de Novo Solutions Joins Welsh Financial Technology Community, FinTech Wales
Langstone, Wales – 16th March 2023: de Novo Solutions, a pioneering tech company that strives to ‘re-imagine the world of work’ using ServiceNow and Oracle SaaS Cloud technology, has become one of FinTech Wales’ latest members, joining a community that is dedicated to driving innovation and growth in the Welsh FinTech sector.
Established in 2019, FinTech Wales is the not-for-profit independent membership organisation that champions the Financial Services and Tech industries in Wales. FinTech Wales is on a mission to create a fully inclusive and supportive ecosystem that enables FinTechs headquartered or operating in Wales to flourish and succeed thanks to the availability of the best talent, skills and investment, enabling Wales’ FinTech ecosystem to make a tangible impact on the global and local stage.
In partnering with FinTech Wales, de Novo Solutions joins a growing multitude of other innovative Welsh businesses from within the tech and financial sectors, who are focused on driving growth and supporting the organisation’s economic agenda. Having already scaled growth by 450% and achieved an impressive 7-figure turnover by the close of its second year in business, this partnership will provide a valuable opportunity for de Novo to connect with businesses in the FinTech Wales community and share their knowledge and expertise with those looking to grow and expand their technology offerings.
By collaborating with FinTech Wales, de Novo will help support the growth of the FinTech industry in Wales through the nurturing and development of raw talent, as well as expanding its own network of clients and partners in the process.
Sarah Williams-Gardener, CEO of FinTech Wales, said on the announcement:
“We’re delighted to have de Novo Solutions on board with us as members and look forward to supporting them to deepen their connections in Wales as they continue to scale their business here. de Novo share our passion for developing local talent within the Welsh FinTech ecosystem, and we’re thrilled to see them already involved and actively contributing to our skills academies. Working with partners such as de Novo to raise awareness of the FinTech industry as an exciting and viable career option is essential to attract more diverse talent into our academies and the sector.”
Mark Sweeny, co-founder and Chief Executive of de Novo Solutions, confirmed:
“As a fast-growing business headquartered in Langstone, South Wales we’re proud to have joined forces with FinTech Wales. Being a member is not only an excellent way to show our support to the Welsh business community and to strengthen our local connections, but to also reinforce our commitment to developing tech talent of the future like working with the University of South Wales and participating in their Degree Apprenticeship Programme is an excellent way for us to develop the tech talent of the future. Not only does it support our own business growth, but by investing in the development of upcoming raw talent, we’re helping to play our part in shaping the future of FinTech in Wales.”
Officially launched in 2021, de Novo Solutions is a specialist SME digital consultancy which has honed a niche in the experience economy by ‘re-imagining the world of work’ through the delivery of personalised experiences over standardised business processes.
The only tech business to combine expertise in both ServiceNow and Oracle SaaS Cloud technologies, de Novo Solutions is dedicated to adding significant value to the private and public sector. The company’s clear focus and distinct set of specialised skills make them a valuable partner for organisations looking to modernise their operations and improve their use of technology. The company already partners with organisations across Central and Local Government, Secondary Education, and other industries.
Headquartered in Cardiff, FinTech Wales is committed to helping FinTech businesses launch, grow and flourish in a supportive and collaborative atmosphere.
About de Novo We are de Novo. The Experience Economy Consultancy. We create data-driven, personalised experiences over standardised business processes for the experience economy, providing organisations with valuable insights into their customers and employees.
It is our unique entrepreneurial background and diverse thinking that fundamentally differentiates ourselves from our competitors. We work across all industries, combining our experience as entrepreneurs, consultants and practitioners to deliver innovation and generate value for our clients through the power of Oracle SaaS Cloud and ServiceNow technologies.
We are a team of innovators, disruptors and straight-talkers, who are not afraid to challenge the status quo in order to support our clients in pioneering change in the fast-moving experience economy.
Excel in the digital world. Experience a different approach. Engage de Novo.
See how we’re different. Please visit www.de-novo-solutions.com or email contactdenovo@de-novo-solutions.com.
#wearedenovo
Contact Info
Michelle Clelland, Marketing Experience Lead, de Novo Solutions michelle.clelland@de-novo-solutions.com +44(0) 7410 406 450
Press Release
de Novo Solutions Shortlisted in the 2023 Wales StartUp Awards
Newport-based startup, de Novo Solutions has been named a finalist in two categories ahead of the final of this year’s Wales StartUp Awards.
The StartUp Awards has been launched to recognise the booming startup scene across the UK which has accelerated since the 2019 pandemic. Over 800,000 new businesses were founded in the UK since 2021, a 4.3% increase from the year before.
A record number of businesses applied to this year’s StartUp Awards, with 1,100 firms shortlisted across ten UK nations and regions. The contribution of these firms – all of which were started in the last three years – is significant, having created over 5,000 new jobs since they were established and generating annual sales of £584 million.
de Novo Solutions, a pioneering tech company that strives to ‘re-imagine the world of work’ using ServiceNow and Oracle SaaS Cloud technology was founded by Mark Sweeny in 2021. The business has been nominated for the Business to Business ServicesStartUp of the Year and Newport StartUp of the Year awards.
