Be Structured Technology Group, Inc.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am an assistant project manager for a private equity firm with real estate holdings. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Be Structured Technology Group, Inc.?

We’d been with our previous provider for a while and didn’t feel like they were servicing our needs or progressing technologically. We’ve hired Be Structured Technology Group, Inc. to provide  IT services. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Be Structured Technology Group, Inc. has installed quite a bit of software for our company and has taken care of licensing updates. The team came on-site for an exploratory investigation to see our system but primarily supplies off-site services. Be Structured Technology Group, Inc. is also helping us source AV equipment. 

What is the team composition?

We’ve spoken with about 10 individuals from their team; this includes a project manager and a senior engineering team. 

How did you come to work with Be Structured Technology Group, Inc.?

We found them online. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April 2023, and the engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

They’ve successfully migrated our email from an on-premise server to the cloud. We’re satisfied with their services and think Be Structured Technology Group, Inc. is doing a great job. 

How did Be Structured Technology Group, Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

They deliver on time and within budget; we primarily communicate via email and phone calls. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Be Structured Technology Group, Inc. has a well-rounded team that brings a good level of experience to the project. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’ve taken care of any issues that have arisen. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear about what your expectations are and what you need. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the President of a software dev company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We transform companies' online presence through digital marketing and software development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Be Structured Technology Group, Inc. to accomplish?

• IT support of staff

SOLUTION

How did you find Be Structured Technology Group, Inc.?

Referral

Why did you select Be Structured Technology Group, Inc. over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Be Structured Technology Group, Inc. were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Our company has a mix of Windows and Mac systems in various locations. In addition we have remote workers that we wanted to securely and safely grant access. We wanted greater protection from a cybersecurity perspective as well as procedures for backup and access control for employees and contractors. BeStructured provided a great solution to our team that accomadated cross departmental requirements.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• There were positive measurable outcomes. Having procedures and systems in place that assure us that we are better protected against online threats or natural disasters is important. Stakeholders are impressed.

What was your primary form of communication with Be Structured Technology Group, Inc.?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

BeStructured was always timely with their responses to our staff. If something was not delivered on time then this was clearly communicated advance.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

We've been working closely with Be Structured for over year and have found their technical and cyber security expertise to be far ahead of their competitors. It's rare and refreshing that an outsourced tech support company takes such a hands-on, personalized approach to their craft. 

From CEO Chad L. to all of his support staff, we've always felt as if they were more than just a part of our team, but a partner in keeping our business running securely.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Be Structured Technology Group, Inc.  could have done differently?

We are very pleased with Be Structured Technology Group, Inc. and their staff.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the COO and CCO of an investment bank and wealth management company. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Be Structured?

Our previous IT vendor charged us hourly, resulting in high, unpredictable invoices month-to month. We had a different technician working with us every week, so the knowledge base varied and there was a lack of efficiency. I felt that every week we had to start over.  Additionally, there was no checklist to follow when troubleshooting or familiarity with repeat issues. We were not satisfied with that process, so we started looking for a new IT partner.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They provide all-around IT services and handle all projects. They have a ticketing process and handle most issues offsite efficiently and promptly. We meet quarterly and review the current status of our technology and future needs.  

​​​​​​What is the team composition?

We deal with their support team and can reach any individual in the company. They are very transparent and easy to work with.

​​​​​​How did you come to work with them?

We found them through an online search. We're a boutique financial services company and continue to emphasize the client experience as our primary focus. We felt that Be Structured shared the same values.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in 2012 and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

The team is highly qualified and passionate about their work. We recently had an audit on our Technology, Cybersecurity, Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Plan.  Be Structured did a phenomenal job providing the necessary information. There were no deficiencies.

​​​​​​How did they perform from a project management standpoint?

Excellent. They follow a step by step procedure and test to make sure all is order before moving forward. Projects are executed flawlessly from start to finish.

​​​​​​What did you find most impressive about them?

Be Structured is very transparent and honest. In addition, they're meticulous and forward thinking, we feel that we are always ahead of any anticipated change. They have a true passion for what they do.

​​​​​​Are there any areas they could improve?

None.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Keep the lines of communications open. Think ahead be open to stepping up and filling any gaps sooner than later. 

BACKGROUND

your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of Domestic Operations for Platinum Cargo Logistics. We’re a non-asset based, domestic and international transportation and logistics provider. Part of my role is being the I.T. liaison between our hardware and software providers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Be Structured Technology Group?

We originally needed help acquiring, setting up, and maintaining the I.T. infrastructure necessary to run our new corporate office.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’re both a managed services provider and a consultant. We procure new hardware from them as needed and they maintain all of that hardware. They do the software setup on the hardware for our new employees, server swaps, and things like that. They also manage our VOIP phone system and the relationship with that vendor, as well as facilitate the hosting of our email for the entire company, via Office 365.

They also helped us migrate our hosting from Intermedia to Office 365. We were externally hosted in the past, but we sort of outgrew that solution, and Be Structured recommended a transition to Office 365, both in terms of features performance as well as ongoing costs. We timed it with a server swap at two offices in Denver, and the majority of our email users are branch locations all around the country, so we scheduled a phased implementation to switch over the end-users over a month and a half. They put someone on site in Denver to facilitate the service swap and transition those two offices over to 365, and then I worked with them remotely to transition all the field offices.

