“Simple to use, but really powerful” is how founder/CEO Kevin Mann describes the work done by Aotearoa New Zealand-based software provider, Tidy.
Founded in 2010 when cloud-computing was not a widespread service in New Zealand, Tidy discovered its niche providing lightweight ERP (enterprise resource management) software in a market of heavy and expensive alternatives.
“I remember speaking to some surveyors at a conference when Tidy was just getting established. Their comments and expressions during the Q&A made me think I could have been an alien because I was talking about software where the data would no longer be held in a machine that sat in the same room”, says Mann.
“Fibre speed internet had not been made publicly available in New Zealand back then, so they could not see how it was possible that the vast amounts of the data they collected and worked with could be moved and stored elsewhere in real time”.
Mann says that most small and medium sized enterprises don’t have the privilege of having a separate implementation team and need to solve their project or stock management issues quickly.
“That’s where Tidy comes in. Our cloud-based ERP products can be integrated into a business swiftly, without requiring execution from outside specialists.
Tidy first heard of the FernMark Licence Programme through work to develop export capability with New Zealand Trade & Enterprise (NZTE) and Callaghan Innovation.
“FernMark values like tiaki (care for people and place), pono (integrity) and pōtikitanga (resourcefulness, ingenuity) were something Tidy already lived and breathed, which made the choice to join the FernMark Licence Programme a natural step for our business,” Mann says.
Proudly carrying the FernMark since early 2020, Tidy has experienced first-hand the credibility it brings to international business – something which Mann says reflects New Zealand’s reputation for quality exports.
“The FernMark represents in a visual way many aspects of New Zealand’s value-add to the world and extends our country’s unique brand identity.
“For our business, it’s been a great relationship broker and invaluable stamp of quality, at a point in our journey where we are really trying to double down – not only in the countries that we’re serving, but the industries we’re serving,” he says.
Today, Tidy operates extensively in overseas markets, including Australia, the UK, South Africa, the Caribbean, Kenya, the United States, Canada, Mexico, and beyond.
In the aftermath of the pandemic, Tidy is experiencing increased demand for its products in local and international markets, as more businesses seek to get a handle on the complexity and speed at which they must reliably manage their resources to compete and provide a high level of customer service.
“I guess there is no surprise that in New Zealand, we’ve had to develop very robust and capable stock and resource management solutions to survive. We’re a small nation, but we’ve always had to be innovative and learned how to do a lot with a little.
Attributing international success to its New Zealand roots, Tidy prides itself on protecting and preserving its workplace culture, which feeds back into the company’s overall purpose and ambitions. Employees are encouraged to have confidence, take engineered risks and push boundaries – all of which are part of Tidy’s everyday philosophy.
Looking forward, Tidy’s ambition is to be regarded as a world leader within the key industries it already has a leading-edge in. This feeds into its long-term goal of diversifying New Zealand’s export offering and strengthening the country’s reputation in the technology sector.
“Good hard work and confidence pays off. That mindset has been part of the primary industries for a long time and that's why we lead worldwide in our primary exports. I believe we can take on that mindset and excel in technology.”