Vserve Ebusiness Solutions

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Marketing Director of Loving Tan

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Loving Tan creates professional-strength, natural-looking self-tanning products that are cruelty-free, dermatologically tested, and made in Australia for customers worldwide.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Vserve Ebusiness Solutions to accomplish?

• We partnered with Vserve Ebusiness Solutions to strengthen our eCommerce marketing, specifically to improve product visibility, optimize our online storefronts, and scale revenue through better SEO, marketplace management, and data-driven advertising.

SOLUTION

How did you find Vserve Ebusiness Solutions?

Online Search

Why did you select Vserve Ebusiness Solutions over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from Vserve Ebusiness Solutions were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Vserve Ebusiness Solutions handled our end-to-end eCommerce marketing, including product listing optimization, SEO, marketplace management, and PPC improvements to boost visibility and sales. Key deliverables: Optimized product titles, descriptions, images, and A+ content Targeted keyword and SEO strategy Setup and ongoing management of PPC campaigns Marketplace management with accurate inventory, pricing, and promotions Weekly performance reports and actionable insights.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We saw clear improvements in product visibility, higher order volumes across key marketplaces, stronger ad performance, and consistent growth in overall eCommerce revenue and customer engagement.

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

Their project management was smooth and organized, with all tasks delivered on time. They were responsive, quick to adjust to our requests, and consistently proactive in offering solutions.

What was your primary form of communication with Vserve Ebusiness Solutions?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Their deep e-commerce expertise and ability to quickly understand our brand stood out, along with their proactive approach and consistently high-quality work.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Vserve Ebusiness Solutions could have done differently?

A slightly more streamlined communication dashboard would have been helpful, but overall their service met our needs very well.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of CLOUDCOVER®

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

CLOUDCOVER® provides AI-driven, predictive cybersecurity solutions to protect enterprises from evolving, stealthy cyber threats with unmatched accuracy.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Vserve Ebusiness Solutions to accomplish?

• We hired Vserve Ebusiness Solutions to augment our IT team with skilled professionals who could help us enhance our cybersecurity platform, integrate new technologies, and support the scaling of our AI-driven threat detection capabilities. They delivered top-tier talent quickly, ensuring our team could meet the demands of a rapidly changing cybersecurity landscape without missing a beat.

SOLUTION

How did you find Vserve Ebusiness Solutions?

Referral

Why did you select Vserve Ebusiness Solutions over others?

• Great culture fit
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Vserve Ebusiness Solutions were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

We engaged Vserve Ebusiness Solutions for IT Staff Augmentation to help us scale our cybersecurity platform, particularly in the areas of AI-driven threat detection and system integration. Vserve provided highly skilled developers and cybersecurity specialists who seamlessly integrated with our team, accelerating the enhancement of our XDR/SASE CyberSafety platform.

Key Deliverables:

 Full-stack development support for AI-driven threat detection algorithms.
 Integration of new security features into our existing platform, ensuring zero disruption.
 Performance optimization and real-time threat-blocking capabilities to enhance the platform’s speed and accuracy.
 Continuous support for system scalability as we onboarded high-volume enterprise clients in various industries.

Their team helped us hit key product milestones on time, contributing directly to our 99.9999999% threat detection accuracy and ability to predict and block attacks in microseconds.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The collaboration with Vserve Ebusiness Solutions led to several key performance metrics that directly impacted the effectiveness and scalability of our platform:

1. Enhanced Threat Detection Accuracy:
   The integration of Vserve's development team enabled us to refine our AI-driven algorithms, boosting threat detection accuracy to 99.9999999%, surpassing previous benchmarks.

2. Faster Response Times:
   Our platform's ability to predict and block threats in microseconds was significantly improved, reducing incident response times by 40% and improving real-time protection for our clients.

3. Scalability & Client Onboarding:
   With Vserve's support, we successfully scaled our platform to handle 25% more enterprise clients in a 6-month period, particularly in high-demand industries like finance and government, without any degradation in performance.

4. System Uptime & Reliability:
   The platform’s uptime improved to 99.99%, reducing downtime and enhancing service reliability, which is critical for our data-sensitive clients.

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

Their project management was a key factor in the success of the project. They delivered high-quality work on time and were always ready to pivot and support our objectives as they evolved.

What was your primary form of communication with Vserve Ebusiness Solutions?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

What impressed me most about Vserve Ebusiness Solutions was their technical expertise and how seamlessly they integrated with our team. They didn’t just execute tasks; they anticipated challenges and provided proactive, innovative solutions. Their ability to align with our long-term goals, not just short-term deliverables, made them a true partner in scaling our platform. Vserve’s commitment to quality and forward-thinking approach set them apart.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Vserve Ebusiness Solutions could have done differently?

