The Story of Rebar Technology
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been 96 million new subscriptions created in the US. As people spend more time at home and avoid going to stores, things like streaming service subscriptions and meal kit delivery subscriptions have seen a massive increase. Rebar (REcurring Billing And Revenue) Technology Solutions is a subscription management company that backs technology solutions for businesses in this space.
Rebar was started to tackle a pain point that its sister company, W. Capra Consulting, noticed through 20 years of consulting Fortune 500 and Fortune 1000 companies. As a result of these engagements, W. Capra was able to get a very comprehensive view into the issues that exist in the subscription management space.
What was discovered is that each client had very unique requirements. In many cases, the subscription management solutions available to them offereda one-size-fits-all approach.
What is the Rebar Technology Approach?
Rebar takes a modular approach to subscription management services to allow for a higher level of customization and functionality. Rebar builds all of its different services – from identity management, token vault, payment gateway, billing, tax, etc. – separately, which allows them to plug-and-play different components together to create a one-of-a-kind solution for each of its clients.
Rebar also pulls in third-party services when needed and acts as a translator that allows these vendors’ platforms to work together. All of the Rebar applications operate in the cloud, which allows their platform to scale quickly. This approach enables Rebar to leverage the speed to market that comes with SaaS, while still providing businesses with a tailored, custom application.
Due to being the sister company of a consulting firm, Rebar adopts a consultative approach when working with clients. Rebar makes an extra effort to understand the client’s business and what they do, as well as to educate and advocate for their client.
How Rebar Handles Sensitive Information
PCI compliance is a security standard for credit card processing and includes a lengthy audit to make sure a company’s systems, people, and controls around storing sensitive data are in place. Rebar is PCI level 1 compliant and pays special attention to data security by keeping client payment data separate from each other.
Rebar staff also operate under the understanding that data security is everyone’s job. Staff are briefed on how to identify problems in data security, how to communicate these problems internally, how to communicate with clients in the case that problems arise, and so on. This provides an added level of security by ensuring that there isn’t only one person responsible for all data security.
Rebar’s Philosophy on Failure
Nick Fredrick, the President of Rebar Technology, offered a piece of advice that he took to heart while growing Rebar – don’t be afraid to fail. Rebar, being a fairly new company, had to go through a lot of trying and adapting in its early stages. The Rebar team chose to use a lot of cutting edge technology, even though it was less established and associated with steeper learning curves. Sometimes, the approach didn’t work, so Rebar would have to adapt to different technologies. Because of this need for flexibility, it also became vital for the Rebar team to have good communication and constant check-ins with each other.
Next Steps for Rebar
In the immediate future, Rebar’s primary focus is on achieving flawless execution. This means living up to commitments, delivering on promises, and ensuring that client relationships are managed well.
You can learn more about Rebar Technology Solutions in this episode of the Fintech Newscast podcast.