Taken on its own, there are few things as cold and impersonal as software – especially enterprise software. The best possible outcome for an interaction is that it’s going to do its job so we can carry on with ours. We’re certainly not going to loiter on it like we might on Facebook or a news site. We log on to get a job done and that’s it – anything more is just burning daylight.
As a software company, it can be challenging to operate in this sort of environment. After all, we’re not blind to the fact that a lot of times companies buy our software, not because they want to but because they have to, for example if they’re trying to automate a process that helps them maintain regulatory compliance.
Why is this challenging? As the CEO, my single most important responsibility is people – both our customers and our employees. If we take care of the people who touch our professional lives, everything else – from technology to sales – takes care of itself. Since a big part of taking care of people means making sure they feel valued, it’s important for the team members at DevonWay to know that their hard work is appreciated, that it’s solving real problems and providing real value – not that it’s only being used because someone is forcing them to.
That’s where the community comes in. Through user groups, site visits, direct interactions with end users, and even webinars and newsletters, you get to put faces to bits and bytes and we get to put faces to usernames. That human-to-human connection inspires and motivates more than a thousand market studies ever could.
So thank you for being a part of our community. Know that your involvement is critical to keeping all of us at DevonWay excited to get up each morning, go to work, and do our best to delight you.