While our experience with Vserve Ebusiness Solutions was overwhelmingly positive, one area for potential improvement could be in initial onboarding and ramp-up time. Although their team quickly adapted to our project, a more streamlined onboarding process with clearer documentation up front could have accelerated the integration phase. That said, this is a minor point, as their team quickly caught up and delivered exceptional results. Overall, their performance was outstanding.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of 7RIDGE

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

7RIDGE is a global financial services firm that specializes in private equity and asset management.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Vserve Ebusiness Solutions to accomplish?

• We hired Vserve to streamline our back-office operations, improve data accuracy, and enhance overall process efficiency, allowing our team to focus more on core financial services and client relations.

SOLUTION

How did you find Vserve Ebusiness Solutions?

Online Search

Why did you select Vserve Ebusiness Solutions over others?

• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Vserve Ebusiness Solutions were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Vserve Ebusiness Solutions was tasked with handling several critical back-office functions for 7RIDGE, including data entry, financial reporting, transaction processing, and reconciliation. Their role involved ensuring accurate and timely documentation for all our financial transactions, managing client records, and supporting the compliance team by maintaining up-to-date regulatory filings.

Key deliverables included:

• Daily Transaction Reconciliation: Vserve ensured all financial transactions were accurately matched and reconciled, preventing any discrepancies in our records.
• Data Management & Reporting: They provided daily, weekly, and monthly financial reports with detailed analysis, allowing us to monitor performance and track investments.
• Compliance Support: Vserve helped maintain meticulous records to meet regulatory standards, reducing our risk exposure.
• Efficient Workflow Automation: They implemented streamlined processes, reducing manual work and enhancing our operational speed.

This comprehensive support allowed us to scale our operations while maintaining high-quality service to our clients.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Improved Efficiency: The time required for financial reporting and transaction processing was significantly reduced, enabling faster decision-making and quicker response times to clients.
• Enhanced Accuracy: The number of errors in financial data and reports dropped, leading to more reliable financial statements and a smoother audit process.
• Regulatory Compliance: We consistently met regulatory deadlines and requirements without any compliance issues, which helped mitigate potential risks.
• Increased Productivity: Our in-house team was able to focus more on high-value tasks such as strategy and client relations, as Vserve took over routine back-office processes.
• Streamlined Operations: Vserve’s implementation of automation tools and improved workflows helped us scale operations efficiently without increasing overhead costs. 

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

Vserve Ebusiness Solutions demonstrated excellent project management throughout our collaboration. They adhered to timelines, delivering all milestones as agreed upon, and were proactive in keeping us informed of progress and any potential roadblocks.

Their communication was always clear and timely, ensuring that we were aligned on expectations and deadlines. Whenever we had additional needs or adjustments, Vserve responded promptly, offering solutions that fit our evolving requirements.

They maintained flexibility, adapting quickly to changes in scope or priority, and always ensured that their deliverables met the highest standards of quality. Their ability to stay organized and efficient made the entire process smooth and hassle-free.

What was your primary form of communication with Vserve Ebusiness Solutions?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

What stood out most about Vserve Ebusiness Solutions was their deep understanding of the financial services industry and their ability to tailor their back-office solutions specifically to our needs. They didn’t just offer generic outsourcing they took the time to understand the intricacies of our operations and designed processes that fit seamlessly with our workflow.

Additionally, their attention to detail and commitment to accuracy was unparalleled. Despite the complexity of the tasks involved, they maintained a high level of precision, which gave us confidence in their work. Their proactive approach, quick adaptability, and customer-first mindset made them a standout partner. They truly felt like an extension of our team.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Vserve Ebusiness Solutions could have done differently?

No areas of improvement.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Manager of Real NOB Hotel

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Real NOB Hotel is a hospitality company that provides lodging and guest accommodation services, focused on delivering an exceptional and differentiated hospitality experience.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Vserve Ebusiness Solutions to accomplish?

• We hired Vserve Ebusiness Solutions to optimize and streamline our supply chain management processes, ensuring timely procurement and inventory management. Our goal was to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance the overall guest experience by maintaining seamless operations.

SOLUTION

How did you find Vserve Ebusiness Solutions?

