For 35 years, FRCI has supported the digital transformation of Mauritian businesses by combining technological expertise, innovation and long-term vision. The company has evolved from IT training into a diversified range of services encompassing application development, digital marketing and cloud transformation, while integrating artificial intelligence into its solutions.

In this interview, Clarel Constance, CEO of FRCI, discusses the company’s diversification strategy, its partnerships with major technology providers such as Microsoft and Adobe, the challenges of digital transformation in Mauritius, and how FRCI combines technology support and training to build genuine partnerships with its clients.

FRCI has evolved from an IT training provider into a company offering a diverse range of services, including application development, digital marketing and cloud transformation. What was the strategic vision behind this diversification, and how has it enabled the company to remain relevant in the Mauritian market?

When we began offering IT training 35 years ago, our primary aim was to fill a gap in that field in Mauritius. In doing so, we grew closer to our clients and realised that their needs extended far beyond training alone. Our strategic vision therefore became one of listening, researching and implementing solutions that contribute to our clients’ long-term success. Diversification is also a natural step in a small market such as Mauritius.

FRCI has integrated artificial intelligence into most of its services. How did the company manage this transition, and how does this approach set you apart from other companies in the sector?

Generative AI in particular—with the rapid adoption of ChatGPT from November 2022 onwards—changed everything and made managing this transition far more complex. The AI training and experiments we had been conducting at a steady pace since before the COVID-19 pandemic suddenly became insufficient.

Throughout 2023, we formed several squads with different objectives, but with a shared mandate: to train all our employees and provide our clients with clarity, training and practical solutions. What sets us apart is that we resisted the temptation to chase the hype. Instead, we focused on ensuring that AI brings value, accuracy and security to our solutions.

FRCI has partnerships with major technology providers such as Microsoft and Adobe. How do these collaborations strengthen your reputation and position you as an innovative leader in the IT market?

The strength of these major technology providers lies in their ability to invest billions of US dollars in research and development and to bring a wide range of AI products and solutions to market.

Our partnerships with these companies enable us to learn, acquire and assemble what can be compared to building blocks, allowing us to develop solutions tailored to each client. In doing so, we meet what we consider to be the three defining criteria of innovation: novelty within an ecosystem, value for the business and widespread adoption.

You help businesses with their digital transformation by integrating a range of solutions. What are the main challenges Mauritian companies face in their digital transformation, and how does FRCI help them overcome these challenges?

Companies face several challenges, but three stand out as particularly significant.

The first is a lack of understanding and internal alignment. We have observed that boards of directors, executive teams, managers and employees do not share the same vision of what digital transformation should deliver. They are often poorly advised, inadequately guided and have unrealistic expectations. Furthermore, change management and “human transformation” initiatives are frequently underestimated.

The second challenge is that the technological gap—commonly referred to in the IT industry as “readiness”—is often substantial, making it difficult to achieve quick and visible results.

Finally, capital and operating budgets represent major obstacles. FRCI works across all these areas to support its clients throughout their transformation.

In a rapidly changing business environment, disruptions caused by equipment failures can be critical. In addition to maintenance and support services, you provide technology strategy consulting. What does this mean in practical terms for your clients? Is it simply a consulting service, or is it a long-term partnership?

Long-term partnership is part of FRCI’s DNA. Our most loyal clients embrace our approach and have trusted us for five, ten, twenty, thirty years or more.

We are committed to listening carefully, conducting thorough research, achieving excellence in implementation and remaining determined to contribute to our clients’ success—all while retaining the humility to learn from our mistakes.

What training programmes does FRCI offer? Are they designed solely to equip participants with technical skills, or do they also incorporate strategic thinking in the use of collaboration and communication tools?

We offer a wide range of training programmes. The largest proportion is designed to help employees in both the public and private sectors master the digital tools they use every day. These programmes are delivered in person, via videoconferencing and through e-learning platforms.

Another significant part of our training is aimed at IT professionals, whom we train in technologies, tools and processes.

Finally, a growing proportion of our programmes focuses on non-technical skills, commonly known as soft skills. These courses help people strengthen their interpersonal capabilities so that they can work more effectively with their colleagues and clients.