Software Developer IRI, Inc. Growing. Offers New Products and Services for Big Data Management and Security Markets
Florida SBDC at Eastern Florida State College Assists Company Fulfill Its Shift of Strategic Direction and Improve Processes
December 12, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Hal Thayer, Communications Director, FSBDC at UCF, 407.420.4850 or hthayer@ucf.edu
Martin Duffy, Sub-Center Director, FSBDC at EFSC, 321-433-5573 or duffym@easternflorida.edu
Orlando, FL – Successful business owners seize opportunities when they see them. Even more successful business owners anticipate those opportunities and take steps in advance to prepare their companies to maximize the growth that can be achieved from changing markets and customer requirements.
David Friedland, as a business leader at Innovative Routines International, Inc. (IRI, Inc.), has identified several emerging market opportunities for his company. He turned to the Florida SBDC at Eastern Florida State College (FSBDC at EFSC) for operational advice that would better support IRI’s expansion path.
IRI is a long-running software development company –often called an independent software vendor (ISV) –that specializes in technologies for fast data management and data-centric security for customers around the world, large and small, across multiple industries. Management of big data and the protection of sensitive information are fast-growing segments of the software industry. IRI has been working to capture some of that growth as those segments mature and further evolve.
“We saw the chance to grow more rapidly amid industry changes and the resulting opportunities we’ve encountered,” recalls Friedland. “We were moving beyond one or two core products to a broader data management platform and richer product line offering. We saw the FSBDC and its strategic consulting as a source of new knowledge that would help us scale better and modernize more of our internal processes.”
Working with Florida SBDC at EFSC sub-center Director Martin Duffy, Friedland and IRI sales director Lisa Mangino set to work in the areas that IRI wanted help in, including sales forecasting, pipeline management, customer marketing, and the streamlining of internal customer handling and financial reporting procedures. They took advantage of the FSBDC’s training seminars, consulting services, and market research tools to leverage existing IRI capabilities in the enterprise software business while adding fresh perspectives and approaches.
“It has been very positive working with the FSBDC,” says Mangino. “It confirmed that some of the things we were doing were right on the money, and highlighted others needing change or enhancement.”
Various FSBDC service strategies worked to IRI’s advantage. The FSBDC’s team approach to seminars brought together partners from the Small Business Administration and local professionals that helped IRI connect with SEO and digital marketing experts. Monthly accountability meetings with FSBDC consultant Duffy served to keep the company on track and build momentum.
“The proof is in the pudding,’ Friedland continued. “Business is up significantly, nearing 30 percent over last year. It’s significant. We credit the FSBDC for not only fattening our pipeline but also helping us manage it more efficiently. We are now able to pursue the opportunities we have in front of us with more vigor and intelligence.”
“There’s always room to improve and get better,” Friedland states. “If you’re not learning, you’re falling behind. I’d tell any business owner to see the FSBDC if you want to grow, regardless of your current size or track. Just keep an open mind.
For information about Innovative Routines International, please visit www.iri.com/.
— FSBDC —
About the FSBDC at UCF
Hosted by the University of Central Florida (UCF), and with its main office in the National Entrepreneur Center located at the Fashion Square Mall in Orlando, the Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF) is part of the UCF Office of Partnership & Innovation and the Florida SBDC Network.
The Florida SBDC at UCF provides aspiring and existing small businesses with no-cost consulting, low-cost training, and access to business data and research resources. In addition to its core service offering, the Florida SBDC at UCF also offers specialized services to qualifying companies, including capital access, market growth, government contracting, international trade, business continuation, cybersecurity, disaster planning and recovery, and more. The FSBDC at UCF serves an eight-county area that includes Brevard, Flagler, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Sumter, and Volusia counties and maintains 10 service centers across Central Florida.
In 2018, the FSBDC at UCF served over 2,500 entrepreneurs in Central Florida with consulting services, resulting in more than 6,500 jobs created, retained or saved; $749 million in sales growth; $36.1 million in capital formation; $178.3 million in government contract awards; and 277 new businesses started. For more information, please visit www.sbdcorlando.com.
About the Florida SBDC Network
For over forty years, the Florida SBDC Network, the state’s principal provider of business assistance [Fl. Stat. 288.001], has nourished a statewide partnership between higher education and economic development to provide existing and emerging small and medium-sized business owners with management and knowledge resources that enable overall growth, increased profitability, and economic prosperity for Florida’s economy.
In 2018, Florida SBDCs have provided professional business consulting to 11,500 client businesses, resulting in more than 38,400 jobs impacted; $4.4 billion in sales generated; $520 million in government contracts acquired; $201.8 million in capital accessed; and 665 new businesses started.
A statewide network of over 40 offices, the Florida SBDC is funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration, Defense Logistics Agency, State of Florida and other private and public partners. The Florida SBDC Network, headquartered at the University of West Florida, is nationally accredited by the Association of SBDCs and is a 2016 recipient of the President’s E Award for Export Service. Florida SBDC services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. Language assistance services are available for individuals with limited English proficiency. For more information, please visit www.FloridaSBDC.org.
FSBDC at UCF | 3201 E. Colonial Drive | Orlando, FL 32801 | p 407.420.4850 | f 407.420.4862
sbdc@ucf.edu | www.sbdcorlando.com
