Like many creators of successful companies, Xyntax Systems CEO and president Dwayne Lewis stumbled upon his business’ untapped market by chance.
Lewis was working in sales in Alberta over 30 years ago when he was contacted by the Stony Tribal Administration west of Calgary.
The tribal council “had a falling out with an existing [software] supplier and they asked me to come in as a consultant,” Lewis said.
The chance invitation opened his eyes to the unique financial reporting requirements of First Nations communities.
“That was when I realized, ‘There is a market here.’ We started creating the software soon after.”
The resulting company, Xyntax, is an aboriginal-owned, Canadian software manufacturer that offers a broad range of financial management products exclusively for First Nations.
“A First Nation is like a municipality,” Lewis said. “They have their own education processes for monitoring post-secondary, they have their own social assistance or welfare system, they manage their own housing on behalf of the band members. In some cases, they manage their own roads.
“Although they may not be reporting like a municipality, it’s important to Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada [INAC] in how they spend their money and its important to track that expenditure down to certain levels to meet regulatory requirements that INAC sets.”
The reporting of First Nations finances has always been complicated and is growing in complexity, helping drive rising demand for Lewis’ software.
According to the federal government, there are a total of 617 First Nations communities in Canada with 198 of them in B.C., the most in one province in the country. The second is Ontario with 126 communities.
“Whether the First Nation comprises 100 people or 10,000 people, they all require the same regulatory reports back into the government,” Lewis said.
The Xyntax software is special in that it enables First Nations to manage multiple bands, companies and departments on the same computer system in an integrated approach.
“Our software ties in all the subsidiary areas that contribute to the greater picture.”
Xyntax software is now used in seven provinces and one territory.
The company’s head office is located in Cochrane, Alberta; another office in Delta, B.C., is responsible for sales and support.
As for the future of Xyntax, the company has set its sights on the West Coast.
“Our expansion plans are in the B.C. marketplace because the majority of First Nations [among Canada’s provinces] are in B.C.,” Lewis said.
Plans are already underway for adding to the existing Delta office, but that is not the only focus.
“We also plan on expanding in Eastern Canada because our biggest growth this year has been in the east of Quebec, and it’s not fair for our eastern clients to have to wait till we get out of bed for support.”
Xyntax Systems is primarily owned by the Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council, a B.C. non-profit society that serves 11 member First Nations.
The council was formed in 1983 and is funded through joint ventures, corporate subsidiaries and INAC. •