Founder and Chief Executive, Mark Sweeny, said: “Being shortlisted for these awards is a great honour and recognition of the hard work and dedication that the de Novo Solutions team has put into re-imagining the world of work. It is also a validation of our innovative use of ServiceNow and Oracle SaaS Cloud technology to create cutting-edge solutions for our clients. We are thrilled to be considered for these prestigious awards and look forward to continuing to push the boundaries of what is possible in the world of work.”
Supported nationally by Starling Bank, British Business Bank, BT, Creative Ideaz, GS1 UK, Jeeves, Join Talent, ScoreApp and The Purposeful Project, the programme will celebrate the achievements of the amazing individuals who have turned an idea into an opportunity and taken the risk to launch a new product or service.
The cohort of finalists will be considered for the regional prizes by a panel of seasoned judges with experience founding or supporting entrepreneurial ventures.
Professor Dylan Jones-Evans OBE, the creator of the StartUp Awards, said: “Start-up businesses are the lifeblood of any economy, being responsible for new jobs, innovation and in supporting communities in every nation and region across the UK. All of the finalists this year represent the best of those entrepreneurs who have spotted an opportunity and through their sheer hard work, talent and perseverance, have created an amazing new business that is creating real impact in its sector.”
The StartUp Awards was created in collaboration with the team behind the Great British Entrepreneur Awards, one of the most successful awards programmes in the UK. The StartUp Awards are running for the second year after launching in 2022.
StartUp Awards The StartUp Awards is a collaboration between the founders of the Great British Entrepreneur Awards – an established programme nationally receiving thousands applications annually – and the Wales Start-Up Awards, the only regional awards currently celebrating new businesses in the UK.
The StartUp Awards will recognise the achievements of those amazing individuals who have had a great idea, spotted the opportunity and taken the risks to launch a new product or service.
Already established and thriving in Wales, the StartUp Awards is now taking the passion and drive to celebrate new business and extending across the whole of the United Kingdom.
About de Novo We are de Novo. The Experience Economy Consultancy. We create data-driven, personalised experiences over standardised business processes for the experience economy, providing organisations with valuable insights into their customers and employees.
It is our unique entrepreneurial background and diverse thinking that fundamentally differentiates ourselves from our competitors. We work across all industries, combining our experience as entrepreneurs, consultants and practitioners to deliver innovation and generate value for our clients through the power of Oracle SaaS Cloud and ServiceNow technologies.
We are a team of innovators, disruptors and straight-talkers, who are not afraid to challenge the status quo in order to support our clients in pioneering change in the fast-moving experience economy.
Excel in the digital world. Experience a different approach. Engage de Novo.
See how we’re different. Please visit www.de-novo-solutions.com or email contactdenovo@de-novo-solutions.com.
#wearedenovo
de Novo Solutions Speaking at The Schools & Academies Show 2023
We are delighted to announce that we shall be exhibiting and speaking at The Schools & Academies Show, taking place at the ExCeL, London on the 17th May.
If you want to learn more about de Novo and the work we are doing with Multi-Academy Trusts, please come and see us on Stand E14, or drop in on our session being held in the Finance & Business Theatre. We are also excited to be showcasing our new industry-focused cloud solution for HR, Finance and Analytics – Odyssea™ for Multi-Academy Trusts – for a best-in-class back office digital transformation, powered by proven Oracle cloud and ServiceNow technologies.
Odyssea™ for Multi-Academy Trusts delivers an industry-leading cloud solution that is ready to use out-of-the-box, giving you the assurance of a fixed price, fixed scope and fixed duration implementation for your digital transformation journey.
11:30 – Accelerating the Digital Transformation Journey. An Industry Cloud Approach
Interested in hearing how leading Multi-Academy Trusts are modernising their back-office operations in order to position themselves for success and future growth? With the relentless drive for Schools to convert and become or join an existing Multi-Academy Trust, scaling the back office to support front line education delivery at scale is a topic that is becoming more important than ever.
Then join us for an engaging conversation where MAT leaders will be invited to reflect on the challenges, innovations and insights underpinning the success of their Trust. The session aims to dig deeper into the back-office transformation stories of the guest speakers, providing an invaluable opportunity into the innovative initiatives that are shaping their business operations as they grow. Hear from the leaders, who have a story to tell, words of wisdom to share and a lesson to learn from. This is a fantastic opportunity for anyone interested in how to achieve continuous success in the cloud.
The session will cover: • Business benefits and return-on-investment from implementing an Industry Cloud solution • Best practice recommendations for MAT leaders planning a transformation initiative • Future digital transformation plans of our guest speakers
Let’s talk. Visit us at Stand E14.
To find out more about the show, please visit: https://schoolsandacademiesshow.co.uk/ To secure your complimentary pass, please click here: http://bit.ly/3YkhSGS
We look forward to seeing you there!
