Dime Software: chronicles of 15 years as ISV in the Dynamics channel
This article appeared originally in theSPOTSi Schlau magazine.
Dime Software: a short trip down memory lane
Just like SPOTS-BSS, Dime Software began its journey in 2010. Born out of a few colleagues working in an in-house NAV team for a well-known Bavarian car manufacturer, they decided to set up their own business and become a NAV consulting firm. Over the next fifteen years, Dime Software reinvented itself three times to stay aligned with the market or even stay ahead of the curve.
The first pivot came rather quickly after the startup. The team moved away from traditional NAV consulting and focused on the development and distribution of software specifically for NAV and Business Central (BC). For instance, in 2012, the popular planning solution Dime.Scheduler was launched.
Natural habitat: Dime Software at work during Directions EMEA
The pandemic in 2020 was also a turning point. The company stopped distributing other companies’ products and focused exclusively on their own software. Not long after that, the company transitioned into a SaaS company and ceased the development of on-premises software altogether.
As you can see, a lot has changed, but in the grand scheme, our company has always centered around the Dynamics ecosystem, and in particular, the partner channel. However, there are changes on the horizon, and some of them are already taking shape today.
For instance, we are doing much more business directly with customers, instead of primarily working with ERP partners. And even when working with our resellers, they are increasingly delegating implementation projects of our software to us. Now that we’re a SaaS company, I initially thought we could disband the consulting unit, but I was proven wrong last year. It’s not a bad change per se, because we handle these kinds of implementations daily, while it may be just a one-time deal for some resellers.
If I was wrong about something happening right under my nose, who knows what else I might be wrong about in the future?
The ironic circle of life
Fifteen years ago, I was a young man in college, unsure of what I wanted to do with my life. Of all the degrees I could have chosen, a master’s in business administration with a major in business & IT seemed like one that would keep many doors open. This led to an internship at a local firm specializing in SAP Business One consulting. The internship was underwhelming, and as a result, I decided I didn’t want anything to do with ERP. At the time, cloud computing was the buzzword, so I decided to head in that direction instead.
Meanwhile, my fellow students seemed to have it all figured out. They would get a job at a major consulting firm, forsake their social lives to jumpstart their careers, job-hop for a few years, work their way up the ladder, and eventually land a C-level position at one of their clients until retirement. I knew this wasn’t the life I wanted, but, drawing a blank on better ideas upon graduating, I followed the same path — at least initially. After a short two-year career as a business consultant, I became a freelancer. Of all the companies I could have worked for, I chose Dime Software to work on a commercial product called Dime.Scheduler and take it to the next level.
This is what I spent the last 10 years of my life on professionally: Dime.Scheduler
Fast forward 10 years, and the fact that I'm still here is proof that my return to ERP hasn’t been all that bad. ERP and cloud are no longer strangers to each other, so everything has come together nicely. The symmetry might tempt me to develop some convoluted theory about destiny or a bigger picture, but in truth, it’s been a series of random events that led me to where I am today.
What I do know is that Dime Software has done many things right to still be around — and having me around! — and thriving after fifteen years in the Dynamics world, which has also dramatically changed since the turn of the century.
A glimpse into the future
The changes Dime Software has gone through are reflective of the times, and I’m sure that other ISVs and VARs will relate. The classic, general NAV/BC consulting firm is a thing of the past. Software and consulting firms are increasingly focusing on specific industries or niches, and long, risky implementation projects are being replaced by standardized, out-of-the-box (cloud) solutions.
The trend is clear, and so far, we’ve been fortunate to make the right calls just in time. I’ve seen some partners miss the Business Central (cloud) shift, and they’ve been struggling to keep up ever since. While staying on top of new trends, discerning the fads from real shifts, and adjusting course accordingly can be frustrating, it’s essential for any leader to remain open to change and be willing to pivot the direction of their department, business unit, or company.
For example, low code and the Power Platform, especially within this channel, was one of the latest hypes. Now that the dust has settled, it has secured a place in the modern business application suite. It's become a competitor for any ISV or VAR offering standard software. Instead of seeing it as a threat, we embraced it and built connectors for our software. This has paid off as we’ve onboarded customers outside the traditional NAV/BC channel. While we’ve lost deals to customers who chose to build something from scratch using the Power Platform, I’m confident we’ll benefit more in the long run by tapping into this new wave of software development rather than ignoring it.
As I write this, we may be on the brink of another pivotal moment in business and technology, perhaps even humanity, with the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence. We’ve been experimenting with AI ourselves to optimize and automate parts of the planning processes in Dime.Scheduler. While we aren’t losing customers yet due to a lack of AI capabilities, it may become a requirement in the near future. Time will only tell if we’ve made a mistake by investing time and money — or not enough — in developing this capability.
Situations like this will continue to arise, and we can only hope to spot the right trends and act swiftly. As a relatively small company, we must be decisive in our choices, given the limited manpower available to work on innovative solutions alongside our daily tasks of supporting partners and customers.
Dime Software & ERP living in perfect harmony
Running a software company and developing complex commercial software products like Dime.Scheduler requires expertise that goes far beyond just ERP and Business Central. While distributing software through a partner channel is highly scalable, what many may not realize is how intensively we need to nurture our partners to ensure their success with implementation projects. They have a lot on their plate, which is why we prioritize hiring top talent with extensive experience in partner and project management, as well as technical and functional expertise in both our products and Business Central.
It can be challenging and exhausting to stay on top of everything, but fortunately, we can rely on the vast ecosystem created by Microsoft and its ever-growing partner channel, where we can offer our products and services. When they succeed, the likelihood of our success increases too. And while it’s on a much, much smaller scale, the same holds true in reverse.
Once a phobia, now in my comfort zone: public speaking
We design our software to be ERP-agnostic, but we’ve found a sweet spot in the Dynamics ecosystem where our products truly thrive. As a result, we’re not in a rush to explore other markets with our products and services. Given the rapid growth of Business Central, it's currently one of the best places to be within the ERP space.
Credit where credit is due
On behalf of everyone at Dime Software, I’d like to congratulate Sonja and her team on their 15-year anniversary. Your drive and passion are evident in everything you do, and it’s no surprise that you’ve achieved such success. You contribute so much to the community, from the incredible DYNAfair to this magazine, asking for little in return. Your dedication is inspirational, and I’m grateful for the times our paths have crossed. Without a doubt, the future looks incredibly bright for SPOTS-BSS.
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