TruAdvantage

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the President of Razz Construction Inc.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a construction company specializing in residential and commercial projects.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire TruAdvantage to accomplish?

• Improve overall IT reliability and reduce downtime
• Implement strong cybersecurity protections for our business and client data
• Establish a responsive helpdesk for day-to-day support
• Support onboarding and offboarding of employees
• Provide strategic IT guidance to support our growth

SOLUTION

How did you find TruAdvantage?

Referral

Why did you select TruAdvantage over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from TruAdvantage were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

• Conducted a full IT and security assessment of our systems and workflows
• Implemented a managed IT support structure with helpdesk and dedicated resources
• Strengthened cybersecurity with monitoring, protection tools, and best practices
• Migrated key systems and data to a more reliable and secure cloud environment
• Standardized onboarding and offboarding processes
• Provided ongoing strategic IT guidance to improve efficiency and scalability

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Significant reduction in downtime and IT-related disruptions
• Faster response times for support requests, improving team productivity
• Stronger cybersecurity posture with no major incidents
• More efficient onboarding and offboarding processes
• Improved overall confidence in our IT systems and operations

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

• Very organized and structured approach
• Clear communication and consistent follow-ups
• Responsive helpdesk with quick turnaround times
• Dedicated account management through a Client Success Manager
• Regular check-ins and strategic reviews to align IT with business needs

What was your primary form of communication with TruAdvantage?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

• Their cybersecurity expertise and proactive approach
• Extremely fast response times, feels like an internal IT team
• Strong communication and structured processes
• They take time to understand our business and provide strategic recommendations.
• They help us think of IT as a growth enabler, not just a cost

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

• Occasionally, there can be a high volume of communication updates on tickets,
which can feel excessive

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Operations and Technology of a nonprofit organization

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Our mission is to develop, place and connect essential Latino leaders in the education sector. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire TruAdvantage to accomplish?

• Cybersecurity Overhaul & Monitoring
• Implement IT Help Desk
• Device Lifecycle Management

SOLUTION

How did you find TruAdvantage?

Referral

Why did you select TruAdvantage over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

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

1. Onboarding & Offboarding Hardware and Software Support
Procurement of hardware and software for new and existing employees.
Remote setup, configuration, and deployment of devices.
Vendor and asset management for hardware and software lifecycle.

2. Helpdesk & Technical Support
Unlimited remote support for troubleshooting IT issues.
After-hours emergency IT support.
Patch management for applications and system updates.
Vendor/asset management for hardware repairs and replacements.

3. IT Infrastructure Management
Security policy review
Network documentation and architecture assessment.
Cyber insurance compliance guidance.

4. Cybersecurity Services
24/7 Security Operations Center (SOC) monitoring and alerting.
Managed detection and response (MDR) for endpoints, cloud, and network security.
Anti-virus, anti-spam, and advanced email protection implementation.
Dark web monitoring for compromised credentials.
Employee security awareness training and reporting.
Penetration testing and vulnerability assessments.
DNS protection and web filtering to block malicious sites.
Network health monitoring and reporting.
Backup and disaster recovery (BCDR) implementation.
Single Sign-On (SSO) and identity management solutions.

5. Additional IT Support & Strategic Consulting
Virtual CIO (vCIO) services for IT strategy and planning.
System training videos (Outlook, collaboration tools, cybersecurity best practices).
Cybersecurity training videos for employees.
Development and implementation of IT and cybersecurity dashboards.
Quarterly strategic business reviews to align IT goals with organizational objectives.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

1. Onboarding & Offboarding Efficiency
All new devices were successfully deployed, and outdated equipment was decommissioned securely.
Remote provisioning processes were optimized, ensuring smooth and timely employee onboarding.

2. Helpdesk & Technical Support
IT support requests were addressed in a timely manner, minimizing disruptions.
Around-the-clock emergency support was available, ensuring continuous operations.
Regular patch management reduced recurring technical issues and improved system stability.
Coordination with vendors facilitated efficient hardware repairs and replacements.

3. IT Infrastructure Optimization
Security policies and network performance were reviewed, addressing key vulnerabilities.
IT business reviews were conducted to align technology strategies with organizational needs.