Press Release
de Novo Solutions establishes new standard in Managed Cloud Support with launch of Value as a Service™ (VaaS™)
Langstone, Wales – 7th March 2023: Pioneering tech company, de Novo Solutions, has set a new benchmark in Managed Cloud Support with the launch of its next generation managed services offering, ‘Value as a Service™’ [VaaS™] for Oracle SaaS Cloud and ServiceNow applications.
de Novo Solutions is committed to ‘re-imagining the world of work’, having honed a niche in the experience economy undertaking digital transformation through the creation of personalised experiences over standardised processes for both public and private sector organisations.
Its new VaaS™ offering places the emphasis on a value-centric approach to managed cloud support, taking relationship management and service for businesses to a new level. Utilising both Oracle and ServiceNow hybrid cloud technologies, the VaaS™ experience includes a complete portal to ensure smooth and consistent delivery of communication, while enabling businesses to leverage knowledge, insight and expertise.
Mark Sweeny, Founder and Chief Executive of de Novo Solutions, explained: “Cloud is constantly evolving and unfortunately many businesses fail to maximise their return on investment, as they do not take advantage of the innovation that is regularly delivered by their platform provider.
To overcome this, de Novo has revised the concept for cloud managed service support, focusing on value realisation over and above commercial innovation across the entire cloud contract. This means delivering a solution uniquely tailored to each client’s circumstance, while balancing support, innovation, and pragmatism to generate people-centric outcomes – meeting all stakeholder needs from leadership to end users.
We are, therefore, incredibly excited about the launch of VaaS™ and believe it will soon represent a new standard in cloud managed services – so watch this space.”
Headquartered in Langstone, Wales, with a secondary office in Guildford, de Novo Solutions has experienced impressive growth since inception, accelerating revenue by 450% over the last 12 months alone, and already has three clients signed up to its VaaS™ managed services offering.
In launching VaaS, the boutique digital consultancy is forecast to drive continued growth, while establishing a leading reputation for client service and delivery, underpinned by communication and transparency in both the Oracle and ServiceNow ecosystems.
We are de Novo. The Experience Economy Consultancy. We create data-driven, personalised experiences over standardised business processes for the experience economy, providing organisations with valuable insights into their customers and employees.
It is our unique entrepreneurial background and diverse thinking that fundamentally differentiates ourselves from our competitors. We work across all industries, combining our experience as entrepreneurs, consultants, and practitioners to deliver innovation and generate value for our clients through the power of Oracle SaaS Cloud and ServiceNow technologies.
We are a team of innovators, disruptors and straight-talkers, who are not afraid to challenge the status quo in order to support our clients in pioneering change in the fast-moving experience economy.
Excel in the digital world. Experience a different approach. Engage de Novo.
See how we’re different.
Please visit www.de-novo-solutions.com or email contactdenovo@de-novo-solutions.com.
de Novo Solutions pioneering tech company accelerates growth by honing niche in the ‘experience economy’
Langstone, Wales – 8th February 2023: A pioneering technology company that is ‘re-imaging the world of work’ by creating new data driven digital experiences, insights, and outcomes, has celebrated its second year in business with an impressive 450% increase in growth.
Headquartered in Langstone, Wales with a satellite office in Guildford, de Novo Solutions was founded by Chief Executive, Mark Sweeny and commenced trading in June 2021. Since this time, the specialist SME digital consultancy has honed a niche in the experience economy, utilising both ServiceNow and Oracle Software-as-a-Service [SaaS] cloud technologies to add significant value to private and public sector organisations, by re-imagining enterprise operations and delivering personalised experiences over standardised processes.
Now working with organisations across Central and Local Government and Secondary Education sectors, the business has successfully scaled its headcount to 35 and achieved an impressive 7-figure turnover over the last 12 months and is forecast to more than double during 2023.
Mark Sweeny, Co-Founder and CEO of de Novo Solutions, confirmed: “Having been one of the original pioneers of SaaS Cloud applications a decade ago, we established de Novo Solutions to take advantage of the evolution that has occurred within the technology platforms that are now defining the experience economy. With a clear vision to disrupt typical cloud and SaaS implementation and support services, we are committed to transforming the world of work and maximising return on investment through the provision of data driven personalised experiences over standardised business processes.
Within just 18 months of launching, we have already scaled our headcount, secured valuable contracts with public and private sector organisations, and are now working on developing revolutionary industry cloud solutions that will transform how organisations operate. I am incredibly excited for the future of de Novo Solutions and am very proud of what we have achieved to date…so watch this space.”
This is the second fast-growing tech company to be founded and developed by Mark Sweeny, following the successful development of Certus Solutions, a pioneer of Oracle SaaS Cloud, acquired by tech giant Accenture in 2018.
Now the only digital consultancy SME in the UK to combine expertise in both Oracle and ServiceNow technologies to create industry leading cloud solutions, de Novo is committed to developing IT talent of the future and plans to unveil the launch of its own revolutionary tech solutions by mid 2023.
For more information, visit: https://www.de-novo-solutions.com
ENDS
About de Novo Solutions
We are de Novo. The Experience Economy Consultancy. We create data-driven, personalised experiences over standardised business processes for the experience economy, providing organisations with valuable insights into their customers and employees.
