The 2017 Fastest Growing Firms: Stoneridge Software

Newell: Our firm's exceptional growth was mostly to do with the quality of team members that we have been able to attract and retain and a strategy around prioritizing helping existing customers with their implementations. When we began, word spread quickly that were the right crew to get projects done, as well as properly support them. It was really a grassroots, word-of-mouth effort from clients that built our reputation. Our initial focus was to make sure implementations were successful and that's always been the priority.

Consulting:  How is this year shaping up for your firm? 

Newell: After a slow start in the first half, it's increase steadily and is shaping up to be a good year. We're busy now and our CRM practice has grown considerably. We are seeing a lot of opportunity in the small/medium business space with Microsoft Dynamics. We have been focusing more on our Enterprise Process Review service this year.

Consulting: How would you describe your firm's outlook for 2018? Where do you see the most opportunities? 

Newell: Things are looking good. We anticipate growth of 15 to 20 percent. Growth is anticipated across all product lines of Microsoft Dynamics 365 early next year and the CRM component continues to be a market leader. We are releasing a number of services on Microsoft AppSource and that will be a great opportunity to deliver more fixed price and packaged services such as a construction industry enterprise process review, Power BI Workshops and more.

Consulting:  What would you say are your firm's biggest challenges in 2018?

Newell: In consulting it's always a battle to keep a steady project pipeline and maintain the balance of workload for our consultants. Avoiding the roller coaster of too busy vs. too slow is always a challenge. Another challenge is tapping out the talent pool. The job market for consultants is extremely competitive. We will likely to have to recruit from further away to find the caliber of staff we have in the past.

Consulting:  What does being named one of Consulting's Fastest Growing Firms mean to your firm, your employees and your clients? 

Newell: To our firm, it is a great recognition of the work we've done to continue to grow consistently over the first years of our company. Consulting firms are not often thought of in a similar fashion as product companies. It's nice to have an avenue for that type of recognition. For our employees, it provides opportunities for their career path and a chance to continue to be challenged by opportunities. From a client standpoint, we appreciate their trust in us, which has allowed us to grow.