Eureka Solutions’ Allan James Celebrates 10 Years of Service

At Eureka Solutions we love when we get to celebrate milestones, and one of our much-respected team members – Allan James – achieved a major one this month as he reached 10 years with the company. During his time here, Allan has continued to show his commitment to Eureka Solutions, as well as his passion for the culture of the company and for creating relationships. Allan is Sage Channel Manager at Eureka Solutions, with a great focus being on the sale of Eureka Addons, a range of products created to expand and enhance the functionality of Sage 200. Recently we sat down with Allan James to hear some insight into his journey and his role at Eureka Solutions.

A little bit of history

Before finding the technology industry, I served 15 years with the Royal Engineers where I was able to build a foundation of commitment and loyalty that has stayed with me throughout my career. Once I left the army, I started a telesales role working for a Sage business partner formerly known as Apex.

After attending a Sage 50 course I discovered a passion for sales and creating relationships with prospective customers, so I decided to apply for an account manager role with Sage directly. It was in my role as Sage Channel Manager for Scotland I created a particularly strong bond with one partner: Eureka Solutions. After a great 10 years of working at Sage, I realised I missed the environment of working for a smaller, and family-orientated business. As I had worked closely with Eureka Solutions for quite some time, I knew that a move to working for them directly would fulfil this want.

Why Eureka Solutions?

It was an easy decision; I knew Eureka Solutions well. I knew the business, the people and the culture. I also knew that my 20+ years of Sage experience could help Eureka Solutions grow.

In my role as Channel Manager, I manage the sales of Eureka Solutions Addons and development services to Sage partners in our channel. My experience of creating strong relationships with Sage partners and understanding their needs has been critical for the success of my role, and I do all I can to support them and in turn their customers.

When I first joined Eureka Solutions, it was based in a smaller office in East Kilbride and had only around 16 employees. With a move to bigger premises and now a team of more than 70, the company has definitely experienced the growth I had hoped to play some part in.

What change have you experienced over 10 years?

There has been so much change over the past 10 years, I would say my relationships within the channel have changed significantly. In my first couple of years at Eureka Solutions I focused most of my attention on the existing relationships I had in the channel. However, as Eureka Solutions and our product range has grown, so has my network.

Although much has changed over the decade, I have always thought that the building and maintenance of key relationships should be the key goal of my work.

What’s the best thing about working for Eureka Solutions?

After 10 years of business growth and change at Eureka Solutions, I would say that the best thing about working for Eureka Solutions is that the approach of management has always remained the same. It really stands out to me that the management still cares about all of their people, and they support them. While still having big aspirations for the company, they always manage to put their employees first.

Who do you work most closely with?

I work closely with a number of people, but I would say Shaun Gourlay (Eureka Solutions’ Sage and Besyncly Development Manager) is my ‘technical go-to’. My technical skills have certainly advanced since beginning my career here, but Shaun is a technical guru who helps me with absolutely anything – including keeping me organised when I can be slightly ‘scatter-brained’!

I have also started working more closely with Mike Hall (MD of Besyncly) because Besyncly and the fantastic systems integration technology it offers have become a big focus within the Sage partner community. I like working with both of them and am always hugely impressed by the amount of knowledge they have.

What is a lesson that has carried you through your career?

One of the first lessons I had when I left the Army and first joined the technology industry is one that I still use today. It is to remember small details about someone which you can chat with them about the next time you see them. It’s the people you’re speaking to that buy from you, not the businesses. So, it’s crucial to create a relationship with those individuals.

Eureka Solutions would like to thank Allan James for his commitment and 10 years of service, and we look forward to continuing our work together in the years to come. Gillian Livingstone, COO of Eureka Solutions, added, “Allan James joined the business with a wealth of knowledge on Sage, but has continued his learning journey over the past decade. His care in understanding our Business Partners’ needs adds an exceptional value to our business.”