It is our unique entrepreneurial background and diverse thinking that fundamentally differentiates ourselves from our competitors. We work across all industries, combining our experience as entrepreneurs, consultants, and practitioners to deliver innovation and generate value for our clients through the power of Oracle SaaS Cloud and ServiceNow technologies.
We are a team of innovators, disruptors and straight-talkers, who are not afraid to challenge the status quo in order to support our clients in pioneering change in the fast-moving experience economy.
Excel in the digital world. Experience a different approach. Engage de Novo.
See how we’re different.
Please visit www.de-novo-solutions.com or email contactdenovo@de-novo-solutions.com.
de Novo Solutions forms partnership with University of South Wales to launch Digital Technology Degree Apprenticeship Scheme
Langstone, Wales – 6th February 2023: A pioneering tech company headquartered in Langstone, has formed a new and exciting partnership with the University of South Wales to deliver an innovative Degree Apprenticeship Scheme for young people across South Wales aspiring to develop a career in digital technology. Officially launched in 2021, de Novo Solutions is a specialist SME digital technology consultancy which has honed a niche in the experience economy by ‘re-imagining the world of work’ through the delivery of data driven personalised experiences over standardised business processes using Oracle SaaS Cloud and ServiceNow technologies.
In partnering with the University of South Wales, de Novo Solutions is committed to offering young people the opportunity to ‘learn while they earn’ through an exciting degree apprenticeship scheme, which will provide them with a comprehensive introduction to technology consulting – ranging from insight into the latest technology and ‘the experience economy’, through to the use the understanding of analytics and back-office enterprise business systems.
Alongside their work experience with the de Novo Solutions team, the Apprentices will also be able to secure a degree in Digital and Technology Solutions, enabling them to gain the experience and knowledge necessary to succeed and develop in the workplace.
Discussing the introduction of the new Digital Technology Apprenticeship Scheme, Mark Sweeny, Founder and CEO of de Novo Solutions, said: “We founded de Novo Solutions with a clear vision to disrupt traditional digital consultancy and hone a niche in the experience economy.
We believe that as part of our growth and development over the coming years – particularly in South Wales – it’s important to aid the training and development of young, aspiring tech professionals within the local community, who will not only gain valuable insight into the tech sector from our senior leadership team but will also have the opportunity to make a real difference in building the de Novo brand; all while obtaining a valuable university degree!
We are, therefore, incredibly excited to announce our partnership with the University of South Wales and look forward to welcoming our new Degree Apprentices to the business from this September.”
Speaking on the announcement, Louise Hawker, Professional Academy Manager, University of South Wales stated: “The University of South Wales is excited to be partnering with de Novo Solutions on offering Digital Degree Apprenticeship opportunities aimed at attracting existing young talent within South Wales to develop an exciting career in the tech sector. The Apprentices will combine work-based learning at de Novo Solutions whilst studying a BSc (Hons) Digital and Technology Solutions Degree at USW, enabling them to earn while they learn.”
The only tech business to combine expertise in ServiceNow and Oracle Software-as-a-Service [SaaS] cloud technologies, de Novo Solutions is dedicated to adding significant value to the private and public sector, and already works with organisations across Central and Local Government and Secondary Education.
Fully funded by the Welsh Government, the degree apprenticeship scheme enables apprentices to split their time between university study and the workplace, providing students with the opportunity to earn a salary while gaining a full bachelor’s degree.
For more information, visit: https://www.de-novo-solutions.com/apprenticeship-programme
ENDS
About de Novo Solutions
We are de Novo. The Experience Economy Consultancy. We create data-driven, personalised experiences over standardised business processes for the experience economy, providing organisations with valuable insights into their customers and employees.
It is our unique entrepreneurial background and diverse thinking that fundamentally differentiates ourselves from our competitors. We work across all industries, combining our experience as entrepreneurs, consultants, and practitioners to deliver innovation and generate value for our clients through the power of Oracle SaaS Cloud and ServiceNow technologies.
We are a team of innovators, disruptors and straight-talkers, who are not afraid to challenge the status quo in order to support our clients in pioneering change in the fast-moving experience economy.
Excel in the digital world. Experience a different approach. Engage de Novo.
See how we’re different.
Please visit www.de-novo-solutions.com or email contactdenovo@de-novo-solutions.com.
de Novo TakesClients’ Hiring Process to a New Level with RoleMapper
de Novo partners with RoleMapper to offer clients a more rigorous and proactive approach to skills-based hiring, helping them to recruit top talent and more diverse candidates, faster, easier and with less risk of bias
Langstone, Wales – 18th January 2023: de Novo Solutions, a leading provider of industry vertical solutions, digital transformation and business support services for both Oracle Cloud and ServiceNow applications, has today announced a further strategic partnership with RoleMapper, an award-winning AI-powered, job management and job description platform.
This move comes as more and more organisations are turning to skills-based hiring as their primary talent strategy in an effort to find more efficient ways to discover talent faster. Adopting a skills-based approach also has the potential to significantly impact an organisation’s diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.
