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Agile management techniques pay off for Box UK ; A software development company based in Cardiff is targeting international sales, Chris Kelsey writes [Western Mail (Wales)](Western Mail (Wales) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Next time you fill out a mortgage application form online or sponsor someone on behalf of a global micro-finance company, the software you might be using could have been developed by a Cardiff- based company created by a South African-born Cardiff University graduate. Box UK is celebrating a successful 12-month period of growth that has seen it grow its workforce by more than 35% and expand business internationally into a number of new geographical markets. Founder BennoWasserstein grew up with computers from a very early age. "My dad brought back floppy disks from work and I had to format them on a Sunday afternoon," he said. "I did a bit of programming but I didn't really like the programming side, but I loved technology and I loved computers. It came very naturally to me." Mr Wasserstein started designing websites while still in his first year of a business administration degree at Cardiff University in the mid-1990s. He built a website for his father's business and then through someone he knew at school started to build Worcestershire County Cricket Club's website. He said: "In 1999 I put an advert on Cardiff university online noticeboard saying I was doing these websites and asking if there was anyone technical out there, because I recognised my limits. An astrophysics PhD student responded and we started working together. He did the technical side, I did the business side." In its early years Box UK was successful in getting a number of public sector contracts, but in recent years it has begun to attract a broader range of clients. "We were fortunate in that we started getting more and more corporate clients. Even five years ago we were very heavily in public sector and heritage, but a lot of our former clients do not exist anymore," Mr Wasserstein said. The company has also moved out of the web design business in which it first became established. "We're in custom software application development, most of which would be online," said Mr Wasserstein. "They might look like websites but they're complex operations. They could be customer relations management, application processes, fund management tools, share cast management tools - an application that does a lot of computational logic behind the scenes. "We've got projects where we're designing a complete back-end solution for a corporate insurance company in the US, managing all their policy issuances, and one with a micro-finance charity globally where people can sign up to sponsor someone directly." He added: "A lot of the future is about integrating different systems as effectively and efficiently as possible. New technology allows that. You might get a big company with 50 different systems but they want to share data between those systems." Box UK is very conscious of the need to develop IT skills in Wales. Head of operations Stuart Arthur is co-chairing the Welsh Government's ICT Steering Group to shape ICT education in Wales. "There's a shortage of talent in the area, so we're going back to the grassroots to develop that talent for the future, not only for us but for the Welsh economy as a whole," he said. "Surprising countries like Estonia and Vietnam are ahead of the curve, they're doing incredible things with computing education. They're way ahead of us and we need to catch up. "We're producing recommendations for the minister for July that will form the basis of the future computing curriculum in Wales. We're trying to make up some of that ground that we've lost and get ahead in other areas." Mr Wasserstein describes how software development is only the starting point of a long-term relationship with clients, with the applications being continually validated and updated under their feedback. It's part of the company's use of Agile and Lean management techniques, which Mr Wasserstein says is a huge influence. "We've embraced Agile and it's massively impacted our business. We're using it to not just run our clients but to run the way we do things," he said. Mr Arthur added: "The emphasis is on self-management of teams and bottom-up leadership. We want all the developers who make the software feel empowered and able to make decisions, challenge ideas and be a part of that continual improvement. "They're all at the same level around the table. That's the dynamic we want to encourage throughout the business." Box UK has averaged 30% growth over the last two years, and is targeting international expansion based on its location in Wales. "From a cost perspective being in Wales is an advantage. The US is not cheap for what we do, so a US client would potentially pay more than they pay us if they went locally," said Mr Wasserstein. He added that the two-sided benefits of enhanced online applications meant the company had been able to keep growing despite the recent economic downturns. "If you're a bank and you've got a mortgage application form, if you bring in a company like us and streamline it you're going to get more people completing the process, and because we're streamlining it there's less admin, so you reduce cost," he said. Mr Wasserstein, who is the sole owner of the business having bought out two other shareholders last year, said the company was budgeting for above 30% growth over the next few years. But the aim is sustainability. "I'd rather have low growth consistently than be a rollercoaster business doing great one year and terribly the next," he said. 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