When software specialists 2e-volve developed a platform with international appeal, GlobalScots were on hand with strategic advice
Since 2001, 2e-volve has provided business software, web development, IT support and online marketing services to small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs).
The company’s success has been built on customer service and by fostering a learning culture amongst its staff. Managing Director, Craig Lemmon, has also focused strongly on local connections, building links with colleges and universities to make sure they recruit the very best local talent, as well as supporting community projects.
While that local focus has been one of 2e-volve’s strengths, when the company developed a new platform with massive potential for overseas sales, Craig could see there might be hurdles ahead.
Global appeal
“2e-volve has always been a locally focused business,” he explains, “but with our WebPower platform it’s about finding a global reach. The biggest challenge for us and for me personally as an entrepreneur is that we know the local SME sector, but with WebPower we’re looking to move up to a completely different level of client."
WebPower is a powerful suite of web-enabled business software applications. Each application can be deployed on its own or integrated together in a central content management system. The whole system can be used to generate multilingual web presences all seamlessly linked together, making it an extremely appealing prospect not only for UK businesses looking to sell overseas but also to large international corporations that currently have to maintain multiple websites in different languages.
Because of WebPower’s multilingual capability, Craig had been looking to create opportunities abroad and had been travelling extensively to conferences and events all over the world looking to make connections and find potential international partnerships.
Introductions
When Craig was due to visit an industry event in Florida, he asked the GlobalScot team if they could help with introductions for him while he was there. They set up a meeting with Forbes Alexander, chief financial officer at Jabil, a global business with over 90 plants in 33 countries and more than 180,000 employees.
“Having access to the GlobalScot network is ideal to get to people in the right position,” says Craig. “Forbes Alexander is part of a global organisation so he knows how these kinds of clients operate. The conversation I had with Forbes was a chance for me to ask him who the decision makers are when you’re dealing with global companies. Is it the IT department, the brand manager, the marketing team, the MD?”
Changing tack
These were key questions for Craig and after speaking to Forbes, he’s taken 2e-volve’s strategy for WebPower back to the drawing board.
“That conversation with Forbes left us with more questions to answer. It has made us rethink our whole strategy. Now we’re working through the process of deciding if we look for partners or if we target global companies directly. It’s not a question we’ve got the answer to yet. We’re still working on it.”
Forbes told us, “Craig wanted to understand how global organisations make decisions about their IT platforms, which is critical for 2e-volve in order for them to decide on their strategy for taking their web platform to international companies. I was really impressed by Craig and also by WebPower. It has terrific potential. I know Craig has some big decisions to make and I'm available to help him get the company where it needs to be.”
Thoughts on GlobalScot
“One of the things I enjoy about being a GlobalScot is meeting people like Craig who are ambitious and innovative," says Forbes.
“GlobalScot is a very accessible network,” adds Craig. “It’s a great sounding board and they have a vast amount of knowledge - Scottish Development International too. Together they’re a powerful combination."
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