How did you come to work with Be Structured Technology Group?

They were a referral from our transportation management system (TMS) provider. We use a TMS as a daily transactional system where we input each and every job, and do our payables and receivables.

How much have you invested with them?

Our investment in BeStructured involves monthly recurring charges for support, licensing, etc. as well as in hardware procurements and special projects.  However, beyond the financial investment, we have invested time and energy into building what has become a long-term, mutually beneficial relationship with an IT services partner.​

​​​​​​What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since September 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

The best way to answer that, from my perspective, is to look at the lack of impact that the things they manage have on our organization. The positive impact is that we’re able to run a diverse organization of email users spread all throughout the country, on systems that we don’t provide or control. We’re able to have a very high level of performance. I really look at our up-time, their response time, and how employees are able to perform their job functions without problems, and Be Structured provides great services in those regards.

How did Be Structured Technology Group perform from a project management standpoint?

We’re very happy with their communication and accessibility. Both daily items and hardware procurements and implementations are housed in a single, online ticketing portal. The history is always available, so I can what something’s status is at any given time, as well as what back and forth comments there have been, if they’re dealing with another member of our organization. We also have phone communications, if an individual, either a technician or account manager, needs to reach out in certain situations. This way we have multiple levels of escalation. Even though I approve all Be Structured’s work, our employees are very comfortable working with them directly, as needed.

Our field users also get a high level of support from Be Structured. They’re only supported for email, they don’t have the hardware support, but Be Structured techs will work directly with those end-users. I believe they have a high level of satisfaction in those instances.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I think it's the variety and scope of support that they're able to provide. We throw lots of different things at them from malicious e-mail situations and spam issues to providing backup services for our primary servers. They have the in-house expertise to handle that spectrum and seem to have a good number of different techs with experience in pretty much anything we can toss at them. Their focus isn't narrow; it's very broad. The level of support, regardless of the issue is their biggest strength.

Are there any areas they could improve?

If I see opportunities for improvement, I make a recommendation or a suggestion at that time and they're always responsive to that feedback. I just recently had my quarterly call with our account manager to go over services - that's another opportunity for things like that to come up. So, it's a very open dialogue in that regard. I don't have anything that's currently unaddressed.

In terms of their growth, it really just comes down to sales, and I think they have a fantastic service and provide a valuable resource for people. It’s just a matter of getting that word out and showing what they're able to do.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of operations for a nonprofit ministry based in southern California called Reasons to Believe. We write books, create media, and send speakers to venues.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Be Structured Technology Group, Inc.?

We previously worked with multiple tech vendors with their own specializations; one service provided workstation expertise while the other did cybersecurity. However, we wanted to bring all of the services together within a single agency. As a result, we needed an agency that could handle all of our workstations, servers, connections, and general IT needs.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Over the years, we’ve outsourced all of our IT needs to them, from everyday tasks to larger security and server projects. For example, anytime we have a new user, we provide their team with the person’s basic information to set up their work tools, including the workstation login, access to our Office 365 accounts, and access to our internal network.

They’ve also replaced our servers on an as-need basis, swapping out the hardware in under half a day. Whenever there’s a connection issue with our database, they quickly diagnose the problem and fix it.

Among the bigger projects, they’re currently working on creating a comprehensive backup system that will protect us from data breaches. The system creates a backup every four hours, which allows us to wipe out and reinstall our systems within a day if there’s a security issue.

What is the team composition?

Typically, we use a ticket system to coordinate our daily tasks. For more immediate concerns, I work with their technical staff or office manager.

How did you come to work with Be Structured Technology Group, Inc.?

We were looking at a couple of different outsourced companies when a colleague referred them to us. Compared to the others who exclusively did workstation or servers, they offered a comprehensive package and seemed well equipped to take care of all of our needs.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend $6,500 with them per month.

What is the status of this engagement?

Their work began in May 2008 and is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Since the beginning, Be Structured Technology has covered all of our IT needs and continues to expand to this day. They’ve been very proactive in protecting us from potential threats. Regarding their new backup protocol, we appreciate how they were able to work with us to figure out our needs, confirm if our system had been breached, create the steps to lock down and remove the threat, and then determine steps to get us up and operating. With the new system, we can upload an entirely clean backup within the same business day, which was pretty significant for us.

How did Be Structured Technology Group, Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

As I mentioned, we write tickets that go into their general queue. They’re reactive and consistently handle high priority tasks right away. We have multiple avenues to contact them, which allows them to handle things quickly. For pressing matters, I know I can call their tech service team to take the lead and immediately look at the situation. If I don’t get a fast enough response, then I can always go directly to the office manager.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Relative to our previous vendors, they’ve provided such a comprehensive service, whether it’s working with individual workstations or database connections. They can do everything, including handling our overall servers, network, and security.

Are there any areas they could improve?

While we’re happy with their work, keeping up to speed with Office 365 updates would help our in-house communications. However, I understand that Microsoft constantly adds features, and it’s hard to stay up to date with that on a regular basis.