Reimagining the relationship between people and technology, Endava, Business Showcase

In this article we profile Endava for the Irish Tech News: Business Showcase

Describe the company – the elevator pitch …

We are reimagining the relationship between people and technology. That means we work with organisations to help them take advantage of new business models and opportunities through technology. We are an end-to-end provider – ideating and delivering new platforms, services and technology solutions that help customers become more competitive. Think of it as a hybrid model spanning services, consultancy, and IT / software development.

It’s all about co-value creation – bringing in new people, new thinking, new ways of working. We bring the energy and the fuel needed to get projects moving at speed. Ultimately, all our customers retain their IP. 

Endava, Business Showcase

How are you different?

We provide more than strategy and consultancy, we’re here to help deliver the whole project. Central to it all is how we do it: Our approach to innovating. We do it using a product lens – i.e. understanding what we are developing and why in order to meet a specific customer’s need. It seems logical, but it’s surprisingly rare in a world of ‘body shop’ sales (e.g. rolling out a generic, white-labelled cloud service). Complementing that is our near-shore model. We want our teams to be on the ground, as close as possible to our customers. Not thousands of miles away in different continents.

Why will you do well?

Because we are committed for the whole journey, not just piecemeal support. That means proving ROI and business impact to our customers is straightforward and meaningful. We’re not trying to sell PowerPoint strategy presentations or white-labelled software components, but be a real strategic delivery partner.

Where are you based?

We have team members working across Ireland. Our Irish office is in Dublin, but with COVID forcing a lot of us to work from home, the team can be found in places like Wicklow and Donegal to name a few hot spots. Our global HQ is in London, and the nearshore model we operate means we have people close to our customers across central and eastern Europe too, not to mention North America and APAC!

When was the company launched?

Endava was setup in 2000 and now operates globally with 10,000+ Endavans. 

What have been your biggest wins to date?

Aer Lingus is one of our largest Irish customers. We helped them completely revamp their payments platform, broadening choice and accessibility for their customers. However, we work with a whole range of customers and industries. The thread that runs through them all is the need to deliver at speed while needing both the thinking and practical support to produce it. 

Who are you trying to attract to your product/service?

Our main clients are enterprises in Ireland that need help innovating, finding a competitive edge, or bringing a new product or service to life. We work across several industry verticals – payments, financial services, aviation, healthcare, mobility among others – and have people that know them inside-out. But what we’re really looking for are organisations that know they need to be doing something, they might even have a plan in the works, but need an injection of creativity, knowhow, and that extra muscle to get them to where they want to go.

What tips would you give to others looking to build their business?

You have to understand your customers’ personas and then innovate to meet their needs. Approach it in a way that asks “what do I need to deliver in order for my customer to reach their objectives”. Taking that outcome-driven method is how you add value and differentiate yourself. Doing it quickly and reacting to new market demands in the moment is how you remain competitive. 

And remember, you don’t have to do everything yourself. Open innovation spreads risk, generates new ideas, and ultimately gets you the outcome your customers want without overloading the organisation.

Tell us about your team?

While we have plenty of experts in specific technologies, or that know a vertical inside-out, what sets us apart is that there’s lots of interdisciplinary collaboration and cross over. It’s not one department handing you to the next when their job’s done, it’s a whole team effort, rolling up our sleeves and getting stuck in. We’re very people-orientated. Each member of the team collaborates well, and are here not only to deliver but to learn and grow. 

We also pride ourselves on being able to drop in at any stage, from ideation, production, pilots, scale etc. We know that bringing an idea to market is an iterative process, demanding reactive and adaptive work patterns. Not everyone can do that easily and successfully!

Joe Dunleavy, VP Innovation

What are your favourite tech gadgets?

Virtual reality, augmented, extended reality headsets – this technology will help to transform how some companies do business in really exciting ways in the future. With developments to watch such as the Metaverse which is something we are very interested in.

A shining example of this is our work with Volkswagen (VW). Like many other companies, COVID hampered VW’s events planning – including the Geneva International Motor Show.  No longer able to exhibit in person, VW approached us to develop a virtual replication of the booth, granting any interested customer the ability to experience over 30 car models and freely explore the booth. Needless to say the event was a success, you can read about and even see the booth in action here.

How do people get in touch with you?

Visit our website https://www.endava.com/en/Contact

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/endava/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/endava 

See more Business Showcases here.