Referral

Why did you select Vserve Ebusiness Solutions over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Vserve Ebusiness Solutions were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Vserve Ebusiness Solutions handled end-to-end supply chain management for us, including procurement, inventory control, vendor coordination, and logistics. Their key deliverables included implementing a robust supply chain system, optimizing inventory levels, establishing reliable vendor partnerships, and ensuring timely delivery of supplies. This comprehensive approach significantly improved our operational efficiency and service quality.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since partnering with Vserve Ebusiness Solutions, we've seen a marked improvement in our supply chain efficiency inventory accuracy increased, delivery times shortened, and costs were reduced. These enhancements directly contributed to smoother operations and a higher level of guest satisfaction, clearly demonstrating the success of the project.

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

Vserve Ebusiness Solutions demonstrated strong project management capabilities throughout the engagement. They maintained clear communication channels, provided regular updates, and adhered to the agreed timeline for deliverables. Their team was proactive in addressing any challenges, swiftly responding to our needs and adjusting their approach as necessary. Overall, they delivered items on time and showed a high level of responsiveness and professionalism.

What was your primary form of communication with Vserve Ebusiness Solutions?

Email or Messaging App

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

What I found most impressive about Vserve Ebusiness Solutions is their proactive approach to understanding client needs and their ability to tailor solutions accordingly. Their team combines technical expertise with excellent communication skills, ensuring a seamless and collaborative experience. Additionally, their commitment to delivering high-quality results within deadlines set them apart as a reliable, innovative partner.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Vserve Ebusiness Solutions could have done differently?

While Vserve Ebusiness Solutions generally performed well, there are always opportunities for improvement. One area they could enhance is providing even more detailed project timelines and progress reports to ensure complete transparency. Additionally, proactively suggesting innovative ideas or alternative solutions during project planning could further strengthen their consultative approach. Overall, these are minor adjustments that could elevate their already strong service.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of Nile Commerce

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Nile is an integrated, end-to-end commerce agency. We help retail suppliers and ecommerce brands master the fundamentals of commerce and unlock scalable, sustainable growth. We offer a comprehensive suite of customized solutions across six disciplines of commerce including Data, Creative, Media, Retail, Ecommerce, and Logistics.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Vserve Ebusiness Solutions to accomplish?

• We brought Vserve on board to streamline and strengthen our accounts receivable process.
• Our main goals were to have invoices generated and posted more accurately, keep collections moving smoothly so we could shorten our days sales outstanding, and make sure payments coming in from Amazon, Walmart, and our retail partners were reconciled without delays. In short, we wanted to free up our internal team from chasing payments and focus more on helping our clients grow, while Vserve handled the financial back end with consistency.

SOLUTION

How did you find Vserve Ebusiness Solutions?

• Online Search
• Clutch Site

Why did you select Vserve Ebusiness Solutions over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Vserve Ebusiness Solutions were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Vserve handled the complete accounts receivable process for us, which included generating, validating, and posting invoices for our retail and ecommerce clients. They took responsibility for following up on collections, helping us reduce outstanding balances and improve cash flow. A big part of their role was reconciling payments from Amazon, Walmart, and other retail partners, which had always been a time consuming task for our internal team. One of the key deliverables we valued most was the consistency and accuracy in reporting every cycle closed on time, with clear visibility into what had been collected, what was pending, and any discrepancies that needed attention.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

One of the clearest outcomes we saw was a reduction in our Days Sales Outstanding, which meant cash was coming in faster and more consistently. We also had fewer invoice errors and discrepancies, which cut down on back-and-forth with retail partners and saved our team a lot of time. On top of that, payment reconciliations with Amazon and Walmart became smoother, so we always had a clear picture of what was collected and what was still pending. Altogether, the project gave us stronger cash flow and more accurate financial visibility.

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

Their project management was very organized without being rigid. They set clear timelines for each stage of the work and consistently delivered on schedule, which gave us confidence in their process. Whenever we had a change in priorities or needed additional support, their team was quick to respond and adjust without hesitation. Communication was steady and transparent, so we always knew where things stood and never had to chase for updates.

What was your primary form of communication with Vserve Ebusiness Solutions?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

What stood out most about Vserve was how quickly they understood the unique challenges of managing accounts receivable in the retail and ecommerce space. They weren’t just checking boxes they adapted their process to fit the way we work with Amazon, Walmart, and other partners. Their attention to detail and flexibility to adjust when our needs shifted made them feel less like an outsourced team and more like an extension of our own.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Vserve Ebusiness Solutions could have done differently?

Not really.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Founder / CEO of a mid size wholesale apparel decorator serving the promotional products industry for over 26 years.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Vserve Ebusiness Solutions?

We needed to find a solution to the amount of time that our service team spent entering client PO's into our ERP. Every client submits a different style of PO so automating this process felt daunting. The time our CSR's spent with clients needed to be problem solving, not data entry.

