Eric Richer is CEO of Enrich Software Corp.
Eric Richer
What is Enrich?
Richer: Enrich Software Corp. is a North American leader in providing software solutions in the fleet management industry. This small but mighty tech company is disrupting a traditional industry and providing innovative solutions for the next generation.
What does it do?
Richer: Enrich has developed and marketed an ERP (enterprise resource planning) package for the fleet management industry with a special focus on truck rental/leasing.
In 1995, it switched to a package-based company focusing on vehicle maintenance. It gradually started to sell to more lease/rental companies and developed other modules such as contract management, fuel tax, fuel billing and asset management. By 2000 it had a complete suite of software such that a truck rental/leasing company could operate completely on Enrich software.
Most recently, the company launched the first-of-its-kind voice-enabled system to enhance efficiency, safety and accuracy for vehicle inspection technicians. The software prompts fleet technicians via a headset to guide preventive maintenance inspections all while recording the findings via voice recording. The software that’s the backbone of this solution is branded Emconex – a patented business process management software solution developed at Enrich.
Who are your clients?
Richer: Enrich opened its doors in Calgary 30 years ago and is now a vendor and provider of software solutions to multinational conglomerates and Fortune 500 companies such as Honeywell and Ryder. Enrich’s business process solutions and hosting services (SaaS) continue to grow and now support companies in Europe, Guam, Australia and Mexico, and all of North America from the Maritimes to California. Enrich also has worked with companies such as IBM, BMW, Mark’s Work Wearhouse, Verizon, and Greyhound Lines of Canada.
What’s your vision for the company?
Richer: Enrich is proof that Calgary is becoming more and more diversified. Enrich continues to hire talent and help Calgary and the province diversify its industry and create employment opportunities in a new and growing sector.
We’ve gone from a custom development software house to a package provider and now to a software development tool provider. As software becomes a commodity, where everyone is exposed to applications from almost the moment of birth, software companies must be agile enough to adapt and turn on a dime to succeed.
Is the Alberta economy a challenge?
Richer: This tech company’s success story is unique in Alberta during the challenging economic landscape and among fierce international and global competition. A real story of David and Goliath. The company was founded in 1990 with only three employees and today has grown to 41. Headquartered in Calgary and delivering strong results globally.
Enrich is not subject to the oil and gas sector as it has no clients that are directly in that sector. Its worldwide client base has diversified its exposure to any particular market.
Having said that, the recession of 2008 saw a reduction in fleet sizes over its general customer bases, causing a decrease in revenue.
Interviewed by Mario Toneguzzi, a Troy Media business reporter based in Calgary.
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