Stratex Solutions founder and CEO Raina Knox spent many years developing her strategic expertise as a consultant and working at Sprint, H&R Block and as president of the Excellence in Missouri Foundation. Over time, Knox recognized that a technology-based solution could aid organizations that “used spreadsheets as information collectors” and help manage implementation of strategic plans.

Knox partnered with Stratex co-founder Courtney Cole to co-develop a solution. Originally, the software was meant to increase consulting capacity by automating manual tasks.

“When a client asked to purchase the tool for their own use, Stratex Solutions was launched,” Knox said.

The cloud-based software provides a workflow to support best practice outcomes in strategic planning and addresses common failure points for developing and implementing strategic plans.

“Strategy is easy—execution is hard,” Knox said. “Countless strategic plans fail when it comes to implementing the plan and engaging the workforce in execution. Stratex software gets the entire organization focused on effectively and efficiently executing the strategic plan.”

Strategic planning, organizational performance assessment and innovation are integrated and pack-aged in a suite of technology-based tools that keep participants on track and accountable.

“It eliminates the typical silo-based approach to organizational leadership, planning and measurement, resulting in sustainable improvement in organizational results,” Knox said. “Most of our competitors provide software as a service. We provide technology tools and support for the development of the plan content.”

Stratex Solutions cut its teeth in BetaBlox business incubator and accelerator before moving to the Sprint Accelerator Mentor program, then to Kansas City, Mo.’s Innovation Partnership Program and to ScaleUP! Knox was one of 18 entrepreneurs in the seventh cohort of the ScaleUP! KC business program.

ScaleUP! involved “hard analysis” and making “hard decisions needed to build a sustainable business,” Knox said.

“The support we have received is so far beyond what we knew to expect when entering the program,” she said.

Launching Stratex Solutions and marketing its software involved educating clients about what strategic planning entails and how it is successfully executed.

“Strategic planning is haphazardly executed at most companies. They don’t realize tools are available to help,” Knox said. “Conducting strategic planning frequently brings to mind thoughts of endless meetings about vision statements and SWOT analysis, resulting in pretty binders gathering dust on a shelf. There is a better way, and Stratex provides the process and the tools. Technology-based strategic planning is a young space without many competitors, so we’re a bit unexpected.”

Stratex Solutions’ client roster includes Midwest Transplant Network, City of Kansas City, Mo., and University of Miami Healthcare systems.