ElevatIQ Inc.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the president of a wholesale and ecommerce business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire ElevatIQ Inc.?

Our company was experiencing rapid B2B sales growth and decided that we needed to pursue an ERP solution, but didn't know where to begin. ElevatIQ took a deep dive into our processes and created a detailed matrix of provoders to suggest possible ERP partners. They then created a detailed RFP and led us through the vendor selection process.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

ElevatIQ was referred to us by a mutual contact.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

ElevatIQ researched all of our various business processes, drew up detailed process documents, cross-referenced our needs with the capabilities of various ERP providers to create a matrix of "best fit" options. They they created a lengthy RFP for these vendors, scheduled meetings and debriefed on functionality and fit.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

The owner Sam was our main point of contact, with his support team working in the background.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project helped to validate the selection process for us and created an RFP that vendors responded to with tailored and detailed demos that spoke to our pain points.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Sam and his team work very quickly and are very detailed and thorough.

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

Sam took the time to understand our processes and overlay these with his detailed knowledge of various ERP proviers.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

We were pleased with the results and would have asked for a cost estimate up front to better understand the scope of the project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a transportation and logistics firm, and we do technology consultation and implementation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ElevatIQ Inc.?

One of our clients had a very difficult ERP implementation, so we needed more visibility into the current integration of the IT architecture and tech stack.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Since the client didn’t have the information to accomplish ERP integration, we went to ElevatIQ Inc. to identify, assess, and understand its current data flow.

They then produced documentation on the current and future state of the product, as well as the different options and phases.

They were essentially our primary partner in the ERP integration space.

What is the team composition?

I worked a lot with Sam (Principal Consultant).

How did you come to work with ElevatIQ Inc.?

I met Sam through a networking group for supply chain manufacturing.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent somewhere between $50,000–$100,000 on this project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from August–December 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their team was definitely knowledgeable and brought a lot of experience in bringing different types of integration projects. They were very honest about what they can and can’t do, and it was great working with a partner with their level of expertise.

How did ElevatIQ Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

I wasn’t involved in the daily project implementation, but I didn’t get any complaints from our end so I guess they performed well from a project management perspective.

We typically communicated through Teams, Zoom, Google Meet, and email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We were impressed with their depth of experience and knowledge in the ERP integration space.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There were times when our client and internal team members felt uncomfortable with ElevatIQ’s tone of communication, but I know it’s not coming from a malicious place. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would highly recommend working with ElevatIQ Inc. if you have the budget but if you’re looking for a more cost-effective solution, I would suggest reaching out to them for a good recommendation for another partner.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I was the Director of Procurement and Inventory Control for a company that is in the manufacturing and e-commerce space.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire ElevatIQ Inc.?

Our company was acquiring businesses and in a fast growth mode. We need assistance with an ERP integration that was not working as planned. Sam and his team at ElevatIQ were the perfect fit to help us plan and look into ways to make the transition happen more quickly.

SOLUTION

How did you select ElevateIQ Inc., and what were the deciding factors?

I had met Sam Gupta in 2020-2021 during the Covid time and attended many of his online groups to learn more about ERP and different tech things going on in the business world. I quickly realized how much expertise Sam's company could bring to a growing company like mine.

We connected several times and it was clear we could use ElevatIQ's help to get us through an upcoming project.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

ElevatIQ jumped quickly on the project and had us various paths to go in order to achieve our goal. They were consistent with meetings and worked well with our internal employees. ElevatIQ has a team of extremely knowledgeable people in all types of applications. They are able to quickly feed off of each other to come up with the best solutions.

How many resources from the ElevateIQ Inc. team worked with you, and what were their positions?

Sam Gupta was our primary contact as our project was smaller in nature. I am certain Sam's team helped put together the information that was provided to our company.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Funny but one of Sam's first comments when we started the project was "Have you considered going back to the ERP system the company you purchased was using (Netsuite)?". That was not an option at the time but ultimately our company did go back to the original Netsuite platform.

Same was right. What we were trying to accomplish with our ERP integration of a manufacturing type platform into an E-Commerce type business would not a good idea. He was helping to make it work at our request, but ElevatIQ knew it was not the right thing to do from the start. The company has since gone back to Netsuite for their e-commerce side of the business.

I liked that Sam and his team were not afraid to tell you the good news and the bad news and put everything on the table.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

ElevatIQ Inc. effectively brought us the information needed at the time of the plan. The interacted well with our IT department.