With debias and inclusion at its core, the RoleMapper platform allows organisations to fast track the creation, cleansing and ongoing management of job architectures, job catalogues and job descriptions. Powered by AI, RoleMapper transforms job data into a consistent, quality, future-focused, format, RoleMapper equips HR leaders with actionable intelligence, therefore enabling them to create, shape, and enrich their organisation’s culture and drive long-term business success.
This partnership will further strengthen de Novo’s reputation for delivering on its promise to create value for its clients, allowing customers to benefit from the company’s vast expertise, in-depth industry knowledge, and proven ability to hand-pick partners who provide the best for their customers.
Ian Carline, Chief Technology Officer at de Novo said, “RoleMapper is a clear market-leader in their field and exactly the type of organisation we look to partner with – organisations that do pioneering work by inventing new approaches to deliver extraordinary results. We look forward to working with the RoleMapper team moving forward and to bringing the benefits of its award-winning technology to our rapidly growing customer base.”
Sara Hill, CEO, RoleMapper says: “In a world where organisations are facing significant skills challenges, increasing compliance requirements and continuous organisational transformation, de Novo has clearly identified that current approaches to managing jobs and job data are no longer fit for purpose. We are delighted to be partnering with de Novo to support how customers cleanse, update and manage job data and inclusive job descriptions – the fundamental building blocks of any workforce strategy.”
About de Novo
We are de Novo. The Experience Economy Consultancy. We create data-driven, personalised experiences over standardised business processes for the experience economy, providing organisations with valuable insights into their customers and employees.
It is our unique entrepreneurial background and diverse thinking that fundamentally differentiates ourselves from our competitors. We work across all industries, combining our experience as entrepreneurs, consultants and practitioners to deliver innovation and generate value for our clients through the power of Oracle SaaS Cloud and ServiceNow technologies.
We are a team of innovators, disruptors and straight-talkers, who are not afraid to challenge the status quo in order to support our clients in pioneering change in the fast-moving experience economy.
Excel in the digital world. Experience a different approach. Engage de Novo.
See how we’re different. Please visit www.de-novo-solutions.com or email contactdenovo@de-novo-solutions.com.
#wearedenovo
AboutRoleMapper
RoleMapper is an award-winning, AI-powered platform that creates agile, inclusive and skills-based organisations by cleansing, updating and managing their job architecture and job data, as well as creating inclusive job descriptions – the fundamental building blocks of any workforce strategy.
About ServiceNow ServiceNow (NYSE: NOW) is making the world of work, work better for people. Our cloud-based platform and solutions deliver digital workflows that create great experiences and unlock productivity for employees and the enterprise. For more information, visit: www.servicenow.com.
About Oracle PartnerNetwork Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN) is Oracle’s partner program designed to help enable partners to accelerate the transition to cloud and help drive superior customer business outcomes. The OPN program allows partners to engage with Oracle through track(s) aligned to how they go to market: Cloud Build for partners that provide products or services built on or integrated with Oracle Cloud; Cloud Sell for partners that resell Oracle Cloud technology; Cloud Service for partners that implement, deploy and manage Oracle Cloud Services; and License & Hardware for partners that build, service or sell Oracle software licenses or hardware products. Customers may be able to expedite their business objectives with OPN partners who have achieved Expertise in a product family or cloud service. To learn more visit: http://www.oracle.com/partnernetwork.
Trademarks ServiceNow are registered trademarks of ServiceNow Inc. and/or its affiliates. Oracle, Java, and MySQL are registered trademarks of Oracle Corporation.
As my three-year tenure as an expert contributor to ERP Today sadly comes to an end, I wanted my final swansong to promote the wider technology evolution that is geographically occurring across the UK.
With the HM Government policy around ‘levelling up’ coming back into focus, many tech hubs are flourishing. We have the Newport-Cardiff-Swansea corridor in South Wales, which is close to my beating Welsh heart. Throw in ecosystems around Manchester, Newcastle upon Tyne and the Glasgow-Edinburgh corridor, and you will find there’s a lot more going on in the tech space these days outside of London.
In Wales, the tech dragon is well and truly roaring and finding its voice. It comes aided and abetted by a series of business-friendly Welsh Government policies that look to encourage entrepreneurs to develop Welsh based-businesses that actively contribute to the local economy, as well as independent trade bodies such as FinTech Wales and innovative organisations like the Alacrity Foundation.
The Welsh Government recognised early on that the local economy was lagging behind other regions across the UK, and the need to drive growth would only come from transitioning away from the traditional industries and market sectors of heavy manufacturing, agriculture and tourism, to one that is firmly based around advanced engineering and digital technology. In return, this has been unlocking the potential of the rich talent pool that is available in-country, driving specialism and economic growth. It is a generational project, true, but unless started, a journey can never be travelled.
It is a generational project, but unless started, a journey can never be travelled
The markers of intent
The Welsh Government has been clear with its mission: “drive economic growth, productivity, resilience by embracing and exploiting digital innovation”.
