Expert with extra qualifications in information technology, Alexandr Kriuchkov, explained how digitalization changes business and why DevOps engineers are becoming key drivers of change.
According to the Global Innovation Index (GII) prepared by the World Intellectual Property Organization, the most advanced economies in terms of innovation implementation in the world for 2023 were Switzerland, Sweden, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Singapore. Moreover, countries with an average income level could improve their positions in the ranking faster than others. According to experts, this is a good illustration of how a focus on the innovation ecosystem changes the state of the economy for the better. However, according to the GII conclusions, uncertainty remains regarding startup funding. Against this background, businesses will continue to seek a balance between cost reduction, increasing efficiency, and investing in digital development, believes the lead DevOps engineer at AppliedLabs, an expert with a wide range of competencies in IT, Alexandr Kriuchkov. He has implemented key projects for Russia’s largest marketplace, Ozon, a high-tech company in the T1 holding “Innotech.” Alexandr became a prominent expert in development, programming, and educational projects; he shares his story.
In a situation where venture capital investments in human ingenuity are declining, confirmed by the Global Innovation Index, prudent use of existing resources is a strategically correct move. An experienced DevOps engineer, whose competence includes solutions for optimizing and internally synchronizing software development, testing, operation, and administration processes, can help identify a company’s internal reserves. To improve team efficiency, Alexandr developed and implemented several utilities – auxiliary computer programs as part of general software – which improved workflow processes by performing specialized routine tasks. These accomplishments, in turn, led to a more qualitative solution to the company’s direct business tasks. Thus, with Mr Kriuchkov’s optimization, one of his clients, an online store, reduced its infrastructure costs by 20%.
Alexandr Kriuchkov explored the problem of business digitalization from both practical and scientific perspectives, publishing his findings in scientific literature. In his opinion, the following trends characterize the digital transformation of business both in individual countries and on a global scale: the formation of a customer-centric business model, the implementation of blockchain technologies, the application of neural networks and big data analysis, and serious efforts in ensuring cybersecurity. Alexandr worked out each of the development vectors in practical terms.
In the portfolio of the talented DevOps engineer, there is a large-scale project to transition from bare metal, i.e., “servers on raw iron,” to Amazon Web Services, or “cloud.” Alexandr’s technological reorientation increased the computation speed, storage, and data processing volume and enhanced the client company’s security. What is this, if not a competitive advantage, gained through digital technologies?
“I was very concerned about overcoming old bureaucratic obstacles and more efficiently using existing technologies, as well as raising Russian fintech solutions to a global level,” says Alexandr Kriuchkov.
His project for one of the largest East-European banks became a prototype for the actions of other colleagues in the trade. Working at one of the largest banks, VTB, the outstanding IT engineer explored why seemingly promising ideas do not become the end product, and if they do, the time from idea to result takes too long. It was about moving faster and becoming a more profitable and competitive bank in the face of a rapidly changing market. Using his innovative ideas and technical know-how, Alexandr Kriuchkov identified several operations slowing down the process. He eliminated them – and as a result, the bank reduced the market launch time by 25%.
Digital technologies automate routine and labor-intensive processes, allowing employees to focus on more complex and creatively oriented tasks. The innovative engineer asserts that digital transformation is difficult if a company does not put each of its structural units into an “innovative state.” In 2020, remote working conditions proved to be an unpleasant test for many. Today, it is a sustainable trend in business digitalization, spreading its influence on training and personnel management.
“Digital communication channels and platforms allow us to move to a new level of interaction with employees, management, and customers,” believes Alexandr Kriuchkov. “Information management and analytics in the digital economy are more accurate and allow for more accurate managerial decisions.”
He began training people with tasks in corporate chats, which motivated some DevOps engineers to implement the same in their teams. Alexandr has received over 20 professional RedHat, Oracle, AWS, Azure, and Kubernetes certificates. Today, he creates and conducts online courses on Kubernetes and Openshift to improve the qualifications of professionals in financial technology. He invests a lot of effort and knowledge in OpenSource in projects with open-source code. When asked why he does this, Alexandr cites platforms like Helm, Kubernetes, and Victoria Metrics as examples – he helped improve them, making scalable and high-quality solutions available worldwide.
“We quickly adapt to market changes and strive to use open-source innovations for continuous improvement,” explains Alexandr. “Like water in the ocean, the professional competence of all actors in the world of technology rises. This is important for everyone.”
Today, the fintech industry faces cybersecurity threats, the need for rapid technology adaptation, and intense global competition. Alexandr Kriuchkov’s work as a high-class DevOps engineer on secure, efficient, and scalable fintech solutions, his efforts in professional education, and his contributions to open-source code aims to address these challenges. By implementing innovations and improving industry standards, he supports the stability and growth of the fintech sector in the face of these challenges.
