04 Mar Kinetech Cloud Talks About Residency Experience and What’s New With Them
We recently interviewed former CivTechSA residents, Michael Guido and Jonathan Lamb, from Kinetech Cloud (Kinetech). Kinetech is a provider of custom enterprise software, delivered through the cloud with a focus on improved business productivity. The company focuses on cloud, mobile, and integrated technologies that solve real problems. The company designs, builds, and supports mission-critical applications, client/vendor portals, and modernizes legacy systems. Its cloud offerings include the Digital Factory (Manufacturing), Kinetech PM (Construction / Project Management), GovTech (Government Technology) Cloud, and other bespoke enterprise solutions.
Kinetech implemented a GovTech Cloud solution for the Department of Human Services, an integrated portal that allows citizens to digitally access services offered by DHS to the community. We discussed their experience going through the Residency Program and they provided helpful tips to future residents looking to grow their business and possibly partner with the city. Here’s what they had to say!
How was your experience with the residency?
The experience with the residency was great. I think that anytime you have an opportunity to work with the government and understand processes like procurement, it’s a valuable learning experience. We were fortunate enough to develop a solution that they wanted to license, which was the goal from the outset, to create enough value for all stakeholders to bring the solution to production and help the most vulnerable citizens in our community.
What advice do you have for future residents, both those applying and official residents?
Michael: “If you’re a business and have the flexibility, I would apply to more than one challenge because priorities are not always clear. We applied to three challenges that we thought we could solve and this, I believe, increased our chances of getting selected.
For selected residents, be sure to engage and have conversations early on what your minimum viable product (MVP) should be and what you can do early on to make sure you are staying on track to address the challenge. Things end poorly when expectations don’t meet reality.”
Jonathan Lamb: “Residents should learn not to step over the sponsors or those that are requesting the application. Have a really good understanding of what this is really about and what value you will be adding. Ensure everyone understands what you are trying to solve, Kinetech does this with an outcome-based approach. For example, for DHS they wanted to take a very customer-centric approach, make it as easy as possible for the residents. Understanding these nuances helped define our MVP and gave direction to what we really were trying to solve. One final thought: it is important to understand how long the entire process takes. The initial application phase, selection for residency, residency for 6 months, and then maybe a contract. Understand your companies position so that you can get from start to finish before the contract is finished.”
How has the residency impacted Kinetech?
I think more than anything it validated that the technology and process (The Kinetech Digital Execution Strategy) that we deploy for the private sector also works for the public sector. It is validation for the business and brings credibility to work with a client like the COSA and expands our GovTech offering. Now, we are getting contacted by cities and municipalities to adopt similar solutions to what we have done in San Antonio- to really innovate and bring digital services to their citizens. For the Department of Human Services (DHS) it is all about providing access for San Antonio’s most vulnerable residents and the adoption we’ve seen (already 4000 applications) is a big win for everyone involved. The purpose was not just solving the individual challenge but examining if our approach can be replicated elsewhere and based on the interest we’re seeing from COSA and other municipalities the answer seems to be a resounding yes.
What were your biggest concerns going into the Residency and how did you overcome it?
The first is that the city reserves the right not to license the technology even if the challenge is solved. That’s a big concern and risk for the time and resources you are committing, so please be aware. You could complete the residency and not get a contract. The other concern is that the contract explicitly states the city reserves the right to a 90 day free-trial period before having to make an ultimate decision to purchase the solution. This means your company could be responsible for shouldering the cost for three months before the city has to sign a contract. At the end of the 90 days, they are still not obligated to purchase (i.e. if the pilot goes poorly or you cannot agree on commercial terms the contract could never materialize). So if you are creating a solution that they ultimately want to adopt you have to bear the costs for those 90 days, which depending on your architecture and cost structure could be very expensive.
What can we look forward to from Kinetech?
We’re committed to our mission to serve as a transformative catalyst for good through our people and work while growing our team. In the public sector, we expect to see continued adoption of our GovTech Cloud and Digital Transformation service offerings. We’re really excited about helping the City of San Antonio on their digital transformation initiatives and other forward-looking municipalities and leaders committed to expanding their services to be more accessible to their citizens.
For the private sector, we will continue to assist manufacturing via our Digital Factory in addition to growing our enterprise accounts. The Digital Factory is a virtual replica of a manufacturers actual facility, a “digital twin” that allows management to optimize production and financial performance. There are tremendous opportunities for growth in that arena. Five (5) ways we’re doing this are:
- Digital collaboration
- Mobility
- Production Scheduling/ Forecasting
- Analytics-Analysis of Data and Trends
- Quality Assurance and Monitoring
In financial services, we’re excited about providing cloud expertise to firms interested in modernizing, integrating, and extending legacy solutions. We are a proven provider of white glove services that allow them to focus on revenue and profit generating activities. Our goal is to be an Inc 5000 Company by 2020, one of the fastest growing companies in the country.
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How can interested candidates apply to work with Kinetech?:
Through our career page on our website: https://www.kinetechcloud.com/careers or through indeed.com where we occasionally post openings.