Turning strategy into viable tangible action, its intention is to deliver by (1) encouraging collaborative and shared workspaces; (2) recognising the wider role colleges and universities have beyond research and structured education; (3) relentless focus on niche technology skills and products that service long-term growing markets – e.g. cybersecurity; (4) supporting businesses in accelerating adaption to the future of work and skills based upon principles of a green sustainable economy; and lastly (5) improve procurement practices and processes by working with suppliers to deliver better outcomes.
Outcome-based results delivering tangible value include:
A thriving digital business sector and community, with a mixed ecosystem of small, medium and large technology-based companies
An ability to capitalise on new areas of digital innovation, to stand out in global competition for new markets and industries and attract new talent to Wales
Ensuring people have the skills to be able to take the jobs of the future and employers have a pipeline of talent for digital, data and technology careers
Developing a global reputation for leading technical innovation and a thriving export business
Adoption of leading procurement practices that will enable Wales to move forward
Shy bairns get nowt
Whilst the mission is well intended, it is pleasing to see that Welsh technology entrepreneurs are not just waiting around, but instead moving forward, investing time and money ahead of the economic curve. As they say in Newcastle, ‘shy bairns get nowt’.
Part of the game is calculated risk taking and having resilience. We can only build and grow the economy by getting out there and doing stuff, kicking down doors, not accepting the status quo, and refusing to accept no as an answer.
In South Wales, for example, a partnership between Wesley Clover (the family investment company of billionaire Sir Terry Matthews), the Welsh Government, and The Waterloo Foundation (David and Heather Stevens) has resulted in the Alacrity Foundation.
In recession the need for economic recovery always starts with government spending
Alacrity actively attracts, develops and promotes graduate entrepreneurial talent to create the next generation of technology companies. However, it is much more than a study course. The Foundation actively links entrepreneurs, corporations, universities, risk capital and government in one network. The programme is unique because no one is required to enter a cohort with an idea. The ideation is instead developed through challenges and problems sourced from the public and private sectors. This approach ensures solutions are designed to address customer challenges at a repeatable and expanding scale.
“Young graduates are a blank canvas and see challenges through a new lens,” says Simon Gibson, CEO of Wesley Clover. “By empowering young entrepreneurs with an applied business and technology curriculum, complemented by more than 100 professional mentors, innovations are being developed with considerable market potential.”
Tech always needs people
Organisations like Tramshed Tech meanwhile look to bring like-minded startups together through collaborative sharing of experiences and space. First in Cardiff and now in Newport, these spaces are designed for entrepreneurial early-stage startups and collaboration of like-minded technology businesses, thereby facilitating a key ingredient of any successful entrepreneurial community – effective networking.
The technology industry needs people, and one of the many benefits of regional technology hubs is that they reach communities and ecosystems of talent that many of us did not know previously existed. The days are long gone when the best resource was the perceived monopolistic domain of Oxbridge and that all things had to revolve around London.
‘In-house’ of the dragon
The Welsh tech-dragon needs to keep roaring. But the often-missed opportunity, and perhaps the most obvious, is that in recession the need for economic recovery always starts with government spending. Central and local government organisations and bodies need digitalisation to deliver services more effectively, and therefore need technology companies and technology service providers to facilitate this.
Whilst competition between suppliers must be maintained for the markets to work effectively, spend should be targeted towards small/medium enterprises who can actively demonstrate that they are contributing to growing the local economy.
Government spending in any form should be seen as an investment and not a cost. Just like entrepreneurs, public sector bodies must see their spend as investment to accumulate. If you don’t invest, the only guarantee is that nothing ever changes.
Innovation is the hotbed of SMEs and not large corporations. Large established vendors find it impossible to deliver niche innovation and have a strong reluctance to pioneer new technology in-house as it does not make an immediate cashable return on investment they can demonstrate in-year. Organisation pricing and political dynamics both internally and externally with market expectations, especially at publicly listed companies, always work against them.
Finally, we should proactively challenge thinking around offshoring – why is it that when we are making arguments to develop our own talent, we still consider moving work and money offshore? I have long been vocal about the ‘race to the bottom of the ratecard’, but we can achieve similar financial models through labour arbitrage across the UK, stimulating our own economy.
Offshoring does nothing for the local economy as we do not see the benefits of monies spent re-entering the local economy. It sounds nationalistic, and it is hard to avoid politics here – but if we are truly serious about creating new ecosystems of home-grown talent then the answer will not be found in this outdated commercial model which does not drive the outcomes we are looking for to grow the economy.
Why are we still considering moving work and money offshore?
Apprenticeship schemes – ‘learn while you earn’
Apprenticeship schemes surely must be one of the key ways forward across the country for attracting, developing and retaining the next generation of talent. I have personally never believed that an individual’s future should rest solely on a score achieved on one hot sunny day in an exam room. What we want is access to the raw material that we can encourage in the workplace to innovate and learn, injecting real life working experience alongside continuing a structured education.
The Welsh scheme is simple. An individual is employed by an organisation for four days a week, and on the fifth day they are enrolled and attend an approved degree course at a local approved university. The course fees are picked up by the Welsh Government. The individual is employed and can ‘learn while you earn’. They do not leave university with student debt levels which they are then unable to repay.
