Onsite testing lab improves fortunes for Swat Solutions
John Fox,
Swat Solutions:
763.550.0200, ext. 202
jfox@swatsolutions.com
www.swatsolutions.com
ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO, the owner of Swat Solutions decided to invest in an onsite lab, in Plymouth, to perform quality assurance testing of software for customers. Today that decision is paying off, says John Fox, vice president of professional services.
The lab allows the company to offer customers a “hybrid” package, where some testing is done in the lab on a metered basis (customers only pay for the minutes used), and some is done at the site of the customer company. The former is cheaper, Fox says.
“We go to people and say, we can help you save money. I’ve been pounding the message since I came in the door,” Fox says. Revenue was $8 million in 2008, and the company’s goal is $10 million in 2009.
The company employs about 70 people, mostly consultants who are deployed to client companies. The onsite lab also allows Swat Solutions to use their time when they’re not onsite with a client.
Fox describes the company as a software quality outsourcer, testing software for a diverse group of industries but especially in medical and health care.
“It gives us a competitive edge in many ways,” Fox says about the lab, which is also allowing it to get international customers, because they can test software from anywhere. A potential geographic expansion of the firm is under consideration.
“We made some educated guesses,” when deciding to build the lab, he says, but they went slowly. “We take slow bets. We kind of walk before we run. We built it over time.
“We’ll probably expand it more this year. We have space available in our building because of the economy, and we’ll grab that,” he says. They’re also looking to build private, secure suites for customers.
“I’ve been in the business since 1980, and I’ve had almost every job. I’ve just seen it all from all different sides.” That includes the tech crash in 2001 and 2002, when “everyone shut down.” Why is it different for Swat Solutions today? “We’re more established now,” he says. We’re building the lab internationally, we’re going to expand geographically.”
