This is the story of a software company that had just recently been acquired and, as is the case with most businesses post-acquisition, was struggling with some growing pains.
Compounding this problem was the fact that they were burning through resources trying to maintain their software, pulling their newly hired CEO’s focus away from her top priority to secure key customer relationships and drive net new revenue.
But with a little focus and experienced technical leadership, this story concludes with a happy ending…
Meet LiveEdit
LiveEdit is a software company that offers website building and online scheduling tools. Since 2003, they’ve championed the needs of small and mid-sized organizations, providing an easy and affordable way to nurture successful, lasting customer relationships.
When we met them, they had just been acquired by Neul Capital Holdings.
The Problem
LiveEdit had serious challenges. They were struggling to configure their internal research and development teams to improve efficiency and efficacy to stay competitive. Plus, they were spending about 80% of their R&D budget on maintenance alone.
Additionally, newly hired CEO Rebecca Leddick was constantly fighting fires due to gaps and limitations in LiveEdit’s software. Add to this the burden of nurturing and advising an internal team still trying to settle into new roles, and it’s easy to understand why Rebecca was experiencing incredible stress.
The Objectives
When our diligence was completed, it was pretty clear LiveEdit needed help mentoring its development team and modernizing its software to improve customer satisfaction. Plus, we needed to unburden Rebecca from all the demands of R&D that were impeding her ability to bring in new sales.
So, implementing PlatformPlus was a no-brainer.
The Solution
The Modularis team, along with our platform, went to work and helped Rebecca solve these issues.
First up, we initiated a Tech 360 Assessment; a deep due diligence effort focused on LiveEdit’s current software, R&D team, and development processes designed to help Neul de-risk the acquisition and identify opportunities for improvement post-acquisition.
Next up was a Post-Acquisition Stabilization phase to secure intellectual property, blueprint critical assets and processes, and provide the technical leadership needed to ensure the stability and sustainability of the entire R&D organization.
Finally, we added PlatformPlus to provide LiveEdit with an efficient software development platform. PlatformPlus provided an extensive end-to-end platform, powerful automation capabilities, and access to experienced R&D leaders who integrated seamlessly with LiveEdit’s own team and freed them up to focus on building new features rather than constantly maintaining existing software infrastructure.
The Outcome
LiveEdit has seen phenomenal night-and-day differences on hitting deadlines, staying on budget, and being proactive to issues that crop up, plus:
- Time spent by executive leadership on managing R&D was cut in half
- Rapidly entered a new market with an innovative and scalable solution
- Developed a new product for an existing partner, earning a Partner of the Year designation
Thanks to Modularis, LiveEdit was able to pivot its business and diversify its portfolio to take advantage of new market opportunities. And remember how Rebecca was spending 80% of her R&D budget on maintenance? It’s now down to just 20%.
Hear it from Rebecca herself in the video below:
Learn More
Platform-based software development can help organizations of all sizes, backgrounds, and verticals. Contact us today to see how we can help your company de-risk and accelerate its software development efforts.