SOLUTION

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

We looked at part time employees who were dedicated to entry and contract services through Freelance but these options left us with the same bottleneck issues during peak season. We needed a partner in that they would manage the people, train the team and expand and contract the staff based on the seasonality of the work flow. From the initial meeting I was convinced they understood our needs in the structure and execution and they were willing to give us one main point of contact that would manage our team. Given the learning curve and nuances of our client work, this was very important to the success of this partnership.

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

They provided one senior manager and one team member to learn our data entry process and document the training. Our Client Service Manger worked closely with them to make sure they understood the process, could make judgement calls when needed and communicated frequently any issues. With this being our first remote working situation we had lots of small issues to work through. Once the training and the documenting was finalized we were set to expand the team as needed. We currently have one manager and 3 team members that handle 95% of all of the data entry for our company. It is our intention to continue to add to the team as we grow our company.

Describe the recruitment process in detail.

We first discussed the challenges I was having internally and then determined that they could indeed provide the data entry and support my team needed. They identified a team lead and once we met with him we were confident that he could manage and build a team that would represent our company values and our desire for efficient execution. Each team member takes the Culture Index Survey which allows us visibilty into their natural behaviors. This allows us to keep our recruitment process the same with Vserve as it is with our US company. We have daily, quarterly and annual meetings with various people to ensure we are all on the same page.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

With this support team, we have been able improve our US service team by hiring stronger skill sets in the area of account managment vs the skills of data entry. We maintained a strong client presence during the pandemic with the CSR's reallocating 50% of their time from data entry to client connections.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Even though the team is remote, they have become part of our work family. The team is able to pivot and train quickly as we have influx in orders which allows us to say yes to more projects than before. Or Service Manager and our Vserve Team Manager refer to each other as friends due to their close working relationship.

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

They have a high-level team at a cost-effective price point. We are continuously looking for ways to utilize their services as we re-evaluate our own processes.

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

We were concerned about the time difference in the beginning, but they adjusted to work with us until they/we were confident. We now have the added benefit of their time zone difference allowing orders to be entered over night and ready for the receiving department when they arrive in the morning. It allows us to literally work 24 hours a day.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Trend Nation is an e-commerce company. We sell men’s and women’s accessories and clothes online.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Vserve Ebusiness Solutions?

We wanted to increase our customer service team at a minimal cost.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Vserve Ebusiness Solutions provides in-depth customer service for us. They respond to all of our emails and maintain our accounts in good status.

What is the team composition?

I have two agents that work with me, and they have their own manager.

How did you come to work with Vserve Ebusiness Solutions?

I was surfing the internet and came across several agencies. I met with probably 3–4 of them, and I selected Vserve Ebusiness Solutions.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend around $20,000 per year, so it’s been a total of $40,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2018, and the partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Vserve Ebusiness Solutions is very good and thorough. Since they’ve taken over our customer service portion, it has eased the pressure from myself and my team.

How did Vserve Ebusiness Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate through Slack and touch base twice a week — we stay very connected.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Vserve Ebusiness Solutions catches on pretty quickly. If I train them on something, they pick it up fairly fast. Their thoroughness with our customers is really impressive, too.

I can take a vacation and not worry about customer service — I’m confident that they’re going to take care of the account. They make sure that our account and our customers stay in good health.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could improve on their communication, but just in small aspects. For instance, if there’s a product that has an ongoing issue with several customers, I ask them to communicate that to me. Sometimes, I do spot checks and I won’t see any communication from them about those specific issues.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing manager at HGR Industrial Surplus, and we buy and sell used heavy machinery, industrial equipment, and industrial surplus supplies. Basically, we solicit across the East Coast looking for equipment people are either trying to sell or liquidate to assets.

Once we purchase all the equipment, we bring it to our 12-acre showroom here in Euclid, and resell it from our website. Right now we have over 20,000 items listed.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Vserve Ebusiness Solutions?

Having 20,000 items on the website, we don’t have the resources to input all that information nor do we have the programs to scrape the internet for that information. We were getting bottlenecked, and we also had issues with the lack of rich content on our website. We looked to Vserve and were interested in the service that they provide.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Basically, I would go over the newest inventory that comes in and set the price parameters, and the amount of time they’re going to be on the site. Then, I would give them a list or link from our website that has the top items, and they would use their database of information that they’ve scraped and compile them into a nice HTML format — kind of like a cell within the spreadsheet that I’m able to copy and paste into the additional information on our website.

We’re still using them because we have 20,000 items on hand, so by the time they’re catching up and getting to where we are, in comes another 5,000 items. It’s been really beneficial because we’re both getting something that we need.

What is the team composition?

