right people in the right positions with the clear vision which is probably the most crucial thing a leader must do. As a business leader, Jianfei communicates with his vision to determine the organization’s strategic direction. Along with that, Jianfei is responsible for providing the proper resources and keeping a proper balance according to the company’s goals.
DRAXware: A Place where Innovation meets Pragmatic Solution
With a vision to become a global leader in construction management software by changing the way construction thinks about software solutions, DRAXware was founded in 2007 in Edmonton, Alberta.
Born from a partnership between advanced research and practical industry specific solutions, DRAXware continues in the spirit of partnership, believing firmly that they become an extension of their customers. DRAXware is a focused niche solution; DRAXware provides customized solutions for the industry’s most demanding, information-intensive projects in the industrial construction market, including oil and gas, pipelines, mining, power generation and refining industries.
DRAXware offers its customers the flexibility and detail. Every project being unique and managed closely, their strength becomes the capturing, storage and reporting of as much detail as possible. Focusing on every single detail, the team of DRAXware believes that, “Only when you have that detail can you investigate problems and take the appropriate corrective action.”
Building Authority over the Current Scenario
As the industrial construction sector has been devastated by the drop in oil prices over the last year, most companies have hunkered down into survival mode in the hope that prices will rise soon. This caused the owners to focus their limited spending to ensure operations continue with a few interruptions. In good times, few companies manage their costs as tightly as they do now. This downturn offers all companies the opportunities to refine their processes and systems to improve their cost effectiveness. This calls for innovative yet pragmatic solutions, which is exactly what DRAXware is known for.
Innovation in Business
DRAXware has built an entire software development platform called the Uni-Engine that all of its solutions are built on. This platform is undergoing constant improvement to changing industry needs.
Uni-Engine, is capable to configure solutions to meet the unique requirements of clients. With advanced data management capabilities that unifies data between all systems, this universal solution can be configured to meet any company’s requirements. It enables DRAXware to tailor a solution to a specific customer or project in a fraction of the time compared to the traditional software development.
While providing software solutions in developing innovative information technologies for analyzing, optimizing and reporting operations, they also provide tools to create more efficient business operations that eliminate paperwork for construction owners and managers who want to be in the business of construction.
With a firm commitment to constant innovation, DRAXware envisions developing its platform and solutions to help contractors and owners streamline their working procedures in the coming years.
“Think out of the Box”
Attributing his success to his powerful imagination and innovative thinking, Jianfei says that he focuses on a big picture and works with creative thinkers who can add to that vision and make it greater. “Our passion is solving problems, so we assemble a team of ‘out-of-the-box’ thinkers who believe that technology is a platform that can reduce the headaches, and frustration of contractors and owners, when used properly,” asserts Jianfei.
Giving an illustration of “Think out of the Box”, Jianfei shares, in dealing with conflict issues, it is better to see the issues from the opponent’s perspective. That changes conflict to dialog; and dialog can lead to solutions.
A Piece of Advice to Aspiring Business People in Jianfei’s Words
Envisions the path that leads to that idea’s becoming a reality. Indeed, I would argue that creative genius is less important in an innovative leader than is the ability to form a vision around an idea or set of ideas. And once she/he has formed that vision, she needs to be able to share with employees, suppliers and business partners the vision as well as enthusiasm for turning that vision into a reality.