Technology
WINNER
Andrew Sieja began his career as a computer programmer specializing in knowledge management solutions and Web storage — and after a few years, the entrepreneur bug bit him. In 2001, he and two friends pooled their resources to form their own software-consulting firm, kCura.
After a few years, Sieja, president and CEO, realized that to be a market leader, he had to follow a specific product plan and make a few changes. As a result, he made some decisions in the development organization that he knew might not be popular. These were decisions that Sieja knew would be tough to overcome — but he knew they would be best for the company.
In the end, he persevered through some criticism, and supported the product work from the department. A year later, a new feature of the product was launched successfully.
The company culture that was created thrived on competition. The employees were passionate about the business and were engaged in Sieja’s vision of being the market leader. As the company grew, the culture has shifted to maintaining its market leadership position through innovation of new products.
Today, kCura’s software products are known in the industry as being able to handle large amounts of data and numbers of users, as being flexible and as having a user-friendly interface.
The company is also known for providing comprehensive employee training and what Sieja calls the “Ritz Carlton” level of customer support.
The company’s strategy differs from its competitors in the sense that kCura looks for long-term partnerships with its clients. The company does not operate project by project, but instead modifies its products to fit each customer and often is in contact with those customers on a weekly and sometimes daily basis.
How to reach: kCura, www.kcura.com/corporate