4. Cybersecurity Enhancements
Continuous security monitoring was implemented, preventing potential threats.
Advanced detection and response measures strengthened endpoint and network security.
Email and web security protections were improved to mitigate phishing and malware risks.
Dark web monitoring identified and remediated compromised credentials.
Penetration testing and access controls were reinforced to enhance system security.
Data backup and disaster recovery solutions were fully deployed to ensure business continuity.

5. Strategic IT Growth & Training
Virtual CIO consultations provided strategic IT guidance and long-term planning.
Cybersecurity and IT training sessions helped strengthen staff awareness and preparedness.
Cybersecurity dashboards were introduced, offering greater visibility into IT performance.
Strategic business reviews were conducted, aligning IT initiatives with broader organizational goals.

Final Assessment:
All key IT projects were successfully completed, resulting in a more secure, efficient, and resilient technology environment. IT operations are now better equipped to support ongoing organizational needs while proactively mitigating risks.

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

Initially, during the onboarding process, as our team got used to theirs, there were some slight ineffeciencies specific to communication, where we would answer questions in one meeting that we would then get asked again in another. After the first few weeks, they onboarded a project manager that supported the onboarding process and eliminated this efficiency. Since then, the project management has been well-structured and efficient, ensuring that all deliverables are met on time. They maintain clear communication about any projects or open-ticket requests, proactively addressing any issues and adapting to our needs as they arise. Their responsiveness and ability to adjust to our priorities have made the engagement smooth and effective. And the cherry on top, is that their staff members are great, kind, and patient people that happily answer any and all questions we may have about IT.

What was your primary form of communication with TruAdvantage?

Virtual Meeting

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

Their ability to seamlessly integrate cybersecurity, IT infrastructure, and support services while maintaining a proactive and responsive approach as our organization underwent major changes was particularly impressive. 

Something unique about them would be that their team members feel like an extension of our organization, which doesn't happen often with external managed services/consultants. 

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

TruAdvantage has been highly responsive to feedback and has consistently made adjustments to meet our needs. While no major issues arose, ongoing refinement of proactive communication regarding open tickets—such as providing more frequent progress updates—would take them to the next level.

Their adaptability and willingness to improve have made working with them seamless.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Owner

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are an accounting firm in the Bay Area.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire TruAdvantage to accomplish?

• Managed IT and Cybersecurity services
• Help us with compliance and security risk assessment.

SOLUTION

How did you find TruAdvantage?

Online Search

Why did you select TruAdvantage over others?

• High ratings
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from TruAdvantage were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

• Management of IT Infrastructure: Overseeing the monitoring and upkeep of servers, networks, and hardware components. Regularly applying software updates, patches, and security enhancements. Proactively monitoring system performance and addressing issues as they arise. Configuring and supervising firewalls, routers, and switches.
• Providing Help Desk Support: Delivering responsive and dependable technical assistance to end-users. Resolving hardware and software problems through troubleshooting. Offering remote support and conducting on-site visits as needed. Utilizing a ticketing system to track and resolve user queries and issues.
• Ensuring Data Backup and Recovery: Regularly backing up data to prevent loss. Utilizing off-site storage and redundancy for enhanced security. Ensuring swift data recovery in the event of system failures or disasters. Testing and validating backup and recovery processes.
• Enhancing Network Security: Implementing and overseeing robust security measures. Configuring firewalls and intrusion detection/prevention systems. Conducting regular vulnerability assessments and security audits. Deploying antivirus and anti-malware solutions to safeguard against threats.
• Managing Cloud Services: Handling the migration and oversight of cloud-based infrastructure. Setting up and configuring cloud platforms and applications. Monitoring, optimizing, and managing the costs of cloud resources. Implementing collaboration tools, file sharing, and remote access solutions.
• Offering IT Strategy and Consulting: Developing technology plans and roadmaps. Evaluating and recommending IT solutions and vendors. Assisting with IT budgeting and optimizing costs. Providing guidance on industry best practices and emerging technologies.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Faster Incident Resolution: Tracking the time taken to resolve IT incidents, including hardware failures or software issues, offers insights into the effectiveness of our support team. A decrease in the average incident resolution time indicates improved efficiency and quicker problem resolution.
• Strengthened Security: Measuring security outcomes may involve a decrease in security incidents, successful prevention of breaches or attacks, and enhanced compliance with industry regulations or data protection standards. Regular security audits can gauge the effectiveness of implemented security measures.
• Enhanced User Satisfaction: Gathering feedback from end-users through satisfaction surveys can yield measurable results in terms of an improved user experience. Higher user satisfaction scores, a reduction in user-reported issues, and positive user feedback all signify successful service delivery.
• Cost-Efficiency: Evaluating cost savings is crucial to assessing the success of managed IT services. This encompasses reductions in IT-related expenses such as hardware purchases, software licensing costs, and overall IT maintenance expenses. A comparative analysis of IT costs before and after our engagement can demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of our services.
• Compliance Achievements: If the project aims for compliance with specific industry regulations or data protection standards, measurable outcomes may include successful compliance audits, attainment of necessary certifications, and adherence to established compliance frameworks.
• Minimized Downtime: We can gauge the reduction in unplanned system downtime and compare it to the baseline before implementing our services. This metric serves as evidence of improved system stability and availability, leading to heightened productivity.
• Enhanced System Performance: Quantifying improvements in system performance can be achieved by measuring key performance indicators (KPIs) such as network speed, server response time, and application performance.

