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igh-tech ACL headquarters reflects new era

Monika Ullmann The high tech business mantra says people---the human capital--- make the company. Still, it's no simple matter to involve 140 employees in decisions that affect the entire organization and the bottom line. ACL Services decided more than a year ago that the time had come to make fundamental changes. The reason? Success. 14 years of growth into the world's leading auditing software provider was pushing the company to re-examine itself. Lack of space forced them to look for a new home. It was time to step up to the limelight. Far from being a glitzy dot-com company, ACL has always kept a generally low profile. In fact, few people outside the auditing world have heard of them. President and CEO Harald Will says, "The biggest risk ACL has faced is resisting the comforts of being a market leader. When you lead a market, it's easy to believe that the competition is a worry - but the true threat is in standing still."

Since critical thinking and analysis is ACL's stock in trade, management decided to engage in a serious, in-depth analysis of the company culture. Through an intensive and lengthy process of questionnaires, consultation and meetings, ACL identified its core values –trust, respect, integrity and communication, among others. But they also asked their staff what their ideal new headquarters should look like. When the process was completed, they moved them into a 50,000 square foot new headquarters at Alberni and Cardero in April. Since many employees live in the West End, they had asked for that location. But they got more than just a new building. As VP of Operations, Blair Simonite, put it, "Until now, ACL was a hidden treasure, struggling with cramped quarters. In this new location, we have a modern facility that allows us to expand in an organic fashion. We can finally take our place among the community of successful high tech firms in Vancouver." President and CEO Harald Will says "The move became the catalyst for invigorating the entire organization."

The company is pushing forward on several fronts. For the second year in a row, ACL has topped the Institute of Internal Auditor's (IIA) annual software survey. This survey assessed usage trends of internal auditors worldwide, and found ACL software was the preferred tool for fraud detection and continuous monitoring of entire populations. ACL's high acceptance is reflected in their 35% annual growth rate. ACL serves over 150,000 licensed audit professionals in more than 100 countries. Their corporate client base consists of the Big Five accounting firms and a large and growing percentage of the Fortune 100 and 500 companies. This is reflected in robust sales figures ballooning past $20 million last year.

Another change is in how the company presents itself and conducts its day to day operations. Nalini Raja, VP of Culture and Community, sees the building as a boon to ACL employees, who have long yearned for a more efficient and work friendly environment. Says Raja, "The foundation of our success is our people, and while we prefer to be judged on performance, we're through with dressing down for the occasion." The entry sets the tone----West Coast informality meets international sophistication. Design features like a rock wall, complemented by maple window frames and a green colour scheme are repeated throughout the building. Best of all, according to ACL staff, there is natural light everywhere.

President Will says that besides creating pride and excitement, the new building promotes effective internal communication. Informal meetings are now easy, with 'break-out' rooms on every floor. Simonite says they wanted to move beyond function, to make the entire environment a catalyst for action. As a result, the work places are splashed with colour, and there are plenty of strategy rooms and formal boardrooms to accommodate everyone. Careful planning also meant strategic locations of departments and teams. For example, Product Development, Technical Support, Training and Consulting, and Technical Publications are housed in close proximity to the departments they work with. Sherry Grant, Manager of Internet Marketing, looks forward to creative strategy sessions. "It used to be pretty difficult to work with various departments because we were located on different floors and buildings; now we're finally able to exchange ideas readily and easily between departments, and we're really excited about it," she said. "It's something that we've always wanted to do."

Even more important, the new space promotes communication with customers. Bret Dolphin, manager of the business development group for mainframe products, thinks the new environment will make a significant difference in how he relates to his clients. "I used to avoid having clients meet me at ACL's Vancouver office-it honestly didn't live up to our reputation in the marketplace. Now, I look forward to every opportunity to host clients at ACL precisely because the new facility offers such a positive image of the company," he said. The brand new training area is a good example. For Master Trainer, Michael Kano, it's a dream come true. "We've always needed a dedicated training area, and the new training facility is ideally suited for the exchange of knowledge. It allows us to focus on the ideas that drive our business and help our clients succeed." Having the training facility in the company is expected to yield positive results by allowing better communications between ACL users and everyone in the company.

While the new building is having a positive impact on the company's day to day activities, ACL's advanced technology is having an impact on how auditing is conducted the world over. "ACL is changing the way auditing is done," says Dr. Hartmut Will, company founder, Chairman of the Board and originator of the ACL technology. Dr. Will is Professor of Accounting, Auditing and Management at the University of Victoria. Dr. Will and ACL's Chief Architect, Grant Brodie collaborated on developing the first prototype of the ACL software. Dr. Will had developed the original interactive computer language, and Brodie's expertise in systems development and auditing helped launch this new auditing tool in 1987. Since then, the role of the auditor has changed from 'corporate watchdog' to management partner. It's easy to use yet powerful software like ACL that enables the modern auditor to play this role, says Dr.Will.

Even so, CEO Will says critical thinking isn't everything, nor is 'bits and bytes' or dollars and cents. He grins. "Critical thinking may be the catalyst for us, and it's the driving force behind everything we do here--- but there wasn't anything we could do when the city didn't issue a permit for the gas fireplace we wanted." He's referring to the 1200 square foot staff lounge, complete with comfortable couches, pool table and big screen TV on the top floor. Even without the fireplace, it's a great place to unwind. And that, too, is important at the new ACL.