The Mercuriades | “Our know-how beyond borders”

A specialist in the creation of custom software, Direct Impact Solutions is considered a leader in digital transformation. In addition to being established in English Canada, the United States and France, the Quebec SME is expanding in Italy – thus solidifying its position as a company with an international reach.

During the last financial year, Direct Impact Solutions generated 41% of its revenues in Quebec, 34% in the rest of Canada, 20% in the United States and 5% in Europe.

“We have a first partner in Rome (acquired a few months ago) with whom we are completing the integration, and a second with whom we are starting to work. In the short term, we aim to double our revenues from Europe, then triple them in the medium term, says Philippe Lazzaroni, president of Direct Impact Solutions. We want to export our know-how beyond the borders of Quebec. »

Founded in 1996, the SME with around forty employees mainly based in Montreal has just completed its first three-year international development plan. Management plans to build on the success of this plan to develop the next one.

Until now, Direct Impact Solutions has succeeded in growing its territory through the acquisition of several competitors: Ottawa, London and Toronto in the rest of the country, New York and Portland in Oregon, south of the border, then two smallest in Europe. This naturally leads to an increase in turnover.

Export talent

Direct Impact Solutions works with the premise that a client can always improve certain processes and, therefore, their productivity. To do this, the SME will design tailor-made applications, in particular through the development low-coderequiring less coding than other methods.

The goal: to eliminate “disjointed processes, scattered data and outdated technologies,” slips Philippe Lazzaroni.

In total, the Montreal SME has nearly 2,200 customers. Result: the solutions developed are very diversified. “Sainte-Justine which does research on mice, a company which makes food without antibiotics for animals, Export and Development Canada in Ottawa for the analysis of files, management of show tickets for an artist”, lists Patrick Daneau , vice-president of marketing.

“What we don’t do is cash register software, for example. As soon as there already exists a standard solution, it’s not us who do it,” he explains.

“We are part of a shift taken recently which is the agile movement – ​​we do not export a product in a box, we export our talents and our brains,” he adds, specifying that the company has of a “competent and available” workforce in the Montreal area.

The work of Direct Impact Solutions was recognized at the prestigious Les Mercuriades competition, which named it among the finalists in the International Market Development category, mentioning in particular its 106% increase in turnover, its addition of 33% in employees and its increase in the weight of external sales of 53% over the last year.