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A software specialist based in the North East which counts RED Driving School, Airbus and Royal IHC among its clients has increased its headcount more than five-fold as it continues to expand to meet global demand.
Boxmodel creates bespoke software solutions for businesses around the world, using the expertise of its in-house team of software engineers to de-sign and build technology-led innovations.
From its base in The Core, part of Newcastle Helix, Boxmodel works with small organisations through to major public sector bodies and international corporates, to deliver solutions to clients’ exact problems and requirements, including web/native apps and bespoke business software - often for mass distribution and scale - which also bring in immersive technologies like VR, AR and XR.
The business, founded in Newcastle in 2009, has seen significant expansion since 2017 in particular, when founder Alan Easton embarked on a five-year plan to scale up Boxmodel.
Since that time, and particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, Boxmodel has achieved demand-led growth within its team - increasing from six to 34 highly skilled specialists - and achieved its five-year turnover target a year ahead of schedule.
Now, as Boxmodel enters the next phase of its development, the business is building on its reputation for being able to solve software problems that many competitors cannot.
“We have clients coming to us thinking it’s not possible to find a solution be-cause they’ve been told that by other software businesses - but we always say let us decide the impossible. To date, there has been nothing we haven’t been able to do,” says Alan, CEO of Boxmodel, whose own career in software engineering spans more than 20 years.
“One of our longstanding clients, Royal IHC, said we start where our competitors stop, and I think that’s right. The tougher the problem, the more we excel, and we are trusted by major global names as their technology partner.
“The vast majority of our work comes from existing clients, referrals, or recommendation, because we do what we do exceptionally well. We are as good as anyone in the country, including London, but importantly, we can beat them on expertise, skillset, service and budget.”
While the COVID-19 pandemic was disastrous for many businesses, for Boxmodel, it was a time of significant development as forward-thinking ventures around the world took the opportunity to invest in their future.
“We went through a period where we were hiring constantly as clients took the opportunity during COVID to focus on putting in the infrastructure for growth, and that has continued since then,” says Alan.
“We have grown our team to a level now where we can be working on several big projects consecutively, still with the capacity to take on more. We have a strong structure as a business and are focusing on continuing to develop further.
“But while we are a growing business, we aren’t fixated on turnover figures or a desire to have a massive team - what motivates me is creating solutions for clients, and having the skill and expertise here to do that. A long-term partnership approach as their dedicated technology partners is my main focus.”
Alan believes Boxmodel’s strength lies in its team, with several of its soft-ware specialists based around the UK in addition to those at The Core.
“The skill we have here is what really separates us. We have a team committed to solving problems and doing amazing things to make the ‘impossible’ possible for our clients,” he says.
“When you’ve got skill in your team like that, it’s important you give them the freedom to get on with their jobs and back them 100 per cent. I’ll never try to compress that. Whether they’re a graduate or someone with a lot of experience, I want them to have free rein to solve problems - what’s the point of employing someone so intelligent if you’re going to tell them what to do?
“We want our team to thrive individually and as part of the team, and that way the best people will want to join us and stay with us. And then collectively, we can do outstanding things for our clients.”
