No Sudden Changes Please

Situation:

This Atlanta-based construction company was founded in 1975 and built their reputation as a “traditional” retail center developer. Its initiatives now include mixed-use development, geo-communities, and green space preservation as well as ventures in healthcare research, environmental / alternative waste-to-energy technology, and new educational tools. “We’re not a big company; 10-20 people,” states their finance & office manager, “and we’re focused on real estate development – not IT. So, when our IT contractor informed us that he was taking a full-time job and would no longer be available, we were looking for a company to step in quickly and seamlessly.” 

Solution:

“IT was running smoothly,” she explains, “and even though Network 1 Consulting came highly recommended I had a fear that they – or any IT support company we hired – would have a ‘not invented here’ mentality and start making sudden changes. Network 1 quickly allayed my fears by jumping in and taking full responsibility for what we already had.” Network 1 implemented their high-touch, high-tech system to support their business: a team of three experienced engineers (one lead and two backups; never a sub-contractor), pro-active monitoring for quick fixes, a support desk for easy access and quick response (typically working on fixing problems within 10-15 minutes), and consistent monthly on-site engineering time to fix nuisance (but not critical) problems while planning for future needs. 

Results:

“Our network is almost always up because our primary engineer is proactively alerted about most potential problems,” says their finance and office manager. “In addition, our risks are significantly reduced because we have a company supporting us instead of a single person. If our primary engineer is on vacation or in training, we’re in good hands because there are others on the Network 1 team that also know our business. We also benefit from their strong ties in the Atlanta business community: when we moved several years ago, Network 1 recommended a phone company that was a tremendous help. David Gracey, Network 1’s CEO, has done an excellent job of building a company that leverages technology to support technology… but delivers it with people who are highly professional, highly competent and highly personable. I don’t worry about IT.”