Accelrys Reviews

Pros

Accelrys offers many products across many disciplines.

Cons

Management could use more scientific leadership.

Pros

ACCL is the world's largest life science software company (or at least they make that claim) and if what you're looking for then this might be the right place for you.

Cons

Working for a publicly held company isn't all it's cracked up to be. Accelrys' strategy is to grow through M&A (they are sitting on a ton of cash) and management doesn't seem to make any efforts to integrate new acquisitions with the existing product line in a way that makes sense. Legacy companies/divisions are extremely territorial and protective of their turf and often unwilling to help out others. Even at HQ in San Diego, there are turf battles between biz opps, marketing, sales, services and support.

Advice to Senior Management

Don't be afraid to hire managers who can make tough decisions. Paralysis analysis is crippling ACCL and it won't get better as long as your managers feels like everything is being second guessed up the chain. Managers and employees need clear goals (and incentives that support those goals) and a careful balance between Responsibilities, Accountability and the Authority to make things happen. Good luck!

Pros

Lots of great customers with a global footprint
Stable and a money maker
Not a cut throat environment
Growing both organically and through M/A.

Cons

Too much of a focus on Science and not enough in other areas.
Slow to take up new technologies internally and within products.

Advice to Senior Management

Be better listeners and follow up on feedback. Provide more career guidance and opportunities to those looking to move up in their career versus waiting for them to leave.

Pros

A place suitable to someone who does not mind tackling an inordinate number of action items all of which are super critical.

Cons

Potential to grow the business is guaranteed, the growth is not commensurate to the potential

Advice to Senior Management

Challenge the team to get out of their comfort zone. Currently most workers are doing what they know how best to do (which is good for staus-quo but not necessarily effective for demonstrating growth)

Pros

Great leadership
Solid product
Fantastic customers.

Cons

Not as sexy as Internet and mobile companies

Advice to Senior Management

Grow beyond enterprise software. Quickly.

Pros

Company has great product and will be a leader in its industry soon. Employees are team-spirited and fun to work with. Management was flexible if employees needed personal time off. HR provided good moral events.

Cons

High turnover, especially in management. Company keeps changing its direction which makes it difficult for employees to adjust to all the changes and diffficult for new officers to transition into the company's culture and objectives.

Advice to Senior Management

Be more open with employees. Don't just pitch how well the company is doing on the financial side and then layoff employees.

Pros

Happy Hours
Cafeteria
Clean Bathrooms
(Notice I can not think of anything positive work related to say about the company?)

Cons

Management is very risk averse and accordingly tends to micromanage its employees which is kind of a downer if you're not used to it.
If management values its employees, I haven't seen it.
Communication from the top is abyssmal.
Finally, if you're looking to work with the best and brightest, you won't find that here.

Advice to Senior Management

Let people do their job. Have confidence in your employees' abilities and give them the support and recognition they deserve. Finally, talk to your employees.

Pros

Install Base is very strong

Cons

Saturated Market, no Industry knowledge in upper sales mgmt

Advice to Senior Management

Industry expertise is critical

Pros

The benefits are good and the employees are nice to work with. Casual dress; Flexibility for personal time off. time

Cons

Company keeps changing direction and high turnover of Management. Management does not have enough support staff to effectively do their job. High stress level.

Advice to Senior Management

Find your strategic goal and stick to it instead of changing it every two years. Hire competent CEO who can competently lead company.

Pros

Challenging problems that invigorate the worker, Flexible work hours, understanding of work life balance, global experience

Cons

lean and mean sometimes means little respect to value added by resources

Advice to Senior Management

understand the needs of your customer base and they will come to you