Directed Energy Solutions, founded in 1999, is a laser optics research company whose primary source of funding comes from US government contracts. DES conducts research and development in a variety of areas ranging from directed energy, chemical/biological defense, optical communications and remote sensing. Initially, its primary source of funding came from smaller SBIR contracts with different DoD agencies.  Annual revenue after the company's first year of existence was under $800K.

Business and project sensitive data management was straight forward. Quickbooks was used for accounting and payroll, and a number of disparate spreadsheet "systems" were used to manage all cost-related data pertaining to each contract. This ad-hoc mode of operation quickly became inefficient as more contracts were awarded.

Consequently, DES recognized the need for a more comprehensive, intelligent business management system that would comply with government standards, transcend geographic location, provide real-time cost information on projects, as well as integrate with their accounting system. Further, research revealed there were no suitable, integrated products (project management, cost accounting) available on the market.

In the early months of 2002, Directed Energy Solutions launched a project that would solve these issues. The investment required over two years of analysis, design and implementation for a system that addressed these operational problems. A web-based platform was selected to overcome the location constraints of multiple operation facilities. To provide management with an accurate snapshot of cost information on current projects, a robust reporting module was built. Additionally, a document repository for policies/procedures and a DCAA approved time accounting module were created to address matters of government compliance. Finally, an interface to their accounting system was constructed to achieve data synchronization between disparate systems.

Return on this initiative was immense. As a result of the infrastructure put in place, DES successfully scaled their business operations at the rate they were awarded new contracts. Annual revenue expanded by an impressive 800% over a four year period, and in 2004, Directed Energy Solutions was selected to the Inc. 500, an elite group of small businesses recognized for their astounding growth rate over a five year period.