As more field service employees rely on their mobile devices for scheduling and to check in with the office, TOA Technologies is keeping up with increased demand. The provider of field service management software experienced record growth in 2013 thanks to the launch of its ETA direct software, landing global telecom company Telefonica as a new customer, and securing a partnership and $66 million investment from Technology Crossover Ventures.

“It’s just a reflection of an ongoing need for people to have scheduling solutions and support,” says John Opdycke, TOA’s vice president of worldwide marketing. “Our goals were not just about revenue growth. We entered new vertical markets and new geographies. We’ve increased our breadth and expansion of our presence throughout the world.”

TOA entered five new countries last year: Finland, Argentina, Chile, Sweden and the Philippines. It experienced 50 percent growth over 2012 in new deals. And had 30 percent staff growth, which translates to 68 employees in the Cleveland headquarters and 514 worldwide. Over the past three years TOA has grown its global team by 71 percent and its Cleveland team by 127 percent.

“You always go into any year budgeting for a year of growth and, yes, we went into last year knowing we were on track to increase business,” says Opdycke. “And we met all of our goals. But if someone had asked me, ‘Will you increase business by 50 percent?’ I would have said, ‘No, that’s a dramatic increase.’”

The Telefonica deal was the largest service deal in the history of the mobile workforce management software industry. TOA is in the process of expanding its Cleveland offices, with plans to more than double its size to accommodate its growth. Every TOA employee around the world comes to Cleveland for training.

Opdycke says he expects 2014 to be an equally successful year. “We continue to push forward and we really feel we’re on the right path,” he says. “

Source: John Opdycke
Writer: Karin Connelly