By comparing these metrics before and after our engagement, we can assess the positive impact of our services.

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

Their proactive problem-solving approach is highly commendable. They foresee potential challenges and take preemptive actions to mitigate risks, thereby minimizing disruptions to our operations. Their team is consistently available and accessible, offering a high level of support and guidance whenever it's needed.

TruAdvantage consistently demonstrates exceptional project management skills throughout our engagement. They have a proven track record of delivering deliverables punctually, adhering to agreed-upon deadlines and project milestones. Their robust organizational capabilities ensure that tasks are efficiently planned, executed, and closely monitored to ensure timely completion.

Furthermore, their responsiveness to our requirements has been exceptional. Whenever we've faced issues or needed assistance, their team has promptly addressed our concerns and provided timely solutions. Their communication channels are both open and efficient, facilitating rapid and effective collaboration. They are attentive listeners, taking the time to comprehend our needs and customizing their services to meet our precise requirements.

In summary, TruAdvantage excels in project management by consistently delivering items on time and swiftly responding to our needs. Their dedication to delivering efficient and effective services has played a pivotal role in our organization's success.

What was your primary form of communication with TruAdvantage?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

What sets TruAd apart and truly impresses us is their unwavering dedication to customer satisfaction. They consistently go the extra mile to not only meet but exceed our needs. Their commitment to putting the customer first is evident in every interaction and service they deliver. 

One standout aspect is their profound understanding of our business and industry. They invest the time to thoroughly grasp our unique challenges, objectives, and requirements. This deep understanding enables them to tailor their solutions specifically to our needs, setting them apart from other managed IT firms. 

Furthermore, their technical expertise and proficiency are truly exceptional. They boast a highly skilled and knowledgeable team that stays abreast of the latest developments in IT. This ensures that we consistently receive cutting-edge solutions and recommendations, allowing us to harness technology for maximum business impact.

In essence, what truly sets TruAdvantage apart is their steadfast commitment to our success. They consistently go above and beyond, delivering exceptional service, showcasing technical prowess, and placing our satisfaction at the forefront. Their personalized approach, proactive attitude, and effective communication skills make them a standout among managed IT firms in the Bay Area.

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

Overall, all is good. In one instance, we had a change of scope in our project and communication was a bit delayed. That’s the only time I remember that I thought something could have been done better.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the executive director of an independent senior living community.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with TruAdvantage?

They’re our managed IT services partner.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

When we started working together they did a lot of in-person work, but now the bulk of their work is done remotely. We had an existing IT system built previously that they’ve been able to take over and manage. They also service our VoIP system.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with Iman (Director of Operations), Kayvan (Co-Founder and President), and Felix (IT Consultant & Systems Engineer). Recently, though, I’ve been working through their help desk and have had a nearly flawless experience.

How did you come to work with TruAdvantage?

