Granite Computer Solutions

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are an online marketing agency focusing on video, web design, and social media.

What is your position?

I am the owner and founder of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Granite Computer Solutions?

I had installed Windows 10 on my computer, completely crashing it, so I called them in order to get it fixed. They act as my technical resource for when things go wrong or I have questions.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement.

Granite Computer Solutions was able to repair the hardware itself and ensure that my data was salvaged. I have referred at least three of my own clients, whom they were able to help with computer and network issues. Among these other projects, there was a hardware-related one, and a network migration in the East Coast.

Granite Computer Solutions has advised me in setting up a disaster recovery plan, telling me what hardware I needed to buy for the right coverage and what online systems I should use to automate the process. Given that I have a small company, I don't have a large need for their services but, periodically, we will have a serious issue that has to be addressed in a short timeframe, so that's when we rely on them.

How did you come to work with Granite Computer Solutions?

I was aware of their company through the Tempe Chamber of Commerce, of which we are both members. I had met with their owner before and saw that he was able to converse with nontechnical people and make them understand issues without going over their head.

What is the status of this engagement?

All of my engagements with Granite Computer Solutions have taken place within 2015. I plan to use their services in the future.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

One of the projects they've worked on was for a friend who had a portable Apple computer that had crashed on him for some kind of hardware issue. Granite Computer Solutions was honest in their estimation, telling him that it would cost more to fix it and implement measures to prevent future issues than it would to buy a completely new one. I felt comfortable with their approach because they are always honest.

The referral that had a migration project has been very happy with the results, too. In their particular case, they didn't have any kind of experience migrating data, so Granite Computer Solutions walked them through it hand in hand. I was very impressed with their communication style and how easy they were to work with.

How did Granite Computer Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

I've never used a ticketing system with them. They have a more personal touch. When I have an issue, I will just call Granite Computer Solutions and talk to their owner or one of the technicians. They have a personalized and quick approach. I don't have issues with unresponsiveness, and they can get answers to my questions very quickly.

What distinguishes Granite Computer Solutions from other providers?

They're very quick to respond. The company is set up in such a way as to send a client to voicemail rarely. They either come to the person in question, have them bring the computer in, or have a remote access session in a timely manner. Someone is always there to answer the phone.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

I work for a Fortune 200 company, providing solutions for transport, cloud hosting, security, and so on to large companies. I am a partner with Granite Computer Solutions.

What is your position?

I am a co-owner and lead account executive of the company. I've been working with the company for three years.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Granite Computer Solutions?

I reach out to Granite Computer Solutions in order to get assistance for clients who don't have internal IT [information technology] resources. They've always been responsive to our projects, completing the work on time, within the specified budget, and with a high degree of professionalism. I have a list of IT vendors on my desk, but they're [Granite Computer Solutions] always my top choice. I only lean on my second option if Granite Computer Solutions happens to be too busy to handle the requests that I send to them.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement.

Some of the small and medium-sized businesses with which I have worked in the past have typically lacked internal IT resources. When they need those resources, they will tend to outsource them. Picking the wrong solution provider can cost a company a lot of time, money, and peace of mind.

Granite Computer Solutions has met with my clients on multiple occasions in order to provide support for tasks like upgrading routers and switches, configuring networks and integrating them with new or existing systems. They've offered consultation for choosing between different hardware upgrades and so on.

From start to finish, I've worked with three to four individuals from their company, each with a different role. I originally met with their account manager and discussed the work in detail. That person would then engage the right engineers, depending on the complexity of the project, and assign them to the project.

How did you come to work with Granite Computer Solutions?

Six years ago, when I was working for another company, I was prospecting for vendors that I could use as long-term partners, in case the need would come up for a client. This can earn credibility for someone in my position. I met with Granite Computer Solutions' owner at his office to discuss our backgrounds and approaches to service. I learned more about their typical clients in order to match them with some of my own prospects better. At the time, I focused more on small-to-medium businesses. Granite Computer Solutions helped me with multiple projects, putting some fires out and helping increase my credibility.

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

Cost is handled by my own end clients and can vary from $20,000 one-time projects to ongoing support for $200 to $500 per month.

What is the status of this engagement?

We have an ongoing relationship.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

We worked with a client whose IT didn't do a good job in providing redundancy for their existing configuration. When they had an outage, their entire network went down. Besides this, some of their equipment was outdated. Granite Computer Solutions was able to save them cost not only in terms of upgrading equipment but also through reconfiguring their existing infrastructure. They earned the customer's business and their confidence in the process. After this, that company bought more equipment from Granite Computer Solutions and maintained an ongoing relationship.

How did Granite Computer Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

They've always been professional, accountable, and responsive to client needs. Their owner reaches out to customers and reassures them that his group is on top of things. Granite Computer Solutions is very good at being on time unless they're extremely busy. They set expectations upfront and don't disappear if things go wrong. We don't use dedicated project management tools. Communication is done primarily through email.

What distinguishes Granite Computer Solutions from other providers?

They're really innovative in terms of the solutions they can provide. Granite Computer Solutions will try to work with what the client already has and only after this will they try to recreate the wheel. I've worked with many different IT companies. The majority of them will tend to criticize the current setup and make upgrade suggestions, trying to sell you solutions you might not actually need. Granite Computer Solutions is great at reconfiguring hardware and assessing what is already on-site. If that is impossible, they'll move to the second option. I appreciate that kind of approach.

Is there anything Granite Computer Solutions could have improved upon or done differently?

They could widen their reach. Currently, they only serve customers in the Phoenix Valley area and, to a small degree, outside of Phoenix, Arizona. I have customers across Arizona, so it would be great if Granite Computer Solutions opened up a remote office, extending their reach and customer size.