International consultancy company Columbus is celebrating its 25th year of increasing customer efficiency as the market for Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) continues to grow.
Central to Columbus’ longevity and success has been its long-lasting relationships with worldwide customers within the manufacturing, food and retail industries. Enhanced industry focus, increased earnings in the consultancy business and as well as increased sales of the company’s own software, including Business Process Modelling tool RapidValue and implementation methodology SureStep+, have seen the company grow significantly in the last year, and in turn have helped to consolidate its position in the highly competitive ERP market.
The growth experienced by Columbus in the past year reflects the state of the global enterprise IT market, which is also expanding. A recent survey conducted by Computer Economics found that the number of organisations investing in ERP is increasing. It states that 43 per cent of large companies are investing in ERP, while 40 per cent of medium sized organisations are also making ERP investments.
Mary Hunter, Managing Director at Columbus, said she is delighted that the company has been able to drive innovation and customer excellence over the last 25 years and is encouraged by the state of the market.
“This year has been a real landmark in the company’s history and that’s thanks to the dedication and expertise of our workforce,” she said.
“It’s crucial now that we continue to invest in our people and drive our business forward. The sectors that we specialise in are performing very well, and that fills us with a lot of confidence for the future.
“For any company to reach 25 years is impressive, but it’s even more so for an IT organisation, especially when you consider just how much the market has changed over the years. We can be proud that we’ve not only maintained high standards over the past quarter of a century, but also helped drive innovation.”
In 2011, the company launched Columbus15, a five-year strategy implemented to transform it into an internationally renowned industry consultancy. Key to the strategy was extending industry leadership, increasing sales of its own software, optimising global delivery and growth in key industries and geographies. As a result of this strategy, Columbus completed the acquisition of leading retail and e-commerce company Omnica earlier this year, a move that consolidated its position in the retail industry and is further supporting its manufacturing customers too.
Founded in 1989, Columbus has gone on to establish itself as one of the leading suppliers of Microsoft Dynamic. Today it has over 900 employees worldwide and customers in 42 countries, boasting an impressive 6,000 successful ERP implementations worldwide.
Thomas Honoré, CEO of Columbus, said: “We can all be very proud of what we’ve achieved as we celebrate our 25th anniversary. It gives us an opportunity to not only reflect on what we have accomplished during the 25 years, but also to plan ahead for future success.
“This year is about continuing to execute our strategy Columbus15. We are focused on key industries and the sales of our own software, while we continue to optimise our consultancy business. The results show that our strategic direction is a healthy business model for Columbus.”