When we were looking for an IT partner, I had no idea where to start. I had a colleague recommend TruAdvantage. From our first interaction, they were straightforward about how they could help us.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $50,000 with them so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve worked together since June 2019. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They do a great job taking care of our issues. I don’t always understand what they’re doing, but I have every confidence in their work. They’re awesome, service-oriented, and customer-oriented. I have the most confidence in Iman, Kayvan, and Felix but have a lot of confidence in their organization overall

How did TruAdvantage perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve done amazing work in managing the project. They laid down the groundwork for a smooth engagement from the beginning of our time working together. Because of this, I don’t really see them as actively managing our project. They’re very responsive via email but are happy to accommodate my phone calls as well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re service-oriented and never talk condescendingly to me. Their professionalism and courtesy make them stand out from their competitors.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Initially, you should designate one person to be their main point of contact. Once they grow to understand your needs, though, it doesn’t matter who reaches out to them. Our main point of contact with them left the company and we never experienced a drop-off in service. They’re there for their clients.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

A non-for-profit organization promoting the Iranian-American culture, media and community. As the member of the board and director of operation, I was in charge of our daily operations, IT operation, logistics for our TV and radio and podcast programs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire TruAdvantage?

Our non-for-profit organization experienced a rapid growth in 2011, employing over 25 staff for various functions. Our organization lacked an IT infrastructure, network, and collaboration platform for our team members. TruAdvantage was chosen as our outsourced IT team to address those challenges, and to build an IT infrastructure and collaboration platform and maintain it thereafter.

What were your goals for this project?

Design and setup an IT infrastructure and network for our organization. We had zero IT process an infrastructure at the time. Staff would use their own personal computers for company related work.

Implement a business-class collaboration platform for email, calendar, and shared tasks and projects

Design and implement a business-class file sharing platform for our organization for internal and external and temporary users

Implement a security plan for the organization along with end-user training

Maintain and manage our IT systems with proactive support and helpdesk

SOLUTION

How did you select TruAdvantage?

Due to our limited budget being a nonprofit, we wanted to work with a company that had already worked with and had reasonable or discounted rates for Non profit organizations. 3 companies were chosen based on our own research and also our network of connections within the community.

Our board interviewed the three companies and chose TruAdvantage. Their sales and marketing process, presentation, timely follow-ups, and extensive work with non-profits all contributed to being selected by our board. They also offered a discounted rate both for project and post project management.

Describe the project in detail.

The initial project was setting up a full IT infrastructure starting with a full assessment of our existing processes, workflow and IT systems. TruAdvantage completed a full IT Audit of our systems and presented the audit to our board.

New server infrastructure: 4 new servers were procured and setup at our office, each with different functions: a domain controller service as a database of all of our users and resources, a file server, an email server hosting Exchange 2010 for email and calendars and a utility server as a print server.

Backup process: new backup process was implemented utilizing a local NAS device and offsite backup to cloud with alerts and reports

Staff’s workstations: all of our 25 staff were given standardized Dell laptops. An onboarding process migrated our staff’s data and settings from their personal computers to company issued computers.

Email and calendar: all of staff were given formal emails. Email server was secured with 3 rd party anti-spam and protection.

Network: new network was designed and setup. The main security appliance of the network was SonicWall. Remote access via VPN was granted to the staff who were authorized for remote access.

Post project IT management: TruAdvantage’s IT management or as they call it totalCARE was implemented for the whole organization, providing proactive support, live helpdesk, server maintenance, backup and strategic guidance for IT roadmap and security.

What was the team composition?

During the Sales process we mostly worked with Kayvan Yazdi , the co-founder. During the project, our project manager was Iman and the main engineer was Alex. After the project, Cheryl and later Karen Francisco were our service coordinators.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Process and organization: as mentioned we had zero IT infrastructure prior to the project. After the project, and for the first time we had a process in place for all of our staff for document sharing, email, calendars, tasks, projects and remote access. Standardization:

All our staff were working on standardized IT systems and security Peace of mind:

The board and management were at ease knowing that we had a world-class IT team implementing IT security for our organization with password management, antivirus, reporting and alerts.

Productivity: staff were able to access our file server, documents, email, and task management platform remotely and securely using VPN. This in turn made our staff very productive and organized.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

From the sales process, to initial audit and then project implementation the workflow was seamless and efficient. At the beginning of the project, we were presented with a project plan document, detailing the project, tasks and timeline. Thereafter we had weekly progress meetings with our project manager.

