CHECKING THE SYSTEM are Vertere exedcutives, Sharon E. Stasko and Harry Hickey.
Vertere comes from the Latin “vertere,” which means “to turn about, to transition.”
Sharon E. Stasko’s three-year-old grandchild isn’t at all intimidated by the computer. Most preschoolers aren’t.
Beyond Cash Donations: How New Forms of Giving Are Transforming Not-for-Profit Accounting
Evolving Funding Landscape for Not-for-Profits Not-for-profit organizations are being asked to do more with less,…
Learn More
That’s a good sign, according to Stasko, the president and founder of Vertere, a software company in Middletown. The more young minds tuned into computers and high technology, the better.
Rhode Island’s software industry is growing, albeit slowly. The lament of industry leaders is not so much a difficulty in creating jobs, but in finding qualified candidates to fill them. Stasko’s company has grown slowly, but steadily since she left Analysis & Technology and incorporated it in 1990.
Stasko considers herself lucky to have found several talented and hard working people. But it hasn’t been easy.
”There aren’t enough talented people to go around,” she said. “When you find talented people, they are at a premium. It’s very difficult for a small company to woo them. Some of them are looking for a challenge – they’re looking to be on the cutting edge. Others are looking for a bucket full of money.”
Stasko is confident that Rhode Island will someday boast of the critical mass it needs to adequately fuel the computer software industry. She hopes she won’t have to wait for the current generation of preschoolers to come of age.
”It has to start at the elementary school level and I think over time, it will get better,” she said. “But we also have to realize that not all of the good computer people are coming out of computer science departments. It’s something that can come out of different disciplines.”
Stasko should know. Her background was in English and communications. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in English from Ursinus College and a Master’s Degree in English from the University of Hawaii at Honolulu. Stasko said she has yet to hire an employee specifically trained in computer science. Her employees have come from varied disciplines, whether it be accounting or mathematics.
To date, the formula has worked. And Stasko is eyeing big things for 1999 and beyond. Vertere, located at 747 Aquidneck Ave. in Middletown, is a small company with hopes of getting bigger – much bigger.
The public’s right to know may help it get there.
Vertere – which counts Bay Computer Associates, Inc., of Providence as a key strategic partner — specializes in the development of inventory control software applications that use bar code technology. Stasko explains that Vertere capitalizes on automated identification, a technique that soared in popularity in the 1980s.
”We develop the software that enables a customer to track their materials and products,” she said.
In most cases, companies are mandated by law to keep track of their products – and their finances.
”On the equipment side, our products are used for financial audits,” Stasko said. “On the chemical side, it’s for OSHA and the federal Environmental Protection Agency to meet ‘Right to Know’ laws.”
Vertere’s key products are ChIM (Chemical Inventory Management System) and SCANventory (Fixed Asset Management With Integrated Barcoding). The company also offers consulting and start-up assistance, on-site training, and custom design and programming. Included in the hardware and supplies that Vertere offers are:
Portable data collectors from Symbol and Telxon
Zebra bar code printers
PSC scanners
Chemical resistant bar code label stock and ribbon for ChIM
Tamper-resistant indestructible bar code label stock and ribbon for SCANventory
Among the clients taking advantage of the high tech inventory systems are; Boston College, Brown University, New York State Criminal Justice Services, Textron; the Town of East Greenwich; and San Jose-Evergreen Community College District.
Stasko – who held several management positions at Analysis & Technology and at one time taught at the University of Hawaii and San Diego State University – started with half a dozen clients. That has since grown to about 250 throughout the world. Clients range from chemical companies that must keep a strict inventory of the chemicals they use and how they are stored, to school districts that need to track grant money.
”Our customers range from the biggest companies in the world to smaller biotech companies,” said Stasko.
Stasko sees a bright future for Vertere in part because of a rising demand for accountability. For example, companies or schools that deal with dangerous chemicals must keep a list of those chemicals should such information be needed by fire fighters responding to an emergency.
”On the chemical side, it’s about knowing the hazards of what you have and being able to store it properly,” she said.
And there seems to be an ever increasing sense, she said, of accountability with regard to public dollars.
”Taxpayers want to know where their money is going schools receive government grants and the federal government has a right to track that money,” Stasko said.
If 1999 and 2000 are to be the big years that Stasko hopes, the Internet may well be the driving force behind whatever measure of success the company enjoys. Stasko said the company’s web site — www.vertere.com – is getting about two dozen hits per day, many of them serious inquiries. The site features a slide show demonstration of the company’s products.
”Our web site is critical,” Stasko said. “If we didn’t have it we would not be in business.”
In addition to the challenge of finding talented employees, Stasko faces a concern shared by many small high technology firms – cash.
”You need cash to be able to take advantage of new technology,” she said. “It’s the same for any small business.”
Stasko is confident that Vertere will close in on the $1 million in sales mark this year and that by next year, the company “will break that mark by quite a bit.”
Harry Hickey, Vertere’s customer support manager, is enjoying the ride. He joined the company nearly two years ago.
”The best thing about working here is that you are not narrowly focused,” he said. “You can – and are expected to – do a lot of different things.”
Stasko is clearly Vertere’s designated cheerleader. The people working for her, she said, are so dedicated – they make all the hard work worthwhile. And the products, she said, make a difference of their own.
”We all know that what we do is making a difference for other people trying to do their jobs,” said Stasko. “Nobody likes to do their inventory; in fact, most people hate it. But we are giving people the tools to make it less painful and more effective. And we sincerely believe in what we do.”
Stasko, who serves as vice president of the Rhode Island Technology Council, will continue to push for any efforts to establish that critical mass, while at the same time working to take Vertere to new heights. In the middle of her Middletown office, a large map on the wall features more than 200 flags – all representing Vertere’s clients. They stretch well into Canada and beyond. Perhaps 1999 will be the year Stasko needs to get a new map.
“We’re just a small company waving the Rhode Island flag all over the world,” she said.
