Andrew May says “our growth is crazy” at CodeTank Labs
By Tom Ballard, Chief Alliance Officer, PYA
The challenge that CodeTank Labs LLC is facing is one most companies would love to have.
“Our growth is crazy,” Andrew May, Senior Partner and Co-Founder, says of the firm that has doubled the number of employees from six to 12 in the past year or so. “Controlling our growth is very key to our success. We’re very particular about our hires and customers.”
May’s original company, formerly known as ADM Software Consulting, adopted its new name when May and Dave Levi of Double Apps Inc. joined forces. We noted that combination in this 2016 teknovation.biz post.
CodeTank Labs relocated less than a year ago to new digs in the Cherokee Mills Building which is also the headquarters for PYA, the power behind teknovation.biz. The move also allowed the firm to be located next to Info-graphics, one of its strategic partners.
May says the majority of CodeTank Labs’ client base falls into one of two categories.
“We serve a lot of start-ups,” he says, adding that the other significant client group is mid-size companies. “Mid-size businesses seem to be our sweet spot. We’ve really been growing that base.”
On the technology front, May says augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and artificial intelligence (AI) are emerging as important capabilities.
“VR is good for certain industries like gaming and niche sales like viewing homes,” he explains. “We’re seeing a little more of the AR needs in B2B (business-to-business) applications.”
Clients with AR applications run the gamut – from healthcare to the nuclear industry and water utilities.
“When we got into this (technology), I did not see these being our clients,” May admits.
Brad Miller, one of the CodeTank Labs executives, described how AR could help a manufacturer of large healthcare equipment such as a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). He says that a prospective purchaser might want to better understand how the machine would fit into an existing room or what renovations might be required. AR allows that to occur.
“It’s cost savings for them,” May says. The manufacturer does not have to ship equipment and send personnel to a location for a demonstration. It can all be done with technology.
The CodeTank Labs team sees AI as an important expertise for the future.
“We’re looking to utilize Apple, Google and Microsoft interfaces,” May says, adding, “They are in their infancy.”
What are the types of applications? Well, if a key target market is B2B clients, its helping them better manage their businesses for maximum efficiency. One possibility is a fulfillment center to help it predict future orders based on historical data and emerging trends.
“It could help with inventory control including how shelves are stacked,” May says.
Emerging technologies like these present a challenge to any company including those that are tech-based.
“We’re pushing our developers to start looking at AI,” May says. “We have to challenge them to continue learning these things.”