At the end of the project, we had a meeting to review the overall project outcome and also were given a survey to rate the project in different aspects. That was quite impressive.

After the project, we followed TruAdvantage’s totalCARE process for support which was via live call for helpdesk, email, chat and their support portal. TruAdvantage’s support team included a team of live helpdesk engineers, a primary engineer and an account manager.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Friendly: TruAdvantage’s team is very friendly and easy to work with, from their dispatcher to the project managers and executive team, no exception. I believe that’s part of their culture or DNA.

Open to feedback: Their CSAT and feedback process work extremely well. They constantly seek feedback, listen to it and actually act on it.

Knowledgeable and reliable: The team is very knowledgeable and if they don’t have the answer, they will let you know and will get back to you with the right resource. Their processes and support are very reliable. Nothing really falls through cracks with TruAdvantage.

Expertise with non-profits: they not only provide discounted rates for non-profit, but also have a deep expertise on how non-profits work, how to procure for non-profits at lower rates (know vendors that provide special rates for non-profits such as Techsoup) and also have expertise about non-profit programs and applications.

vCIO : By working with TruAdvantage, you have access to the knowledge and expertise of a CIO without the expense of having a full-time officer on staff. Beyond the cost savings of a full-time employee, their vCIO services provided our organization with a high-level technology expert with a deep understanding of business management and strategy.

Are there any areas for improvement?

A better non-profit pricing schedule would have been great, but that's it.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Our retail store is an American big-box store chain headquartered in Silicon Valley. Our chain stores retail software, consumer electronics, household appliances and more.

As the operations manager, I was in charge of developing Sales/Operations/Merchandising managers across our store’s locations-including the e-commerce division.

I was also responsible for creating, implementing, and executing strategies to enhance product turn/ sales which leads to greater vendor relationships.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire TruAdvantage?

In late 2013, we had an urgent need to move our in-house developed CRM and sales management platform from on-premise servers to a cloud hosted solution.

The platform spanned over 40 servers in-house and simply was not sustainable. Downtime and Security were of great concern for us.

What were your goals for this project?

• Our in-house CRM and Sales Platform migration from on-premise to the cloud, hosted on about 40 servers
• Create and implement a migration strategy for the move to minimize downtime and maximize efficiency
• Implement a maintenance plan for the servers (hardware and software) including backup and disaster recovery
• Provide high-level infrastructure support to our internal IT team
• Protect our data and customers’ records by implementing a Backup and Disaster recovery solution with business continuity

SOLUTION

How did you select TruAdvantage?

We outsourced the selection process to one of our partners who oversaw vendor selection for us. They narrowed down the selection to the top 3 IT and Cybersecurity firms in the Bay Area. My team was in charge of the final selection process.

We conducted 2 interviews with each firm, asking for case studies, prototypes, and reference checks. TruAdvantage surpassed the other 2 by end of the process in all categories. We felt confident about our choice and in hindsight, glad we did.

Describe the project in detail.

• ITIL based: TruAdvantage has a very solid and ITIL -based project planning process that was thoroughly followed for our project.
• Data gathering and Documenation: lasted about one month during which TruAdvantage and our internal team documented our CRM process, back-end, front-end and end-user workflows and processes
• Pilot testing: As a pilot, a small number of servers (3 of them, least mission critical) were migrated to Azure, managed by TruAdvantage.
• First phase: after successful migration of the first 3 servers, about 15 servers were migrated to Azure and the on-premise servers were shutdown after data and functionality migration
• Hybrid phase: for about 60 days, our CRM was running in a hybrid mode, almost half of the servers were in Azure Cloud and half were still on premise.
• Final phase: in the final phase, about 22 servers were migrated to Azure cloud. All on-prem servers were shutdown and eventually decommissioned. Migration was fully completed.

What was the team composition?

For the main project, our team consisted of our project manager Iman Oskoorouchi, Service manager Karen and Systems engineers Matin and Alex.

After the project and for routine maintenance and support, our service coordinator was Karen, our client success manager was Kayvan Yazdi and our primary engineer was Brandon.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

No downtime: 40 servers were migrated to the cloud and we experience no downtime. The project completed successfully and surpassed our expectations in terms of potential ramifications.

