Kilimanjaro Consulting – Our Story
Where we came from, why we're here, and how we plan to scale the 'technology mountain'.Kilimanjaro Consulting was formed to meet the growing demand for specialist services to plan and manage the implementation and support of business software. From modest beginnings, Kilimanjaro Consulting has become the premier implementer of MYOB Exo Business and MYOB Advanced (Acumatica) software in Australia.
MYOB Exo Business software has proven extremely popular with larger and growing businesses. Kilimanjaro Consulting was MYOB’s first Diamond Partner and has remained this status consecutively into 2020 for the fifth year in a row. We have also been awarded Platinum Partner for both MYOB Exo and MYOB Advanced (Acumatica) and proudly accepted the award for Excellence in Business Development Exo for the ninth consecutive year in a row.
Where did the name Kilimanjaro Consulting come from?
A friend of mine, for his 70th birthday, climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro (5895 Metres). He reached the summit, but many younger members of his party did not. When I asked him how he did it, he said: “One step at a time, and take the Sherpa with you”. This is our commitment. We will help our clients climb the ‘new technology’ mountain. We are the technology ‘Sherpas’.
– Ronnie Baskind, Kilimanjaro Consulting’s Managing Director
A step back in time
Kilimanjaro Consulting was created out of an accounting and management consulting practice. In 2002, on behalf of a client for Baskin Clarke Consulting, Ronnie investigated software to replace MYOB. MYOB Premier was no longer able to meet the growing needs of the client’s business. The choice was narrowed down to a few packages. One of them being Exo (formerly Exonet) which was fairly unknown software at that time. Following our recommendation, the client decided to implement MYOB Exo.
The software was impressive but the implementing company was not proactive, and the implementation was not without difficulties. As we had recommended the software we felt an obligation to assist our client to make it work, we took the initiative to learn the software in order to get the client back on track. We recognised the potential of MYOB Exo when implemented with care and precision, and we decided to investigate becoming MYOB implementing partners. We appreciated the frustrations and risks involved in a poor implementation and also understood the financial benefits and business growth potential associated with a successful implementation. This was the start of our involvement with MYOB Exo, and it was the start of Kilimanjaro Consulting.
How Kilimanjaro Consulting was born
We approached the then directors of Exonet, Tim Molloy and Bruce Carr, with a view to becoming a business partner or implementer. Following approval, Ronnie went to NZ to do the accreditation course. We took over the support of the client site and passively marketed Exonet within our own client base.
We were one of the first implementing partners for Exonet in Australia. Although software implementation was started as a sideline of ours, we developed significant expertise in the software and its application. Gradually, we acquired more sites. We employed an IT graduate Jason to assist with developing this side of the business.
At this time, A slow start
Selling Exonet was not easy. In November 2004, MYOB acquired a 30% stake in Exonet when MYOB bought out Solution 6. Ronnie took a decision to focus on the expansion of the Exonet division. Growth was still slow, due almost entirely to the lack of market recognition of Exonet.
The impact of the MYOB link was soon apparent, and we began to grow. We began formulating a plan to expand this division significantly. In October 2005, when MYOB increased its stake to 75%, we took a strategic view that MYOB would be attacking the mid-market with this product. We decided that the time was right to make a significant investment in this division and expand rapidly. Together with Baskin Clarke Chartered Accountants, we put together a partnership to focus exclusively on Exonet, and in July 2006, Kilimanjaro Consulting was born.
Rapid Growth
Our hope that the MYOB name would lead to a rapid acceptance of the product in the marketplace was realised. By June 2008, Kilimanjaro Consulting had a team of 12. Our relationship with MYOB strengthened. The release of MYOB Exo Business on 16th June 2008 added further momentum to the product. As of 2017, Kilimanjaro Consulting now has a team of 65 professionals and over 900 active clients. In 2016 Kilimanjaro Consulting was the one and only MYOB partner which achieved the status of MYOB Diamond Partner.
From being a virtually unknown niche player in the mid-tier software market, Exonet (now MYOB Exo) is now the software of choice for mid-sized enterprises. The strength of the MYOB brand means that many companies will choose MYOB Exo, an Australian brand they like and trust. With the introduction of MYOB Advanced (Acumatica) clients have the option of a Cloud ERP System which meets Australian requirements.
If you are currently looking for an ERP software and are not quite sure where to start, please contact us for a free, non-obligatory chat.
Call on 1300 857 464 (AU) or 0800 436 774 (NZ) or email us on sales@kilimanjaro-consulting.com, we look forward to hearing from you!
