Computer Resources of America | CRA

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a membership association that caters to finance professionals by hosting more than 80 events per year, including seminars and professional development courses. As the director of finance, benefits, and administration, I work collaboratively with outsourced companies to achieve our strategic objectives and provide value to all our stakeholders.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire CRA | Computer Resources of America?

We hired CRA | Computer Resources of America to update our aging IT infrastructure and transition to a cloud-based platform.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to reduce our carbon footprint by using less hardware-extensive tools.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We reviewed local vendors and interviewed each to determine which would be the best fit. CRA | Computer Resources of America was the most responsive, which was the main reason we selected them. Plus, they are located two blocks away so their technicians can quickly reach our office when needed.

Describe the project in detail.

CRA | Computer Resources of America takes the lead in various ongoing projects. We have them evaluate all IT projects and oversee them from start to finish. For example, they assisted in a complete migration over to Microsoft Office 365. It was a little difficult in the beginning, but their technicians made it easier for our staff to adopt the platform. They also provide ongoing IT support, including hardware sourcing and infrastructure security.

What was the team composition?

CRA | Computer Resources of America has assigned a point person who is familiar with our infrastructure. This makes things easier when we have IT issues.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

CRA | Computer Resources of America’s team is highly skilled. They’ve helped us achieve our goals.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We work closely with their team on scheduling. They can accommodate us in a timely manner.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I found their responsiveness impeccable. We are a small company, but they make us feel like we are their most important client.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, as they are extremely attentive to our needs.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the Chief Administrative Officer at Complete Discovery Source, a leading e-discovery service provider.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire CRA | Computer Resources of America?

We needed help with developing an integrated hardware and software solution to build efficiency in how we support our clients and their data needs.

What were your goals for this project?

To develop a key understanding of our existing infrastructure and solutions that would build better efficiencies now and in the future. We also wanted to develop milestones to ensure we were meeting our goals and seeing relevant results.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We’ve had a working relationship with them for more than 10 years.

Describe the project in detail.

They assessed our current infrastructure and client needs, then worked with our team to understand our workflows and processes. They then developed our solutions as well as an integration plan.

What was the team composition?

Their project management team worked with our internal teams, with excellent consistency throughout the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

While this is an ongoing project, we’re seeing positive results. The solutions address our dynamic data requirements and cost recovery.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow has been effective and productive.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their ability to scale up and down according to the needs of the project impresses me. They work in a real-time fashion, addressing the fact that technology is constantly evolving.

Are there any areas for improvement?

From my perspective, no. They’ve met our expectations.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of On Press eDiscovery, a commercial document printing company. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire CRA | Computer Resources of America?

We’re a data-driven business, and we need to keep our data secure according to industry standards. We hired CRA because they have the operational and technical expertise to ensure that our data storage complies with our clients’ requirements. 

What were your goals for this project?

We needed an ethical and accurate partner that could eliminate our dependency on internal IT staffing.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I previously worked as a consultant for CRA, so when it came time to choose a provider, I was already aware of their processes and ethics. 

Describe the project in detail.

CRA manages and supports all of our infrastructure operations—including setting our security standards and policing them as necessary. They also provide virtual CIO services to ensure that our needs align with a technology roadmap. We are a process-oriented company, and CRA has proven to be a good fit by mapping our IT solutions. 

What was the team composition?

We coordinate only with an account manager. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We have experienced significant cost savings because CRA handles all of our IT needs.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

CRA features several resources that come with their project management approach. They’re able to plan and execute all of our initiatives. I have seen no mistakes or cost overages on any of the projects they’ve done for us. 

What did you find most impressive about this company?

CRA provides top-shelf talent at very reasonable prices. They have a demonstrated record of excellent service. 

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, their customer support is above and beyond what we hoped it would be. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the president and owner of The Hibiscus Restaurant & Bar. We have multiple locations, including one in South America.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire CRA | Computer Resources of America?

We brought in CRA to review and improve our current infrastructure as well as maintain it.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to have a more permanent solution and not have IT issues that disrupt our operations. Our site always seemed to be down, but our previous vendor just made quick fixes with no plans to improve it.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

A friend recommended CRA.

Describe the project in detail.

CRA revamped the way we worked with technology. After assessing our current computer system, they did research and showed how our competitors were using technology. CRA then provided a comprehensive plan and implemented a few different applications and new infrastructure.

What was the team composition?

