Most consultants stop taking client meetings after the implementation is done and the dues are paid. But not Abdul Shajeer. He embarks on one ‘final visit’. He takes a project success photo with the client, shakes their hand and asks what he can do better for next time. And that’s when you see his secret. His business is built on relationships, not revenue.
“If the customer still smiles after the final payment, that’s the real success.”
Abdul Shajeer is the founder of Wahni IT Solutions, one of Frappe’s silver partners in Dubai. As one of the most active ERPNext players in the UAE, Wahni has established a reputation for delivering clean, effective implementations. Shajeer himself is a mix of entrepreneur, builder and salesman. He believes that software works best when people do. But this perspective wasn’t inbuilt. It came from years of moving between cities, jobs and risks. All teaching him what it really takes to build something of his own.
His journey began relatively young. He grew up in an NRI family, moving between Thrissur (Kerala) and Dubai. Watching his father run businesses and manage multiple jobs exposed him to stability and ambition early on. After primary school, his family moved back to India. Shajeer decided to pursue a BSc in Computer Science. Knowing he wanted more exposure, he then moved to Pune to broaden his perspective and hone his communication skills. Here, he did a Master’s in Computer Applications and built skills in functional consulting.
“Ironically, not knowing Marathi in Pune was the biggest thing I could learn about communication. Even during my first placement, I was always more interested in giving support to customers and getting feedback on what could be improved. I learnt the importance of networking.”
Shajeer with customer Bettergrow Once he graduated, Shajeer worked across various jobs between Dubai and Kerala. Including a DotNet company for two years, then as a process analyst for a US-based company, before moving back to Dubai in 2019 and starting his own product venture. He developed a product for supermarkets and restaurants, swiftly selling it as a freelancer.
“These experiences gave me confidence as a business person. Learning how to manage people, market products and more. I didn’t want to start a company, but I was unknowingly setting myself up for Wahni.”
A year later, in 2020, was Shajeer’s first introduction to ERPNext. One curious Google search later, Shajeer dove into the world of Frappe, ERPNext and open source. After realising its benefits, he saw an opportunity and took on the project with his friend. This marked his entry into the ecosystem, and he never looked back.
“Over the next two years, I did more and more projects with ERPNext. Seeing its capabilities pushed me to invest in it and take it to the next level. I understood how to make it work for businesses.”
Shajeer with customer Al Kiyumi By 2022, Shajeer co-founded Wahni in Kochi with his friends and partners. Building a team of over 40 people in India. Around the same time, there was a booming interest in open source software across the UAE. While the India team was thriving, Shajeer still felt most at home in Dubai. So two years later, in 2024, Wahni Dubai was registered. Both branches operate as separate entities, and Shajeer mainly leads the Dubai branch.
“I’ve lived in Dubai as a child too, setting up a branch here felt like a full circle. In 2024 itself, Wahni Dubai became a bronze and silver partner, showing quick growth. Today, we have over 60 projects in the UAE. But that one year of hypergrowth was not effortless.”
While Wahni scaled quickly, the real crisis came to the surface. In the beginning, Shajeer was the central point for everything. Customers would call him directly, whether it was for demos, developments, or updates. He spent most of his time on calls, and the work eventually became too much for one person to handle. Since he was overextended, he became the one point of failure. He realised that this was no way to grow.
“I wanted to do everything, but it was not sustainable. One Wahni didn’t have to mean one Shajeer. If I wanted to grow, I had to let go. I would have to hire, delegate and focus on overall growth.”
Iftaar meet at Wahni That’s exactly what Shajeer did. Wahni course corrected and hired senior members, like a sales director and more delivery consultants. He trusted that his team would carry forward the company vision. This also included outsourcing all programming work to the India branch, keeping the Dubai team slim and implementation-focused. This mindset of efficiency also spilled into larger company policies. Wahni Dubai decided to focus on vanilla implementations, finding value in the existing Frappe Framework code.
“We don’t say no to customers, we show them a workaround. We tell them that their issue can be solved with ERPNext’s capabilities; they just have to get to know the product better. If nothing works out, we are happy to customise any features that their business might need.”
Wahni's UAE team Speaking of Wahni’s team, Shajeer describes them as a self-driven group of people. Whether it’s the Indian or the UAE branch, they all foster a culture of freedom, talent and accountability. The team enjoys working in a high-trust environment, earning rewards for loyalty and ownership. Everyone runs their department as if it’s their own company, proving that they’re already motivated.
“Every quarter, we engage in staycations along with everyone’s families. We have one-on-ones, company-wide discussions and bonding sessions. Our culture is not corporate, it is communal.”
Most of Wahni’s team has been here since the very start. They’re committed to ERPNext and genuinely believe in its potential for success. Having only offered Frappe products for the better part of 6 years, they are the biggest advocates of its ease and flexibility. Currently, the team is building its training capabilities for the region.
Wahni team staycation Shajeer’s community engagement goes back to Frappeverse 2019, where he saw the ecosystem’s power firsthand. Since then, he has been a regular at partner events and has contributed through projects like NeuPOS, funded via the Frappe Incubator Program. Wahni has also been a part of major ecosystem efforts. Such as collaborating with Frappe for GITEX 2024 & 2025, hosting local meetups and trying to increase product awareness in the Middle East.
“We’ve seen Frappe grow year over year. People in the UAE are finally budgeting for open source, that’s a big shift.”
Wahni team at GITEX 2024 Shajeer is very clear about what he wants from the next few years. He also wants to maintain footing and expertise in the manufacturing and trading sectors. Along with this, he wants to scale NeuPOS across retail and FMCG, increase industry-specific domain expertise and invest more in training and certification for consultants.
“Growth for us isn’t just about the numbers. We don’t want to build the biggest partner firm, we want to build the most trusted one.”
What makes Frappe products worth it?
A suite of 100% open source products with no vendor lock-in. Along with a rich community and ecosystem!
Why should customers choose Wahni IT Solutions?
We bring local expertise (UAE) and deliver end-to-end ERP solutions tailored to your business needs. With experience across industries such as manufacturing, distribution, retail, trading, engineering and contracting and offline POS, we’ve built long-term partnerships with clients who value our cost transparency, reliability, and extensive support resources.
One lesson you want to share with the world?
As soon as you start believing in the power of building strong teams and focusing on expansion, growth naturally follows. Success is not just about individual effort; it’s about empowering people, creating synergy, and moving forward together. When you invest in your team, consistent growth becomes the natural outcome.
