Jahan Ali has seen plenty of signs that his workplace technology company is on the right track. Ali founded MobileLive five years ago in Richmond Hill, Ont., and the firm has since added over 250 employees, posted year-over-year revenue growth of 400%, and won a long list of accolades and awards. In 2016, Deloitte named the company one of its North America Technology Fast 500 and one of Canada’s Technology Fast 50. MobileLive has also been recognized by the Ontario Business Achievement Awards, the Toronto Region Board of Trade, and the Canadian Aboriginal and Minority Supplier Council.
Ali credits all that success to the company’s customer-focused approach. “We’re trying to move away from technology-driven development to user-driven development, which means the end-user is the most important factor,” he says. “All the solutions are built around that.” MobileLive is a one-stop shop for digital tools that help companies interact with consumers online, such as software for managing customer communications and surveys, and applications for keeping track of warranties, receipts and other important documents. The firm is quick to adapt to market changes and focuses on creating engaging experiences and appealing user interfaces for users. MobileLive’s scalable, modular design and development approach keeps prices relatively low, and staff spend considerable time on-site in order to clearly understand what customers want and need. “We try to build things right the first time,” says Ali.
People management is another big factor in the company’s success. MobileLive has an internal team of recruiters who are both technical and human resources experts, and it also engages technology-focused external recruiters familiar with the company’s strategy. Ali credits MobileLive’s focus on cutting-edge technologies for also helping with employee retention. “Salary is one part, but the purpose and type of the work is really important,” he says. “[My employees] see the customer-facing results of what they’re building, and they get really excited.”
Among all the awards, there’s one honour Ali is particularly proud of: MobileLive’s 100% customer retention rate. “Delivery is the most important marketing mechanism of any company, [so] there is return on investment for every project we do,” he says. “We have delivered hundreds of projects, and it’s a trust we build. If we do a good job, they keep us.”
