With several weeks of 2020 having already passed, it’s about time we took a fond look back at its predecessor. 2019 was a memorable year for Software Solved, and who better to reflect upon it than our Managing Director, Lindsay Lucas.
Lindsay personifies the progression of the company, as she started the year as Operations Director before transitioning to Managing Director in July.
“I’m loving my new role, and the team have really got involved with steering the direction of the company. We have rediscovered our identity; who we are, what we do, and our purpose.”
Having deeply reflected upon what, why and how we do business, we’re in a much stronger position to help our clients.
“As a team we’re making a conscientious effort to listen to what’s happening in our clients’ industries.”
An increased awareness of the challenges and opportunities that are facing our clients is pivotal to being proactive, rather than reactive in creating solutions that allow our clients to become more profitable and successful.
Self-reflection seems to be a recurring theme of the year just gone.
“We’ve also changed our internal processes and tools, including adopting Microsoft Dynamics and JIRA, which will enable us to be much more efficient and allow to focus more of our energies into customer projects.”
It’s easy to see why there’s so much optimism and positivity going into the New Year. We are looking forward to working on some amazing client projects, and it’s impossible to name just one, however continuation of a project with a Top 10 UK insurer is something that exemplifies the outstanding work we undertook in 2019 and will continue into 2020.
“We’re continuing to develop and enhance risk management systems, whilst working in a more agile way with the insurer for delivery.”
The company is continuing to invest in new talent, and in 2019 we increased the size of our project management team and also committed to client services by appointing Becky Gaywood as the new Head of Customer Experience.
“By increasing our team we’re able to support our customers in a much better way. Whilst we look to grow and expand, it’s essential we maintain excellent customer service. Becky’s role enables us to nurture our existing client relationships.”
We’re committed to developing technological advancements, so it goes without saying that one of the highlights of 2019 was the beginning of our Knowledge Transfer Partnership with the University of Plymouth.
“We’re already seeing some exciting developments, there is a huge opportunity to explore and learn more. This research will ultimately to help improve the risk management process for insurers.”.
“In addition to this we also want to explore the opportunities in machine reading.”
So what exactly can we look forward to in 2020? With over 20 years’ experience already, we’re going to continue to showcase our expertise in the insurance industry and also build upon the data services we offer.
“We’re putting a set of processes in place to help businesses assess where they are in terms of data maturity. This will enable us to better understand how they want to run their businesses and help them bring systems together to get useful insights that make a difference.”
As with any 2020 preview it would be impossible to ignore the topic of Brexit, and how it may impact businesses.
“It’s going to be feast or famine for many businesses during this period. They need to be in motion and avoid stagnation. To do this they need to understand their data, and if they can improve their efficiency, they will also find growth opportunities.”
For some businesses, there may be a reluctance to undertake projects that require additional human resource, a risky long-term commitment. Software Solved are open to flexible resourcing, allowing other businesses to utilise our various expertise for short-term contracts or one-off projects.
“We want to give businesses the opportunity to extend their capabilities on a temporary basis. We have highly skilled project managers, business analysts, testers and developers that can bring a different style of thinking and a fresh perspective to your projects.”
Whilst the growth of Software Solved is our priority for 2020, we also have an obligation to help foster the tech community in the South West.
“I’m passionate about STEMM subjects and ensuring there is a diversity of people entering into these subjects. Several of our team are becoming STEMM ambassadors in 2020, helping to bridge the gap between business and education.”
It’s important that students in the South West are aware that there are a plethora of opportunities here in the region and they don’t have to migrate to Bristol or London.
“The recent Tech South West awards highlighted that there is a hub of tech and IT businesses in this region. We have a collective responsibility to nurture the tech community in our area, stick together and build the region up. This will only help the industry to retain and attract talent.”
Software Solved understands that the key to a successful business lies in its people and the way they interact with the local community; the company places great emphasis on development, wellbeing and opportunities for staff and values its relationships with the local community.
Thank you to Lindsay for sharing her thoughts and insights, and you can now see why everybody at Software Solved is so excited for what 2020 may bring.
Please contact us if you’d like to discuss anything that we’ve talked about in this article.
