Compass

Compass is a software development company that provides software development, maintenance, IT resource, and staffing solution. The job it does: building software for you when nothing off the shelf fits.

Who is it for? Mostly companies with a specific process to automate. They are a small team, 11 to 50 people, which usually shapes who they work with. Small vendors mean quick answers and real influence on the roadmap, but check who covers support when someone is out.

Compass is based in Arlington Heights, Illinois. Their site is compassinc.us.

Our checklist for this category: portfolio relevance, who owns the code, and how they handle changes. Ask for a trial on your own data, not a canned demo.

If you have worked with Compass, tell the next buyer what you paid and what surprised you. That is the part of this page we cannot write.