Cloud-based CRM and Sales Platform: now we have our CRM and sales platform that were developed in-house hosted in a reliable cloud-based infrastructure: Microsoft Azure.

Business continuity: using Azure, TruAdvantage designed and implemented a backup and business continuity for our CRM. We test the process annually to make sure we can operate in case of a disaster.

Efficiency for our Sales team: now our CRM and Sales are hosted in the cloud. We can access it from anywhere anytime, fast, and reliable.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Initially the project was managed by our project manager Iman. They follow ITIL project planning process which includes comprehensive project plans, weekly sync-ups, testing, hybrid testing and final completion.

We had a chance (through a channel) to provide feedback at the end of each phase of the project. Our feedback was documented, and necessary actions or adjustments were made.

Later, for our support and maintenance we had 4 different ways to report issues: chat, phone, email, and our IT management portal. We also had our strategic business reviews with our client success manager Kayvan.

Overall, great process and workflow.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

• Project planning: They have a great process for the project planning, testing, feedback process, etc
• The team: They consist of a team of professionals. We enjoyed working with them and looked forward to our meetings.
• Process, reporting & documentation: they do a great job creating SOP’s, processes and documentation for IT systems and platforms. They have a great documentation portal, which was available to us as well. We could access and download reports, documents, SOP’s with a click of a button.
• Big picture with vision: They focus on big picture and strategy with a vision and help you implement that vision.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nothing major but at times we found the number of emails or notifications we got from their ticketing system excessive.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Established in Campbell, California in the summer of 1986 our company has grown into a team of professionals serving luxury homes and commercial real estate throughout the Bay Area. I serve as the Chief Operating Officer, which includes the IT operation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire TruAdvantage?

We brought TruAdvantage on board back in February 2012. As our company was growing, we needed support with proving remote workflow optimization with our field installers along with overall IT and Cybersecurity of our company. We had a part-time IT admin but concluded the part time resource was not sufficient anymore and our needs had outgrown our part-time, one-man resource.

What were your goals for this project?

We asked TruAdvantage to deliver 3 goals for us:

1. Optimize the process for our field installers to access our main application in our office for better speed, easier access, and higher security.
2. Provide systematic and responsive helpdesk support for our in-office and field installers
3. Provide and implement cybersecurity at our company

SOLUTION

How did you select TruAdvantage?

TruAdvantage was referred to us after I asked around in our network of businesses for a reputable IT company. I interviewed two other IT companies along with TruAdvantage. I was impressed by their processes, communication, and range of solutions. It was an easy decision and a good one. They have been our IT team since February of 2012.

Describe the project in detail.

The workflow optimization started with their team interviewing our field installers and auditing our install process. They created a Scope of Work (SOW) presenting the solution that included installation of 2 remote desktop (terinal) servers for redundancy.

The RDP solution was tested by our sr. installers and gradually was made available to all of our installers. We also went through the full onboarding of their Managed IT (called TotalCare). The onboarding process took about two weeks and during that process all of computers were integrated into their TotalCare monitoring system. The process was very smooth with no downtime.

What was the team composition?

Overall, their support team for our company consist of their dispatch manager (Karen), our primary engineers ( Joe and Erik), our service manager Justin and our client success manager or CSM Iman Oskoorouchi.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Peace of mind: Having TruAdvantage as our IT partner for the past 9 years has impacted our company greatly. First and foremost, management has peace of mind about security. We have not had any security incidents, ransomware, etc . Staff are being trained and tested on a regular basis.

Faster installs: Their remote solution for our field installer had made our installs faster with less errors and issues. That has increased our revenue and profit margin. Impeccable support and process: Our admin staff and field staff have access to live IT support, so we feel like we have our own IT team. Their continuous strategic guidance and projects have kept our operation efficient and lean.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Communication is one of the strong areas of the TruAdvantage team. During the project, we had weekly updates on the progress of the project to make sure everybody was on the same page.