We know we are short on talent, without getting drawn into the political arguments that all of us in this country know too well. Regional technology offers a multitude of different opportunities and resources, from lower cost base to access to a wider diverse range of talent. We talk about diversity and inclusion every day; well, here’s the opportunity on a plate to do something about it.
Challenge of regional technology – getting noticed
Wales, alongside other regions, has a long way to go in marketing itself effectively to the world. What starts within its own borders needs to break out quickly, both across the UK and also across the world. The bigger the market, the bigger the opportunity – but being able to access that market in a cost-effective way has and remains key. However, effective outward promotion is the starting point, and again this is where government in partnership with business can lead to success. It is a much needed area for further capital investment.
For our economy to recover successfully, this will always require like-minded individuals to take calculated risks and invest. Regional technology hubs geographically spread and supported by business-friendly policies like those developed by the Welsh Government, bring success, as we make available all the resources we have available to us – innovation, people and capital.
As for Cymru, the region is well placed to stimulate and grow its economy over many years to come as it transitions to become a market leader in digital products and services, something #wearedenovo is proud to be a part of.
Yma o(07) hyd!
It’s been an absolute pleasure and reassuringly cathartic to have been part of the ERP Today story. What a success it is, and my thanks to Paul Esherwood and team. I have met so many great people and learned so much over the past three years, but the time is now right to pass the torch onto new blood who will bring different perspectives and no doubt even wider diverse thinking.
One word of advice though, echoing the words of Daniel Craig to the actor who next inherits the 007 mantle: “Don’t be sh*t!”
As for me, ‘Yma o hyd.’
Mark Sweeny, Chief Executive, de Novo Solutions
Press Release
de Novo and Rapid4Cloud Form Strategic Partnership to Accelerate Digital Transformation
de Novo enters new partnership agreement with Rapid4Cloud demonstrating its commitment to investing in leading technologies that significantly transform the customer experience
Langstone, Wales – 28th November 2022: de Novo Solutions, a leading provider of industry vertical solutions, digital transformation and business support services for both Oracle Cloud and ServiceNow applications, today announced a new strategic partnership that will bring together their market-leading expertise in enterprise agile delivery and next-gen technology services.
Rapid4Cloud are the global leaders in Intelligent Cloud Automation Software. Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Robotic Process Automation (RPA) technology, Rapid4Cloud software accelerates the processes involved in implementing, managing, and maintaining Oracle Cloud Applications.
The long-term partnership will open up new markets, new customers and highlights the importance the company is placing on building strong relationships with leading enterprise technology innovators that significantly transform the customer experience.
“Our mission is to lead our clients into the realm of the Experience Economy, to understand their biggest challenges and to build innovative solutions that solves those challenges,” said Ian Carline, Chief Technology Officer of de Novo. As a result of our partnership with Rapid4Cloud, we can offer our clients unrivalled implementation speeds, significant cost savings and increased flexibility, meaning our clients can start to experience the rewards of their investment much sooner. We’re extremely excited about what this new partnership means for our customers.”
Keith Rock, EMEA Alliances Director at Rapid4Cloud said, “We are delighted to enter into this partnership with de Novo. Our shared vision is to accelerate the adoption of Oracle Cloud solutions employing modern, predictive technologies that enable clients to implement quicker, with less risk and less re-work”.
About de Novo
The Experience Economy Consultancy We are de Novo. We create data-driven, personalised experiences over standardised business processes for the experience economy, providing organisations with valuable insights into their customers and employees.
It is our unique entrepreneurial background and diverse thinking that fundamentally differentiates ourselves from our competitors. We work across all industries, combining our experience as entrepreneurs, consultants and practitioners to deliver innovation and generate value for our clients through the power of Oracle SaaS Cloud and ServiceNow technologies.
We are a team of innovators, disruptors and straight-talkers, who are not afraid to challenge the status quo in order to support our clients in pioneering change in the fast-moving experience economy.
Excel in the digital world. Experience a different approach. Engage de Novo.
About Rapid4Cloud Rapid4Cloud are the global leaders in Intelligent Cloud Automation Software. For both new and existing users of Oracle Cloud Applications, our software accelerates the journey to the cloud, helping them setup, manage and maintain their Oracle Cloud environment. We supported over 400 Oracle Applications users in more than a dozen countries to help them optimize the implementation of their solution and maximize the return on their investment.
At Rapid4Cloud, our objective is to make it easier to implement and maintain Oracle Cloud Applications by enabling you to work smarter, not harder. Our team is creating and improving easy to use solutions that deliver extraordinary value for our customers by using the very latest in Artificial Intelligence and Robotic Process Automation technology.
About ServiceNow ServiceNow (NYSE: NOW) is making the world of work, work better for people. Our cloud-based platform and solutions deliver digital workflows that create great experiences and unlock productivity for employees and the enterprise. For more information, visit: www.servicenow.com.
