August 8, 2024
Integrated Support Systems, Inc. (ISS) began operations on March 1st, 1984. The IBM PS/2 personal computer debuted two years later and Google was another 14 years from launching. Forty years is a long time for a software company to stay in business and remain successful. Here we share some insights from the leaders of ISS about what it takes to keep a software company relevant for decades.
"A key factor in our initial success as a startup software company came from a deep understanding of the industry we were supporting," said Sarah Maiberger, Vice President of Business Administration. The leading Logistic Support Analysis standard for the United States at the time was MIL-STD-1388-1A. Meeting the requirements spelled out in the standard was a paper-intensive process.
Dr. Thomas, a retired Air Force Colonel and ISS’ founder, knew there had to be a better way to fulfill US military operational support requirements through the rapidly developing computer industry. He saw the need within the industry to save time and money while increasing accuracy.
"Another key factor to our long-term success at ISS is hiring excellent people," VP Maiberger revealed. "It sounds like a cliché, but being surrounded by good people really does make a huge difference in the success of a company."
Times change and what worked for hiring and retaining talent in the 1980's is less relevant in the modern era. ISS’ Executive Leadership Team regularly adjusts Human Resources policies to adapt to a changing labor market.
Post-Covid considerations for returning to the workplace is one example of recent adaptations. Anonymous surveys for employees to express their views on the post-Covid work environment were considered before any decisions were made. While a single policy cannot satisfy every want and need, such decisions are never taken lightly and without feedback from the entire company.
"We are always learning," said Reid Thomas, President of ISS. "Having key employees on numerous standards committees not only helps us understand and shape what is coming, but it gives us an opportunity to advocate for our customers and their needs."
The accumulation of knowledge isn't enough, however. That knowledge should be transferred throughout the organization. Establishing internal Knowledge Base repositories that are easily accessible, searchable, and updatable has proven advantageous for ISS. Especially limiting their scope to specific functional areas to reduce the size of the information haystack. In addition, a focus on formal training, both for customers and internally, increases confidence in respective roles.
"Being seen as a learning institution increases our reputation and exposure within our industry," said President Thomas. "It also benefits ISS internally with the content we put together. It's a form of continued education and opens internal opportunities for growth."
Being knowledgeable of the industry that relies on your product is the cornerstone of customer support and how ISS has built meaningful and lasting relationships. Employees that engage with customers about their needs and wants are the face of the company. Support is a two-way conversation of understanding where both parties exchange information.
"I invest in each of my customers as a person. Their needs are real and sometimes you can feel the stress they're under. Being deeply concerned for them helps meet them where they're at and then work with them to solve their issue," said Dodie Barr, Customer Support Specialist.
The information age spawned new ways bad actors can attack individuals and companies alike. Data breaches rarely make headline news but such attacks are daily occurrences. It is the responsibility of all software providers to protect their own product and development environment from attacks while also ensuring it does not introduce vulnerabilities to customers.
"We strive to be the strongest link in our customers' supply chain," said Keith Park, Vice President of Information Security. "While ISS is a small company, our customers have a substantial global presence and that makes them a target from rogue and state-sponsored hackers."
"We had an 'if we build it, they will come' mentality in the past, but that didn't work out well for us," said President Thomas. "We had to recalibrate and come to understand that listening to our customers would help create the path for us to follow. For that to happen, we had to develop closer relationships with our customers to instill confidence within them that we could solve their problems."
A conservative approach to business decisions does not mean that solutions lack creativity and enthusiasm. The willingness to take significant business risks should diminish as a company and its workforce matures. Focus shifts from creating a revolutionary new product to managing and sustaining consistent growth.
Planning for long-term success is more than a list of product features. Finding and retaining talented contributors, mentoring their growth, and focusing on customer needs are all vital to surviving in a small and crowded business niche. Build lasting relationships with customers by proving everything the company offers is worth their investment and nurture those relationships to turn customers into decades-long partnerships.