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

Even if it meant their workload was reduced and they did not make as much money. They had my companies interest at heart and were a good partner.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

I cannot think of anything they could have done differently.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the ERP team lead of a food manufacturing company. We sell to retail and wholesale customers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ElevatIQ Inc.?

We wanted to implement an ERP system for our company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

ElevatIQ Inc. helped with our ERP implementation. They played a big role in getting us into our current ERP system which is Acumatica. They facilitated workshop sessions for us with our key stakeholders trying to come up with the right plan that would work for our ERP system. Since we have so many moving parts, ElevatIQ Inc. has facilitated getting the third party providers involved, along with the Acumatica software.

Their services also involved assisting in configuring a chart of accounts and related cash accounts, fixed assets and other modules, and coordinating with other vendors associated with Acumatica like Tayana for the process-manufacturing piece and e-commerce integration with our ERP system.

They also helped go through our existing business processes to see how it would fit into Acumatica’s out of the box modules and helped us get some of our raw data. We previously used QuickBooks and we’re trying to cleanse that data into the information that’s needed for going into this new system.

ElevatIQ Inc. was the one that helped streamline that process with us and they got the ball rolling for Acumatica. ElevatIQ Inc. facilitated the partnerships that we are currently working with. They helped us get to a place where we could take things off with the other partners we are engaging with.

What is the team composition?

We worked directly with Sam (Principal Consultant) and he brought on some team members from ElevatIQ Inc. It was hard at first to determine which ones were his team directly versus other vendors. It was mostly Sam, from our perspective, that we dealt with directly.

How did you come to work with ElevatIQ Inc.?

ElevatIQ Inc. was chosen before I got involved with the ERP implementation. Our company’s owner had an analysis done on our needs and Acumatica was suggested to us. Then he was provided a recommendation on what provider would best fit based on our geographic location, which is how we chose ElevatIQ Inc.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested under $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with ElevatIQ Inc. from March–June 2020. We are still in the stage of testing, but we are no longer working with ElevatIQ Inc. We have a lot of moving parts and requirements in our ERP system so we are still configuring and testing right now.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

ElevatIQ Inc. really helped us determine exactly what we need going into this system. We did a lot of background work with them in getting our raw data cleaned up and to have it formatted that best fits the Acumatica model. They helped us get all of that setup. Without ElevatIQ Inc.’s help, we probably would have been behind where we are now.

How did ElevatIQ Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated 3–4 times a day through emails. Sam was very responsive. The minute we sent him an email, he came back with very detailed explanations whether he was working with Acumatica directly or with the other vendors that were involved in this project. He was giving feedback regularly so we didn’t have any issues with his response time.
 
What did you find most impressive about them?

The best thing was their responsiveness through emails as COVID-19 happened. I’m sure it would have been different without COVID-19.  It seemed like he wanted to keep the project moving along as much as possible. There wasn’t a time that we had to wait for a week before we get feedback on something. Communication was one of their strong suits.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I think a little bit more explanation of the requirements for our team could have been better. It was a little specific to our company since we don’t have an existing ERP system. A lot of the data that we had to pull together was all new to us. Perhaps a little bit more preparation time before we really kicked things off because we did find that there was a lot that we had to gather to keep the project moving forward.

The time and commitment on our side were a lot at the time, but we were able to get through it. Maybe if we had a week or two beforehand to pull some of that information together, we could have been more responsive on our end.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice would be to be open with expectations and the timing on both parties’ ends. I think with an ERP project, there are a lot of unknowns on how each party needs information. So just being open with your expectations, your requirements, and what kind of system you’re currently operating under would be a huge benefit to making sure the project is successful.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an account manager for a staff augmentation company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ElevatIQ Inc.?

We were looking for resources to help with IT consulting.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

ElevatIQ Inc. worked on particular requirements that we assigned to them. They had a searching portal database and they provided me cheaper resources on their end so we could make the move for the client. 

What is the team composition?

There were 1-2 points of contact.

How did you come to work with ElevatIQ Inc.?

I was in touch with Sam (Principal Consultant) initially and I had known him for a few years. He was on top of the process.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $100,000-$250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from June to December 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

My client was very happy with the deliverables and I’m very happy as well.

How did ElevatIQ Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated via email and phone. We also had weekly meetings on Fridays and Mondays.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The turnaround time was impressive and they were always on top of things. The team has the ability to grasp the client’s nature and have a good understanding.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there’s nothing I’d have them improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you have business requirements, they will take ownership and work as if it’s their own client.