The ITeam

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the digital marketing coordinator of Foothills Creamery. We are an ice cream company located in Canada.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with The ITeam?

We were going through an expansion phase for our brand and we hired The ITeam to improve our old IT system, which was very slow and hard to use.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The ITeam has guided us through the process of improving our IT system and updating our slow internet package. They gave recommendations along the way and helped us implement the changes. Most of their work is on-site but there are some instances where they need to work remotely for some of our locations. 

Some other tasks they’ve helped with include securing our networks and passwords, establishing an automatic offsite backup, and setting up the WiFi network on our employees’ phones. They’ve also migrated our old operating system from Windows 7 to Windows 10 and migrated us to Microsoft Office 365. 

What is the team composition?

There are three people assigned to our account, including Austin (Account Manager, The ITeam), Rob (Service Manager, The ITeam) and Mike (CIO, The ITeam). 

How did you come to work with The ITeam?

I wasn’t directly involved in the selection process. They went through an interview process with about three other companies, and we chose The ITeam because their proposal best fit our needs. Their analysis and recommendations of our current systems were quite in-depth. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spend around $3,600 per month. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in September 2019 and we’re planning to continue our year-long subscription to their services. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They get every task done quickly and efficiently, so everything is always taken care of. They’re a great company and we’re glad to have their services. 

How did The ITeam perform from a project management standpoint?

We use a ticket system to communicate tasks and they’ve been very responsive. Everyone internally on our team feels that they’ve been fantastic. They answer all of our questions and go above and beyond for us, so we’re thankful for that. They have a 24-hour support system service, so every question is answered, even after hours. We’re never left in the dark. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

When working with our past IT company, they were not responsive or reliable, taking several emails and reminders to complete tasks. The ITeam is efficient and takes the time to educate us when necessary. Their speed at completing tasks is great. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

At this point in time, no. They’re the first great company we’ve worked with, so we don’t have any complaints. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It’s good to give them the criteria you’re looking for. If you can specifically ask them for something and guide them through your needs, that’ll help them do their job and not dictate the project. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a meat wholesaler.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with The ITeam?

We needed to restructure our electronics. Our accounts were hacked, and we hoped to avoid issues like that in the future with proper backup systems.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They gave everyone new computers and updated our systems. They explained a lot of things that confused us, and they backed up our system in three separate servers. Our computers are much safer than they were.

What is the team composition?

We had one main point of contact, and a second team member supported us on occasion.

How did you come to work with The ITeam?

They came to us through a recommendation. They met with our owners in person, and we appreciated that interpersonal connection.

How much have you invested with them?

We had a lot of startup costs, and the total spend so far is close to $35,000-$40,000 CAD (approximately $27,000-$30,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in November 2016. The relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We wouldn't be in business without them. They saved us during the hack I mentioned, and we might have gone under without their help. Safety is the biggest thing they provide, and they help us whenever a computer crashes or if we lose power. Overall, they save us a lot of time.

How did The ITeam perform from a project management standpoint?

They're there to help us within minutes. They're very easy to work with.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're very personable. They know us well, and they treat us well, even though we're one of their smaller accounts. We have a good relationship with them, and they prioritize all their clients equally.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I'd encourage them to keep doing what they're already doing. There's nothing they could improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Trust them, and give them free reign. If you tell them what you need, they'll handle it.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior project engineer of an independent consulting firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with the ITeam?

We were looking for a tech partner who could address all of our IT and networking needs.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Their team ensured the smooth-functioning of our servers and made sure that we had an adequate backup of our data at all times. When our offices flooded in 2013, they were involved in getting our computers up and running. We eventually decided to co-locate these servers, a few of which The ITeam hosted.  

What is the team composition?

Around six people were involved in their work here. At one point, we had one teammate sit in our office. Since they responded to requests through their help desk, the team size fluctuated.

How did you come to work with the ITeam?

We found them through a referral by the graphic design firm that we were using. Seeking IT support, we released a tender specifying our requirements. We talked to three other firms but ultimately decided that they were the best fit for us. In comparison to the others, they developed their proposal meticulously, and we thought that was a good reflection of the company.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $30,000 a year, so we’ve spent around $270,000 over the course of nine years.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in April 2011, and the work is still ongoing.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Their team works to ensure the smooth-functioning of our servers and makes sure that we have an adequate backup of our data at all times. When our offices flooded in 2013, they were involved in getting our computers up and running. We eventually decided to co-locate these servers, a few of which The ITeam has hosted.  

What is the team composition?

Around six people are involved. At one point, we had one teammate sit in our office. Since they respond to requests through their help desk, the team size has fluctuated.

How did you come to work with the ITeam?

We found them through a referral by the graphic design firm that we were using. Seeking IT support, we released a tender specifying our requirements. We talked to three other firms, but ultimately decided that they were the best fit for us. In comparison to the others, they developed their proposal meticulously, which we thought was a good reflection of the company.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend around $30,000 a year, so we’ve spent around $270,000 over the course of nine years.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in April 2011, and the work is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

While I can’t provide any hard metrics at this point, they’ve been awesome. They’re young and energetic, and they provide creative responses to all of our requests. They’re up to date on the newest technologies. We’ve been very satisfied with the services they provide, and the fact that we still rely on them is a testament to their quality.

How did the ITeam perform from a project management standpoint?

They are very good. While we didn’t have any large projects, they effectively deliver on the smaller tasks we assign to them. If you send an email to their support line expressing urgency, they get back to you right away.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I think they’re personable, and their size allows them to be efficient in how they expedite their work. Their support structures allow them to resolve issues very efficiently and quickly.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they’re pretty much on top of things.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’d recommend being as transparent as possible, so they can align their services to what you expect from them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the General Manager of Aaron Machine Shop LTD

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Manual and CNC Machine Shop, Welding and Fabrication, Metal Processing, Millwright and Repair

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire The ITeam to accomplish?

• Secure our network
• support
• staying current with appropriate upgrades

SOLUTION

How did you find The ITeam?

Referral

Why did you select The ITeam over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

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

• Upgrage our server and network
• up-to-date software/hardware protection with ongoing monitoring 
• education for our team

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our network experiences very few issues, and we have been protected from many online attacks.

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

They came in and accessed our network/security. Then, they supplied us with a detailed plan to get us protected, explaining why and how they were going to do this. Once we agreed, they wasted no time coming in and getting to work.

What was your primary form of communication with The ITeam?

Email or Messaging App

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

We're impressed with how they come through on what they say they will do.

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

Training can be tough as companies grow, making sure we still have task-capable team members working on our cases.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the HSE Manager of a construction company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

General contracting

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire The ITeam to accomplish?

• Keep our IT infrastructure working
• Server Maintenance

SOLUTION

How did you find The ITeam?

Online Search

Why did you select The ITeam over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from The ITeam were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

We moved our data from an onsite server to a managed cloud solution

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Value for work provided was acceptable

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

They were prompt on all communication and were informative with replies.

What was your primary form of communication with The ITeam?

Email or Messaging App

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

They went out of their way to understand what we were trying to do and suggest roadblocks and solutions that we had not considered

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

Not that comes to mind