For support, every issue they resolve allows us to provide feedback so if something is not done satisfactorily, we have a way of letting them know right then and they act on it. We also have our quarterly high-level meetings with our client success manager, Iman. Great meetings to review and align our business goals with our IT strategy.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Top 3 I can list here are

1. The team is extremely responsive with their live support and their dispatch process. They use metrics and take those metrics very seriously.
2. Staff are extremely intelligent, pleasant to interact with, and customer-driven. TruAdvantage management knows who and how to hire.
3. Their deep knowledge on Cybersecurity and physical security (they also manage our door system security)

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nothing major that I can think of. Here and there some issues might not get resolved to our satisfaction. We provide feedback and they rectify it in a timely manner.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

East Bay Endosurgery Center provides quality and affordable care to the community in their quest to lower colon cancer rates and treat an array of digestive diseases. As the business manger of the practice, I have a multitude of administrative responsibilities that includes managing the daily operations of the practice and developing operation and also IT strategy.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire TruAdvantage?

In late 2017, we came to this realization that our practice’s IT, HIPAA Compliance and Cybersecurity needs and challenges required a larger team. TruAdvantage was brought onboard to develop and implement a solid and scalable IT strategy to address our needs and pain points: To provide real-time and responsive helpdesk to staff and doctors, implement a cybersecurity plan, help us maintain HIPAA and minimize our footprint on premise by migrating to the cloud.

What were your goals for this project?

--Our staff were frustrated with the response rate and support process of our IT person. We needed fast, responsive, and process-oriented support. -- We need a team who can help up strategize and implement best practices with Cybersecurity. -- HIPAA compliance is a priority.

We needed an IT company who worked with healthcare practices, understood HIPAA, and could help us address HIPAA Compliance. -- We had a high number of physical servers and an old infrastructure in our server room. We wanted to move as much as we can to the cloud and upgrade the old infrastructure. -- Protect our data and patient records by implementing a solid Backup and Disaster recovery solution

SOLUTION

How did you select TruAdvantage?

TruAdvantage was referred to us by another Medical practice we have a close connection with. As a matter of fact, both of our practices interviewed TruAdvantage and chose them as our new IT team. We conducted a great deal of due diligence including multiple interviews and meetings, reviewed their process and metrics and checked with some of the references. They surpassed our expectations and made the selection process easy for us.

Describe the project in detail.

-- They initially completed a full assessment or as they call it “IT and Security Audit”. The assessed the 3 areas of Infrastructure, Security and Support Process. -- The IT and security Audit was presented to the management. The report was very comprehensive and included 3 colors: red, yellow and green. -- After the presentation, the onboarding process started.

The onboarding included onboarding of all of our staff, computers, servers, mobile devices and our whole IT infrastructure. -- After onboarding, they completed a full documentation of our IT environment.

What was the team composition?

The team involved with EBEC includes Karen as the service coordinator, Joe as the primary engineer, Justin as the service manager and Kayvan as the client success manager. We also have access to a team of 12 helpdesk technicians for live support via phone and chat.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Any IT issues are addressed accordingly. The assistance required in met in a timely manner. No challenges have precipitated since working with TruAdvantage.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Amazing support: our staff and doctors feel confident that they can get their issues solved fast. We truly feel like we have a full IT department at our fingertips. Peace of mind: with the security practices and also the disaster recovery solution they have put in place, management has a great deal of peace of mind about security of our data, patient records and overall, the reputation of our practice.

Efficiency and better patient care: with live and responsive support and process improvements implemented by TruAdvantage, we can take care of our patients faster and with higher quality.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

-- Their level of expertise and experience in Cybersecurity and in the healthcare industry and HIPAA compliance -- They have put together a great team. Fun to work with, easy going and professional. They truly become a part of your company. -- They work with processes and metrics. Their onboarding, offboarding and documentation are phenomenal -- I like that I can provide feedback (CSAT) for all the issues and tickets. They take our feedback very seriously and act on it. --- They help us with high-level vision and strategy for IT, Office workflow and Security.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None at this point.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Systems Engineer at the Oshman Family JCC nonprofit organization.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire TruAdvantage?

• Implement ITIL based helpdesk process including ticketing process for IT department (ZenDesk)
• To plan, strategize and migrate about 200 users from on prem email to cloud email (office 365)
• To implement IT best practices including Network monitoring and management (RMM/Kaseya) for the whole organization
• Help us with IT strategy, budgeting, efficiency initiatives

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I personally know Truadvantage’s co-founder Kayvan Yazdi since we cooperated with each other for several years for IT and IT security projects at another non-profit.

