DMR Focuses On Service

DMR Consulting Group Inc. has come a long way since it opened its doors 26 years ago in Quebec City, Canada. The company has since established U.S. headquarters in

Edison, N.J., to further penetrate the U.S. market, which represents nearly 50 percent of its revenue. DMR's 1998 revenue of $850 million boasts 29 percent growth over its 1997 revenue of $660 million. Its $190 million gain places the company into the 39th spot in this year's VARBusiness 500.

The management consulting and IT services company has roughly 9,400 professionals in more than 60 offices in the United States, Canada, Asia-Pacific and Europe. While DMR's growth is substantial, CEO Michael Poehner expects the staff size to grow to well beyond 10,000 by the year's end.

DMR attributes its growth to its success in providing large-scale systems development and integration projects, as well as management consulting. It counts among its customers American Express, AT&T Corp., Bank of America and Bell Atlantic Corp.

Instead of simply being technology consultants, DMR specializes in business analysis to get the best business results from technology for each client. The company's business expertise spans multiple verticals, including telecommunications, financial services, transportation, utilities, natural resources, manufacturing, retail, distribution and the public sector.

The focus on business consulting vs. technology consulting is evident throughout the company's latest book, The Information Paradox: Realizing the Business Benefits of Information Technology, by John Thorp and the DMR Competency Center for Strategic IT Consulting (McGraw-Hill, 1998).

The book explains DMR's vision to move IT management processes out of the industrial age and into the knowledge economy. While Poehner acknowledges it is important to understand the technology, "we have people who understand the industries, as well," he says.

Moving forward, Poehner expects to continue offering business analysis, delivery methodologies, as well as services that build competencies around the extended enterprise. Yet, he adds, "e-business is literally how computing is going to exist in the future."

To that end, DMR's e.solutions organization develops Internet-based solutions to enable clients' customers to view their total purchases and track points or credits associated with different purchasing levels. DMR believes this type of electronic bonding with the customer will drive more Internet-based activities, which, in turn, will reduce help-desk support calls.

What advice does Poehner have for VARs looking to stay competitive? "Get focused," he says. "Build a niche for yourself that you can drive forward. And get into the e-commerce space."