Industry Profile
How Doxim rose from humble beginnings to
become one of Canada’s largest and most
successful digital transformation companies
Simply put, Doxim helps financial institutions on their digitization
journey and with all their business-critical communications needs.
Through intelligent workflows, financial services software and
targeted print, its customers have boosted profits, reduced costs
and offered exceptionally personalized experiences to retain existing
clients as well as adding new customers. Doxim’s fascinating history
has led to its current success and is an inspiring story for all.
To say that Doxim’s accomplishments in the digital transformation
and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) sectors are
one of Canada’s best-kept secrets, would be an understatement.
This Markham-Ontario-based company, founded by Toronto-
born Chris Rasmussen in 2000, has been recognized as one
of the fastest growing companies in Canada in Deloitte’s
Technology Fast 50 Ranking in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. It
was also named to Profit Magazine’s Profit 500 list in 2013,
2014, 2015 and 2017. It was ranked in the Branham 300 of
Canada’s top ICT (Information and Communication Technology)
companies in 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
– and as a Top 10 Growth Company in 2011. It was the winner
of the inaugural BDO Value Creation Award in 2011. Today,
Doxim has expansive production facilities in Vancouver, British
Columbia; Detroit, Michigan; Indianapolis, Indiana; and Las
Vegas, Nevada.
It all began with a visionary idea
Surprisingly, it all started with
a vision Rasmussen had working
as a sales rep at AIIM (Avant
Imaging and Integrated Media)
in Aurora, Ontario over 25
years ago. “I was employed by
AIIM in 1994 when the Internet
was just getting started,” he
recalls. “There, I assumed a
sales role helping clients with
their transformation from offset
to digital printing. From 1994
to 1997, I was involved in major
projects with banks and other
34 | April 2019 | GRAPHIC ARTS MAGAZINE
Chris Rasmussen
financial institutions. Ricoh Canada bought that division
of the company in 1997. I continued in the role of digital
transformation but could see the tidal wave that was
coming. I realized then, that the long-term success of the
customers that we were serving depended on moving from
ink and toner on paper to electronic documents. I understood
the players in this market and what they needed now – but
more importantly, what they would need in the future. By the
year 2000, I developed a path forward and created Doxim.
My goal in those early years was not just to help these
companies to digitize all their processes, but also to show
them how to better communicate with their customers.”
Rasmussen did just that – and in the process helped them
to increase profits, reduce costs and make the overall
experiences of their customers much more satisfying.
Identifying future trends
In short, Rasmussen foresaw the inevitable digital revolution,
realized that it would occur slowly, but still remained proactive.
His company soon created several software applications
that not only replicated – but improved – a number of key
processes used by the financial services companies. In those
early days, he sold his software as a service (then called
hosted applications; today called SaaS). To become a more
complete services provider, he made a bold move and added
financial services software, such as online access to digital
financial documents. His aim then, as it is now, was to
completely automate not just all customer communications,
but automate the lending process itself – via paperless
documents and the ability for his clients’ customers to
effortlessly review and sign documents anywhere at any time.
This resulted in faster loan fulfillment and fewer errors.
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