Stan Beer
Sunday, 17 September 2006 14:24
IT People -
Enterprise
Case management software provider, Beethoven Computer Services, is in an enviable position. The company has more work than it can handle. However, being in such a position is a double-edged sword.
Beethoven's systems are used in public transport, the government, and
other service oriented environments that require handling of cutomer
interactions.
According to Beethoven’s
founding managing director, Ross Allardyce, these days having more work
on your plate than your company can deliver is not a good recipe for
success if you have ambitious growth plans.
The problem is not a
shortage of work but a shortage of development staff and the problem is
growing worse for all small software developers.
“We want to
grow 500 per cent but it’s hard to grow organically when there’s a
demand and you can’t find the staff to do the work. You can’t string
clients along,” says Allardyce.
Beethoven, which was established
in 2000, has seven full-time developers and has an urgent need for
three more full-time .Net business analysts to start immediately.
“They’re
getting harder to find every day. Since the tech wreck in 2000, they’ve
stopped coming through the Universities,” says Allardyce.
According
to Allardyce, he has considered outsourcing some work offshore.
However, he is wary of taking that path because of perceived
difficulties with managing the process.
“I really would prefer
to keep all the development at home but if I can’t find developers
here, I have to be open to all suggestions if we want to keep growing,”
he says.