About Oracle PartnerNetwork Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN) is Oracle’s partner program designed to help enable partners to accelerate the transition to cloud and help drive superior customer business outcomes. The OPN program allows partners to engage with Oracle through track(s) aligned to how they go to market: Cloud Build for partners that provide products or services built on or integrated with Oracle Cloud; Cloud Sell for partners that resell Oracle Cloud technology; Cloud Service for partners that implement, deploy and manage Oracle Cloud Services; and License & Hardware for partners that build, service or sell Oracle software licenses or hardware products. Customers may be able to expedite their business objectives with OPN partners who have achieved Expertise in a product family or cloud service. To learn more visit: http://www.oracle.com/partnernetwork.
Trademarks ServiceNow are registered trademarks of ServiceNow Inc. and/or its affiliates. Oracle, Java, and MySQL are registered trademarks of Oracle Corporation.
James Greenwood, Global Marketing Manager, Rapid4Cloud james.greenwood@rapid4cloud.com +44(0) 7389 843 625
Press Release
de Novo Forms Strategic Partnership with Rittman Mead to Deliver Next-Gen Cloud Analytics
de Novo enters new partnership agreement with Rittman Mead to address the growing demand from clients for sophisticated cloud analytics in order to improve operational efficiencies
Langstone, Wales – 25th October 2022: de Novo Solutions, a leading provider of industry vertical solutions, digital transformation and business support services for both Oracle Cloud and ServiceNow applications, today announced a new strategic partnership with Rittman Mead, one of the UK’s leading companies specialising exclusively in cloud analytics and Business Intelligence (BI).
Founded in 2007 and headquartered in Brighton (UK), Rittman Mead specialises in data visualisation, predictive analytics, enterprise reporting, and data engineering. A key Oracle partner, the company also supports technology platforms from market leading partners such as Cloudera, Tableau, MapR, Confluent and AWS.
The field of analytics has evolved significantly over the last few decades, and organisations that want to remain competitive must move beyond standard dashboards in favour of the latest innovative use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) technologies. This new alliance comes as a crucial step in de Novo’s mission to bring together likeminded industry leaders to support their clients’ entire cloud journey, from enterprise-wide digital transformation to high value insight delivery.
“The opportunity to integrate Rittman Mead’s renowned capabilities made perfect sense”, said Mark Sweeny, Chief Executive of de Novo Solutions. “By combining de Novo’s best-of-breed application delivery expertise and Rittman Mead’s BI and data analytics expertise, our clients can gain much more powerful insights faster and ultimately realise what it means to truly operate successfully in the cloud”.
Jon Mead, Managing Director and Co-Founder of Rittman Mead, said “We are very excited about the de Novo partnership. Bringing together two leading Oracle partners creates an excellent opportunity for Oracle customers. By working together, we can unlock the full potential of digital transformation programmes. Our combined expertise in applications, data and analytics will give clients an unrivalled end-to-end solution”.
About de Novo The Experience Economy Consultancy We are de Novo. We create data-driven, personalised experiences over standardised business processes for the experience economy, providing organisations with valuable insights into their customers and employees.
It is our unique entrepreneurial background and diverse thinking that fundamentally differentiates ourselves from our competitors. We work across all industries, combining our experience as entrepreneurs, consultants and practitioners to deliver innovation and generate value for our clients through the power of Oracle SaaS Cloud and ServiceNow technologies.
We are a team of innovators, disruptors and straight-talkers, who are not afraid to challenge the status quo in order to support our clients in pioneering change in the fast-moving experience economy.
Excel in the digital world. Experience a different approach. Engage de Novo.
About Rittman Mead Successful organizations see data as an opportunity, not an overhead. They know data can be used to meet the organisation’s goals, identify problems and find new opportunities. By collecting and analyzing data, they can improve their products, services and operations.
If your company is having trouble using data, you’re not alone. Harvard Business Review found that less than half of an organization’s structured data is used in making business decisions, and less than 1% of unstructured data is used at all.
So how do you go about creating value from your organization’s data?
Rittman Mead can help you build frameworks and methodologies for harnessing data to create value, provide a data-focused roadmap to gain competitive advantage in your industry, and implement business-centric data management and analytics systems.
Our services include strategy, architecture, implementation, training and support. To learn more, see www.rittmanmead.com
About ServiceNow ServiceNow (NYSE: NOW) is making the world of work, work better for people. Our cloud-based platform and solutions deliver digital workflows that create great experiences and unlock productivity for employees and the enterprise. For more information, visit: www.servicenow.com.
About Oracle PartnerNetwork Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN) is Oracle’s partner program designed to help enable partners to accelerate the transition to cloud and help drive superior customer business outcomes. The OPN program allows partners to engage with Oracle through track(s) aligned to how they go to market: Cloud Build for partners that provide products or services built on or integrated with Oracle Cloud; Cloud Sell for partners that resell Oracle Cloud technology; Cloud Service for partners that implement, deploy and manage Oracle Cloud Services; and License & Hardware for partners that build, service or sell Oracle software licenses or hardware products. Customers may be able to expedite their business objectives with OPN partners who have achieved Expertise in a product family or cloud service. To learn more visit: http://www.oracle.com/partnernetwork.
Trademarks ServiceNow are registered trademarks of ServiceNow Inc. and/or its affiliates. Oracle, Java, and MySQL are registered trademarks of Oracle Corporation.