Interview with Aspire Solutions' Mike Steyn

Just In Time Design

Mike Steyn, co-owner and operations director of Aspire Solutions, has been working in information technology for nearly two decades. Before this, he worked as a design and project management engineer in South Africa, Namibia and England.

In 2004, Mike braved the tough South African market and founded Aspire Solutions, an information technology company that helps organisations take high-impact steps towards solving enterprise-wide, business, system or project challenges. Over a period of 19 years, Mike has led the development and implementation of many complex IT projects.

Please Describe Your Role And How Aspire Solutions Was Formed

I was fortunate enough that, within the consulting engineering firm for which I was working, there was an opportunity to move sideways into information technology. After only a few months, I found that I felt comfortable in the IT space and so we decided to take the IT division out on its own, resulting in the birth of Aspire Solutions. We negotiated with the engineering firm, parted on good terms, and our course was set.

In Your Opinion What Sets Aspire Apart From Your Competitors?

We walk a journey with our clients, helping them from the early stages of a project’s conception through to the point where their vision becomes a reality. We employ a concept of quick returns on investment with regard to their technology infrastructure.

Aspire does work in fairly complicated technology spaces, such as large corporations or government agencies, where there are challenging systems that need to be considered and complicated solutions that need to be put together. We never shy away from intricate and difficult problems and, within a very short space of time, we provide a way forward.

We approach technology solutions from a rapid solution deployment perspective because we are cognisant of the fact that tech is supposed to enable and assist businesses in doing things better and, the longer you take to implement the technology, the longer it takes a business to reap the benefits.

We’ve coined the phrase “just in time design” - a forward-thinking methodology which means that when we commence with a project, we have not exactly mapped out where we’re going to end up nor do we fully understand all of the problems or challenges we might face; however, we can see what we need in the very short term and can do enough of a design to build our clients a quick solution.

And then, as and when I get new inputs, we modify, refine and extend this solution in time. As operations director, I have to ensure that we design fast enough for the developers that are building the technology to know what the solution is.

What Has Been Your Most Memorable Milestone as Co Owner and Operations Director of Aspire Solutions?

The celebration of 18 years since we started the company is one big milestone. We also recently got our own premises and so were able to celebrate there.

Do You Have a Message For Our Readership?

We need to change the mindset that IT solutions are an expense to the business - they are actually capital outlays that should yield a return. We need to have empathy for, and an understanding of, the complex environment in which technology providers are trying to provide solutions. Businesses need to take advice from and walk the road in partnership with IT companies to forge sustainable and sensible solutions.