Employee Ownership Day 2015 at CAS
Call us party poopers but the team at Computer Application Services (CAS) was flat out working on existing projects and new product development and really didn’t do justice to EO Day this year. However we did acknowledge the movement at our regular team update week ending 3rd July.
Notable was the shift in language from “if” this all comes good to “when” all this comes good. And rightly so because the pipeline of new target organisations that was shared is one that any sales team would be proud of, let alone a team of predominantly technical development and consulting colleagues, plus the usual support crew.
Scotland's first software company (we believe! CAS was formed in 1969), CAS became employee owned in January 2014*.
Fast forward eighteen months, CAStodians (employee owners of CAS) are engaged in and committed to converting technology tools to capable products which are specifically configured to address clear needs. Managing regulated complaints in the ombudsman community has been translated to a version of Workpro software that is insurance industry ready to meet upcoming changes in FCA-regulated complaint management and reporting. Another Workpro configuration meets HR casework needs – employee cases that involve Grievance, Disciplinary, Occupational Health, Employment Tribunals et al.
A big change in mindset has been required throughout the business; taking responsibility for and selecting and investing in ready to deploy solutions rather than being paid to hand craft to order. With a waft of tail wind, CAStodians will see their good works convert to good results as they prepare to enter a new financial year this August. Ken Naismith, incoming CEO who joined to lead the move to EO said “The team accepts that there’s an element of "jam tomorrow", when everything comes together. In the meantime ownership has been demonstrated not just in signing share and options certificates but owning challenges, responsibilities and especially the desire to own new territory – the opportunities that present to the business.
*For more on the story of CAS' move to employee ownership click here.