Excellent software that adapts to the rapid changes in today’s technology is often costly. When users purchase software, they want to have confidence that they’re spending their money on a program that will not soon become obsolete. And getting the most out of the software means knowing how to use it and all of its beneficial features and functionality, as well as knowing the software provider is only a phone call away should issues arise.
These are some of the items that MuniSoft President, Donna Dynna discussed with her new management teams back in 2010 when she first assumed her presidential role. She wanted to reshape the company to ensure it would be around for clients for years to come.
Donna and her husband, Glenn, started the company in 1985. Having come from a small community herself, Donna understood the critical role the local government plays in the communities they serve. Together, Donna and Glenn wanted to introduce Municipal offices to hardware and software solutions that would improve efficiencies and ease the workload for administrators.
As our clients grew in size, so did their needs. With quality and ease-of-use being core values for our products, the Dynna’s wanted design and development to stay in-house. However, keeping up with the demand was a challenge. Just as municipal work changed with each election, so did the software requirements. The lack of stability always frustrated Donna. So, in 2010 she set her new management team the task of not only stabilizing the company but making it sustainable as well.
The first step was to ensure MuniSoft remained a family company, now and decades into the future. But more than that, Donna wanted to eliminate the software company trend of ramping up and laying off staff. Instead, she wanted to take care of her employees by providing them with job security and a positive corporate culture. She understood that when employees feel cared for by the company they work for, they work harder, which ultimately leads to higher quality products and customer service for clients.
Taking care of clients was the second step to achieving sustainable growth. Donna asked for some guarantees that our programs would not require costly upgrades every three to five years and highly encouraged one-hour response times for support. From the beginning, Donna and Glenn were adamant that excellent customer support isn’t helpful if you have to wait a day or a week to get it. Most importantly, she made it clear she didn’t want to sacrifice existing clients for new markets. Making sure clients received the best possible product and support, for the lowest possible cost was the key to sustainability.
She set MuniSoft’s vision to be the software of choice for local governments across Canada. By sticking to that vision over the last ten years, Donna and her management team were able to reach their goals of stabilizing and sustaining the company.
Today, Donna is able to enjoy being the company President without worrying about the day-to-day. The team she put into place continues to grow. Rather than reducing staff to cut costs, management added positions across all departments to avoid burn out and ensure the one-hour response times. She has also stepped back from product design, leaving her product in the competent hands of Business Designer and long-time employee, Calvin Docksteader, and her son, Mark Dynna, the R&D Manager.
By putting people first, both staff and clients, Donna Dynna has created a sustainable company that is both great to work for and with!