CRA gave us a roadmap of all the parties involved and how they would integrate with us during the process.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Within a few weeks, we were up and running. CRA trained our entire staff and made the transition easy. Best of all, our staff loves the new setup.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They keep me up to date. I don't need to go looking for answers since everything is transparent. Whenever we call about an issue, they escalate it to the right person.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We’re impressed with their quick turnaround and constant flow of information.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, they have been great so far.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are a privately-held asset management firm. We've been in business since 1955, offering a sizable portfolio of financial products to our customers.

What is your position?

I am the global head of IT operations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with CRA?

We were looking for someone to build a custom solution for service-level desk support.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement.

CRA has provided us with consultants who offer support to our internal staff. The scope of their involvement grew into systems administration and backend server support. We also used them on project-based work, namely our office and data center relocations.

We operate as a Windows-based VM [virtual machine] office. Our servers use SQL, Windows Server 2010 and 2012, Exchange, and so on. Managed services extend to server support, as well as desk support.

They offer services both remotely and on-site, with the former being used in 70% of all cases. Individual technicians are dispatched locally for physical issues that have no other recourse. We don't have the necessary resources for providing these services in-house.

How did you come to work with CRA?

We were looking for network engineering as well as network administration skillsets. We needed to make sure that our VM environments and other server platforms had a certain patch level in order to minimize issues. We also needed design expertise in terms of rack configuration and relocation. We went through a few service providers that we found through different channels, from references to online research. I had worked with CRA in the past and had good experiences with them, thus bringing them to the company.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The annual cost for their services ranges between $250-500,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

CRA has been very good at addressing problems. Communication is one of their strongest areas, especially on the administration and engineering sides. 

We kept track of milestones for our relocation project. All of them were completed within or before our original targets. The end-result was a completely successful project.

The system administrators, engineers and service desk staff within my department have given very positive feedback regarding CRA. We've come to build a rapport by typically working with the same representatives over time. They're a good organization to work with, and we feel very comfortable with their services and support.

How did CRA perform from a project management standpoint?

Their approach is proactive in terms of the solutions offered. CRA's main goal is to manage the first level of any incoming ticket. If they can't tackle it remotely, the on-site support services then comes into play. We're always kept in the loop. The execution is solid from a managed services perspective.

We have an internal ticketing system and an account representative with whom we liaise. Most often we discuss upcoming projects for which we need support, and only rarely do we need to address actual problems for them to fix. At the end of the day, this gives me confidence.

What distinguishes CRA from other providers?

They're readily available. It's rare to not be able to reach our account representative or one of their senior executives. A personal touch to IT services is hard to find, but they've succeeded.

Is there anything CRA could have improved or done differently?

For the work in which we've used them, they've been very capable, and I'm sure they would be able to support larger environments if the situation required it. I haven't had any issues as far as my specific support needs went. CRA is good at what they do.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

I work for a foreign bank in one of their regional facilities. Like a typical bank, we offer a wide range of financial services and products on an international level.

What is your position?

I am currently in charge of desktop and server infrastructure.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with CRA?

We wanted to access certain expertise to help us complete project work. It was going to be more cost effective to find an outsourced partner than to hire locally.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement.

CRA offers support for Wintel technology, in other words, anything related to Windows (from Server, Active Directory, mail, and so on). They offer tier 3 analysis and support for us. Their work primarily is done on-site.

They also provide training for our staff as we grow our technology division. Previously, they offered desktop and tier 2 support only. Their involvement has only expanded since hiring them.

How did you come to work with CRA?

They previously worked for our company on a small demo project. Their staff was very reliable and efficient. We did approach other vendors but decided to work with CRA because of their expertise and previous experience.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

I do not have this information. The budget is in the hundreds of thousands region.

What is the status of this engagement?

The work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

Since CRA is now involved in our helpdesk system, their activity is tracked in terms of time for fixing issues and how quickly they can respond to inquiries. We've definitely seen an increase in efficiency since bringing them onboard, which has been fantastic. 

How did CRA perform from a project management standpoint?

Our experience has been very positive. If there is ever an issue, it will be escalated to CRA management, and they will take care of it. Any major issues are handled by our account representative. They have great turnaround time for resolutions; they're extremely reliable. 

What distinguishes CRA from other providers?

Their flexibility sets them apart. We're located on the East Coast, which has seen major snowstorms in the past few years. If we ever called them on Saturday night requesting extra support for Monday, they've always delivered.