Describe the project in detail.

Helpdesk process: after piloting multiple solutions, ZedDesk was chosen as the helpdesk/ticketing system. Zendesk was implemented for the IT department and everybody got trained on it. Endusers got trained on how to move away from email and use ZenDesk by TruAdvantage team

O365 migration: a test environment was setup for testing purposes on Office 365. Initially only a handful of users were chosen for testing the migration After a successful testing phase, all users got migrated to Office365 without any downtime. Old on prem servers were kept on for a month and then retired.

Remote monitoring and management tool: Kaseya got fully implemented on all of our IT systems. New portals were created for server and network monitoring. New alerts and dashboard were created for all servers and network devices

What was the team composition?

Kayvan Y. was the project manager. I was also helping with the project Matin M. was also involved as a project engineer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Improved end users Support and customer service: Support became streamlined after moving away from the old system and email based support and utilizing an enterprise level ticketing system such as ZenDesk. Now we have full visibility and accountability for end user issues with an SLA. We can also easily review our metrics such as response rate, close rate, etc and make improvement.

Peace of mind: with 247 monitoring and alerting implemented via the new RMM, our team has peace of mind and has full visibility into network and security issues

Infrastructure maintenance efficiency: improved greatly by using the new RMM solution. We maintain the IT systems faster and easier with less manual work.

Cost savings due to move to the cloud based email (0365)and no need to buy server hardware. Kayvan also setup the backup schedule using Symantec Backup Exec

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was efficient and effective. We had regular weekly meetings to review the status of the project We also reviewed the progress report and numbers monthly and included JCC’s IT director in the meetings

Initially, we had over 20 hours of onsite presence by TruAdvantage which gradually decreased to less than 10. A couple of deadlines were missed however they was a valid reason for it and it was well communicated ahead of time.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The Quality of work was excellent! Non profit discounts: They have (lower) rates for non profits. They're very process-oriented, follow metrics, and plan projects well. Very good communication skills. Pleasant to work with

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not really sure, well, there were a couple of deadlines missed however I believe there were valid reasons for it and it was communicated to us.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the office manager for a cancer center.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with TruAdvantage?

We needed a partner to provide us both remote and onsite IT support.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, TruAdvantage helped build the practice. Their team installed cables, wireless capabilities, and hardware to get us up and running. Now, they provide managed IT services on-site and remotely. Their team supports our computers and phone systems including voicemail set-up, routing features, and automatic transfer, which directs calls to our answering service after hours. They install any electronic medical records or additional software and troubleshoot any issues that arise. Administering our e-mail system, their team creates new employee accounts. We also use a secure digital faxing platform called Sfax, which TruAdvantage also manages.    

What is the team composition?

We work with about 15 teammates. Usually, we have about two direct contacts but there are other TruAdvantage team members available for support.

How did you come to work with TruAdvantage?

When TruAdvantage was chosen as a partner I wasn’t part of the team, but they’ve done a good job managing servers and providing remote support; that’s why our management company has chosen them to manage IT services for this facility.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our team started working with TruAdvantage in February 2016, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We appreciate having different ways of contacting TruAdvantage. They’re available by phone, email, and text, which means we’ve never been placed on hold. Rather, we’re able to continue working while waiting for a callback. Their team is also available after hours. In the event that there’s a bug in our system and we’re busy attending to patients, they’re willing to work after-hours to resolve the issue in order to not impact patient flow.

How did TruAdvantage perform from a project management standpoint?

We’ve used the phone, email, and tech support for communication. Their team makes themselves available for every call. Whenever I’ve had service requests or updates to the phone systems, TruAdvantage has responded promptly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s been valuable to have a single point of contact as they know us by name. When we need help, TruAdvantage knows what’s happening with the technology and provide guidance to solve issues. Their personable management style is one of their greatest strengths as a partner.

Are there any areas they could improve?

My only complaint is that they don’t permit our team to have a lot of access to the systems, which makes it difficult when we need to download content. I understand that’s a policy to protect the safety of the system, so we’re respectful of that.