 I'm A Product Guy At Heart Kerry Spero, CEO of Accent Software. The Vision Behind the Solution That's Changing the Industry Many organizations already realize that technology is becoming a major barrier to company adaptability - especially in the case of CRM software. What usually makes a company successful is often the way it already operates. CRM providers sell the concept of “best-in-class” solutions that don’t necessarily reflect the way the company operates at all. As a result CRM systems require the company to operate the way they want them to operate (i.e. the expert system model). As a result they are very inflexible and in most cases expensive to customize. Moving forward a company typically ends up with something that doesn’t fit…and more importantly they realize that they are stuck with a system that doesn’t support continuous change. If technology cannot change with the market then technology becomes the barrier. In establishing Accent Software my vision was to create a software development platform that would be flexible enough to enable companies to continuously differentiate themselves in the market. Accent Software created a proprietary flexible, scalable and reliable software development platform that has been extended to CRM. To put the platform capabilities in perspective in terms of development, I only need 2 developers for every 20 used by my competitors. This means that companies can quickly and cost effectively adapt to a changing environment or customize to suit local conditions, without the expense and resource required from other CRM solutions.
Accent’s CRM solution is continuously evolving. It seems that the more we give the more our clients want. That’s the exciting part about what we have…the challenge of continuous evolution. When I started the business our first client at the end of 2004 was Sydney Blinds and Screens, who are still with us today. Our most recent deal is with Cap Gemini, one of the world’s leading CRM consulting companies.
As the head of the company, my main focus is still on product. Product is what makes the difference. So, I invest heavily in product development, and take a very hands-on approach in this area. I am really a “product guy” at heart.
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