Founder and CEO Natalie Lemke did not begin her career intending to build an ISV. Like many leaders in the Business Central ecosystem, she started on the customer side of an ERP implementation and worked her way through consulting before shifting into packaged software.
With 60 employees, two recent acquisitions and a growing network of roughly 80 channel firms, though, Lemke’s RUX Software is positioning itself as a product-first independent software vendor built specifically for asset-heavy industries on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central.
In a recent episode of PartnerTalks, Lemke described a path from implementer to advisor to product builder, a progression that ultimately shaped RUX into a vertical-focused ISV serving industrial, rental and field service organizations.
Early roots in NAV
Lemke said she first encountered Microsoft’s mid-market ERP stack during an internal system replacement project at SPS Commerce. She said NAV’s dimensional accounting model immediately stood out.
“When I saw dimensions as a structure, I thought, ‘This is it. I have to have this.’”
After leading implementations internally, she moved into consulting full time, helping other organizations deploy ERP systems and refine operations.
That work included a stint at Stoneridge Software during the transition period when Microsoft consolidated NAV and GP into what would become Business Central. She later broadened her exposure at Net at Work before returning to the Microsoft channel with a clearer focus on product.
Betting on vertical software
RUX was founded around a specific thesis, Lemke said.
Asset-heavy industries needed deeper, purpose-built functionality than generic ERP extensions could provide.
Lemke and her investors targeted industrial asset management, rentals and field service, areas where Partners often rely on customization and services-heavy projects.
The launch, Lemke said, went well.
“It was such an experience to launch a brand for the first time as a CEO and to feel that warm reverberation back from the Microsoft Business Central channel was really great.”
Today, the company develops packaged applications designed exclusively for Business Central and distributes them through Microsoft AppSource. The goal, Lemke says, is to give Partners repeatable IP they can deploy without extensive custom work.
That vertical approach has also shaped how the company scales. RUX has grown beyond its startup phase to about 60 employees across Canada, the United States and the Philippines.
Growing through acquisition
Over the past year, the company expanded through both acquisition and rebranding.
RUX acquired Open Door and ERP Connect Consulting, known to many Partners as Ben Cole’s BC Toolbox business, adding both talent and established solutions to its portfolio. The company also formally launched the RUX name to unify its products under one identity.
During the same period, Lemke said the company worked with roughly 80 Partners, a figure she expects to increase as more firms look for packaged, industry-specific functionality rather than custom builds.
A Partner-first model
Lemke describes RUX as deliberately product-first and Partner-centric.
“We recognize that our end customers have really complex business needs,” she said. “Whether we’re sitting side by side with a Partner or directly with an end customer, it’s critically important that we have the industry experience they’re seeking.”
Alignment with Microsoft’s roadmap is equally central. The company prioritizes building extensions that complement the core platform.
“As we look to build product in the Microsoft ecosystem, it’s important that what we put out is incremental and works seamlessly with Business Central,” she said.
Managing culture at scale
As headcount increased, Lemke said operational discipline became as important as product strategy.
The company emphasizes in-person gatherings at conferences and regular internal town halls to maintain alignment across distributed teams, with a focus on transparency around product direction, go-to-market plans and customer outcomes.
What’s next
Today, Lemke’s focus is narrower than earlier in her career. Fewer custom engagements. More packaged software. Closer collaboration with Partners building repeatable solutions.
It is a shift that mirrors broader changes across the Business Central channel, where vertical IP and scalable products are increasingly replacing one-off implementations.
For RUX, the bet is that the shift to specialization will define the next phase of growth.
