Updated: August 27, 2016
I used to be a freelance software developer. That was the field I pursued that eventually allowed me to leave the corporate world.
Putting up my own software development company was a plan that never really materialized for me. Partly because I became caught up in managing the internet cafe that I put up shortly after.
However, for Mr. Ash Co Kehyeng it’s a dream he was able to fulfill when he founded QAlpha, or Quadrant Alpha Technology Solutions, Inc.
QAlpha is a Philippine-based software development company, which provides branded software solutions for businesses as well as fully-customized software that can cater to any organization’s need.
It was started by Mr. Co Kehyeng back in 2012, and started from a humble office in Makati City with 5 computers and a handful of top-notch programmers.
Now, the company is growing as it caters to more customers in the business sector.
When asked why he put up Quadrant Alpha Technology Solutions, Filipino-Chinese entrepreneur Mr. Co Kehyeng shares:
I was also the founder of City Delivery, (now Food Panda) the leading multi- restaurant delivery services in the Philippines, which was acquired by an global e- commerce group.
At that time, I couldn’t find a reliable IT company that was cost- effective and can give good after- sales support and so, this is the reason why I founded my own IT company.
I appreciate the benefit of technology and how it enables, supports and grows businesses.
I started the software company as I genuinely love how technology can help businesses.
I saw that with the help of IT, business operations get easier to manage. People work faster, managed better and work more diligently with IT by their side.
Quadrant Alpha Technology Solutions
QAlpha provides a wide range of of IT services.
They do consultancy, business process outsourcing, network administration & maintenance, software development, system integration, and even hardware procurement and distribution.
However, their specialty still lies in business software and customized software services such as:
- Human Resources Information Systems
- Warehouse & Inventory Mgt. Systems
- Time-Keeping and Payroll System
- Inventory Management System
- Purchasing Management System
- Billing & Sales Management
- Customer Relationship Management System
Regardless of a client’s business size, business softwares developed by QAlpha are designed and developed as a complete turn-key, end-to- end solution for the target process.
At present, they have served different business industries such as retail, food and beverage, manufacturing, logistics, real estate, and even the government.
Prominent names in their client portfolio include, Lily’s Peanut Butter, Doctor Leather, Gaisano Malls Davao & Cebu, Serenitea, Domino’s Pizza, Topbest Pest Control, Novo, and Vikings Buffet.
Mr. Co Kehyeng on Entrepreneurship
I was lucky enough to pick the brains of Mr. Co Kehyeng and ask him a few questions about entrepreneurship, and this is what he has to say.
They say that you should start a business that’s in line with your passion. Has I.T. always been your interest? If not, how did you eventually discover your passion for the industry?
I perceive IT and technology in general as a tool to make people’s lives better and easier, especially in business.
I love seeing how businesses benefit from IT From helping to prevent pilferage, managing difficult employees to ensuring that every stock on hand is accounted for. I am passionate about the impact on efficiency, scalability and measurability.
My passion is seeing how our business can help other businesses with their pressing issues and problems. When we see the before-and-after and see how we helped, that’s what we are passionate about.
What is the most challenging part of being a technopreneur in the Philippines? How do you overcome this challenge?
The most challenging part of being a technopreneur is awareness.
We have one of the best IT talents in the world but we don’t have a Filipino-branded software or hardware that we can be proud of. Even starting out technopreneurs like myself would need to try harder to market our software.
People’s top of mind are branded software from abroad. They usually think the US branded software are the best but we have some software here that can be at par with only a fraction of the cost.
On our part, we have to exert extra effort to point out our unique proposition of customization, cloud-based technology, good after-sales and full-user licenses for us to close clients.
In the future, we hope to be known as a quality software provider and have clients seek us out as a good alternative to the popular software now.
Many dream of becoming an entrepreneur, but only a few take action because there’s always the fear of failure . What advise can you give those who are afraid to start their first business? How can they manage that fear?
Taking the leap to a riskier entrepreneurial venture from a stable salaried job is definitely very scary.
However, failure in business, and for that matter, a first-time business, is really inevitable and an entrepreneur actually needs it. Through painful mistakes and experience, you would learn how to manage your business better.
When you learn from these failures, you can be successful. Proof of which are the big companies right now, who also started as a start-up.
My advice is to really examine if they want to do business in the long-term and if they have the resources to weather failures for the long term, as well.
It would be best to start small and keep a watchful eye on the finances. The fear of failure will always be there in different situations but the entrepreneur would grow to overcome it.
Learn more about QAlpha
Quadrant Alpha Technology Solutions, Inc.
Address: 10/F Legaspi Suites, 178 Salcedo St., Legaspi Village., Makati City, Philippines
Telephone: +632.8137616 / +632.815.8744
Email: sales@quadrantalpha.com
Website: www.QuadrantAlpha.com
Facebook: Quadrant Alpha Technology Solutions