Is there anything CRA could have improved or done differently?

No, there isn't. Their customer support has been invariably good. If someone finds a shortcoming for a CRA staff member, the issue will be escalated, and the appropriate training will be provided.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

SelectCare is a licensed home care service. We are regulated by the Department of Health in New York State. On average, we have approximately 60-70 clients at any given time. We are not a Medicare/Medicaid agency, but rather a for-fee service. We have a staff of 14 members, including registered field nurse supervisors and service coordinators for scheduling, interviewing and making staff appointments. We've been in business for 31 years.

What is your position?

I am the vice president, co-owner and founder of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with CRA?

Since 1985, we had worked with individual IT specialists, followed by a company that had gone out of business. We were still using green bar paper and operated a UNIX platform that was no longer supported. We were in a bind in this sense. We desperately needed to modernize our operations and needed a partner to help us do that.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement.

As a company, we're customer-oriented and paper-driven. It was difficult for some of our administrators to move from what was familiar, to an unknown system. The representatives at CRA have, very kindly and gently, pushed our employees into the 21st century. They did it with confidence, competence, and compassion. CRA understood, not only what needed to be done on a technical level, but also on the emotional and business side of things. They're very adaptable. 

Our office manager works with CRA on an ongoing basis. When there is a problem with our computers, our office manager would submit tickets and send email follow-ups. She will then give us any directions or guidance from CRA.

CRA comes in whenever a bug cannot be fixed remotely and they offer us an expected arrival time. On-site work is rare since we've moved to a different platform. Much of the processing is being done behind-the-scenes.

In 2010, we had an unexpected disaster in our office: our accounting administrator had an emergency, which took him out of the office for eight months. CRA came in and worked with us in transitioning from the Focus accounting software to Microsoft. We were also using a scheduling program dedicated to the home care field. They helped out and walked us through the entire installation and configuration process. The CRA reps didn't understand what it did; they learned its functionality from our program administrators.

CRA has been on target with recommendations, especially within the context of the disasters that hit New York City, especially hurricane Sandy. We were discussing backing up our data somewhere off-site at the start of October. Sandy hit on October 28th. The next day, two reps from CRA were climbing eleven floors in order to take our towers to their headquarters and enable us to continue our business. We didn't see the situation coming and realized that we had to be more prepared for any future incidents. All the while, CRA was there to guide us through the process. They didn't say "we told you so", but just executed their plan. Within 30 days, everything was back on track. They were excellent at what they did and managed to do it quickly.

How did you come to work with CRA?

Our company came to a desperate point with the death of our original IT person. Nobody had knowledge of our program anymore. His son-in-law was making patches for us but was becoming as frustrated as we were.

One of their reps gave us a cold call while we were considering another IT company. The way in which they explained what they could do for us is why we chose CRA. They wanted to learn what our programs were and look at our network. They untangled everything that previous IT companies did.

Before even doing anything, we had a meeting in which they explained in layman's terms what was going on, and what was needed in order to make the proper reparations. They were upfront with their costs and transparent in what they were doing.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

Our monthly costs are around $2,000. We consider it to be a high investment but definitely worth it. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working with CRA for over nine years.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

We've had a meeting in January about the general state of our computers and collaboration with CRA. Our office manager has been very pleased with them.

There will always be blips in any relationship, but whenever we have a problem, it will be fixed. There haven't been many occasions for us to say that they failed our expectations. We had a rough patch last year which was ironed out within little time.

How did CRA perform from a project management standpoint?

There have been some changes within their company recently, for which they worked closely with us in order to ensure that we would have an easy transition. We had worked with two or three of their representatives for several years. They explained who the new people were, and ensured us that they were dedicated to us.

Even though we're a very small business, we get the perception that we're just as important as any of their large clients. They're cognizant on how we should spend our money in a frugal way. If we don't need all the bells and whistles for a feature, they won't be put on.

We don't understand the magic that happens behind the scenes. If we call and issue a ticket, the problem will get fixed in a timely manner. This is all I want to know.

What distinguishes CRA from other providers?

Although we're a small client, we receive the same attention as a larger one. The other thing is their availability, which is great. CRA has hired two great representatives but, ultimately, we get the impression that Chico, their Chief Executive Officer, oversees everything that happens with their clients.

Is there anything CRA could have improved or done differently?

I have nothing to say. All I know is that, when I press a button on my computer, it works, and I'm happy. That's the bottom line.