Established in 1997, Miles Technologies is a private company with approximately $15,000,000 revenue. The company developed its core product, business by MILES, over a three-year development lifecycle. Today, it is a successful, cloud-based business management software platform designed with features that allow employees, customers, and vendors to collaborate and work more effectively.
The software provides a variety of capabilities, including enterprise resource management, customer relationship management, human resources (HR) and recruiting, service management, collaboration, and project management.
Target markets include the service business industry such as IT services/managed IT services; HVAC, plumbing, and heating; construction; accounting; law firms; engineering; architecture; and general business services.
Cheryl Ambruch, director of content strategy, Miles Technologies, notes that the solution is best suited for growing companies with five or more employees.
business by MILES operates as a full-service management software system, tracking onsite field service tasks as well as projects from start to finish. Additionally, it features strong analytics and provides functionality that helps services companies operate better—reducing the sales cycle, getting paid faster, streamlining collaborations, managing HR and recruiting, and eliminating duplicate data entry.
Standing Apart
The cloud-based business management solution focuses on providing a competitive advantage to its user base. One example is its approach to mobility. business by MILES incorporates a responsive platform optimized for all mobile devices. This allows the user interface to dynamically change based on the user’s device, including smartphones, tablets, or standard desktop. The company explains that this is differently from mobile applications (apps), which are a different version of the system that typically provide only a limited set of features on mobile devices.
Ambruch notes that mobility is the largest factor that differentiates the software from its competition. “business by Miles is 100 percent functional on all devices without needing a separate mobile app,” she reiterates. “Most business software systems that offer mobile require a separate mobile app that doesn’t provide access to all features of the system. With business by MILES, mobile users have access to all features of the system without the need for a separate app.”
Additional differentiating features include its ease of use. “business by MILES is easy to start using without moving off of existing systems right away,” comments Ambruch.
The solution is also designed to integrate with many other software packages so that all business information is always up to date. Examples of integration include accounting programs—Quickbooks, Dynamics GP, Sage 50/100; Google applications—Places, Geocoding, Map It; payment gateways—ADP, Payday, Paychex; IT remote monitoring—LabTech, Kaseya; as well as sales and customer service solutions such as Salesforce.com and Microsoft CRM.
Ambruch also points to the platform’s HR and recruiting functions, which include a candidate portal that makes it easy for applications to apply for multiple positions and see the status of their application. Meanwhile, the business tracks applicants through the entire hiring process, assess needs for various positions, determine which advertising sources bring in the most qualified candidates, and use the database of applications when they have a need.
The Future
Approximately 200 users are set up business by MILES. Ambruch notes that all of these users have the ability to use the system on mobile devices. While the company does not have specific metrics on how frequently users utilize mobile features, it is certainly a strong selling component.
Overall, the platform designed to serve its clients well across its broad range of capabilities. “Our goal is to have 10,000 users within the next five years—the system was built to scale to that level and beyond,” she adds. SW
May2014, Software Magazine