I work with two different people. There was one who initially set up the deal and walked me through the process and once that was done, they put me in touch with the person who I'd be directly in contact with.

How did you come to work with Vserve Ebusiness Solutions?

They actually reached out to us. I’m a one-man marketing team and I’m barely putting out the fires that I have to deal with. I told them that I was interested because a partnership would be something that could be beneficial for our company. It just made sense because we lacked the resources.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve invested somewhere between $10,000–$25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The partnership started in January 2021, and it’s still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I keep track of everything using Semrush as it tracks a lot of organic keywords for the site, and it helps me get a good look at the pages, especially on how Google is reading them. However, it’s really hard to quantify the work they do due to the nature of what we do. So far, it’s been really successful from a point where I can see Google helping us with keywords and domain authority.

The work they’ve been doing has been helping us meet our goals.

How did Vserve Ebusiness Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

There’s a time difference between us so naturally, there will be some communication delays — but I was already aware of that going in. The communication is perfectly fine and there have been no issues whatsoever.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I like that they’re very thorough and they don’t make mistakes. Once they found out what I needed from them, they just ran with it and it’s been really smooth.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It’s really hard to say. If there was some sort of automated way of doing it, but I guess it would get rid of the need for them right? The information they provide for me, is the information they’re able to get. I wish they could get more information but I’m not sure if they’re entirely available. I really think they’re doing all they can and they’re doing a hell of a job. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would definitely say to know what you want and what your plan is. you don't necessarily have to know what you want to do, but you should instead focus on how you’re going to attack the project. It’s going to be more beneficial than having to figure it out on the fly. Go into the partnership with a game plan, because that’s what always helped me.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing partner and founder of a law firm. We currently have nine attorneys and two people on staff, and we’re based in Chicago. Our practice areas are primarily focused on financial services and some extent of entertainment.

We do ancillary services such as general intellectual property outside entertainment, litigation when things go wrong for our various clients, and general business and corporate work, like contract negotiation, business formation, merger and acquisition, and so on. Due to the financial services, we naturally extend over blockchain, which is a big growth area.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Vserve Ebusiness Solutions?

Some of the senior team members were spending way too much time on administrative details when they could’ve been servicing or bringing in clients. Thus, our challenge was to hand off more of those tasks to someone else and free up the time of the senior team members.

Then, the question was how we would do that. We could hire someone full-time, go for the gig economy and reach out to Fiverr, TaskRabbit, or something similar, pull someone in who would be dedicated to us so they can get to know our business and we don’t have to train someone all the time, or do this in a more time and cost-efficient way than having someone physically on site. That’s what led us to Vserve Ebusiness Solutions (Vserve).

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Early on, we spoke with an outside consultant. She interviewed me, and we put together a list of proposed tasks for a Vserve representative. However, that list wasn’t ideal since there was a little disconnect between my inexperience with Vserve and offshore assistance in general, and the consultant’s inexperience with our firm. The list was suboptimal because some things weren’t written correctly, some were left out, no one at the firm was excited about working on this project, and I didn't necessarily know what kinds of things could be handed off.

After that, we spoke with one of the senior representatives over Vserve, who proposed three possible assistants for us. We interviewed them, chose one, and worked with him for a few weeks. He worked on two projects. One of them went very well but we never actually used it, and the other one was sort of a no-win situation.

We were in the process of pouring information over one project management system into another. However, that was a difficult task because he probably hadn’t used either of the project management systems or knew what any of those projects meant. Plus, everyone at the firm was just getting to know the new system, so we hadn’t come up with standard ways of using it. He pulled over loads of files and did good, efficient work on both projects, but we haven’t done a good job at using that work efficiently.

Right after those two projects were finished, our Vserve assistant had some family issues and had to take time off, so Vserve assigned us a new person. We hadn’t interviewed or spoken to this person before; he was working primarily with our outside consultant.

Now, with those two initial projects completed, we’ve been struggling to find more things to send to the new representative. There’s just one biweekly assignment that goes over, and it covers just a few hours a month when we’re paying 40 hours a week, so we’re not using even half the time.

However, it’s on us to figure out better ways to hand off tasks. People in our office are risk-averse and bad at delegating. They’re just used to their own way of doing things, so they’re unwilling to train other people. We also have a little bit of friction with working from a distance. Thus, there’s been a bit of frustration, but not because of any failings by Vserve. Our struggles have been structural; just born of the distance, plan from the get-go, and recalcitrance by our team’s hesitation to adopt a new system.

What is the team composition?

We’ve had two dedicated assistants working directly with us. There have been other representatives, and we’ve spoken with them once in a while about primarily billing matters and a little about contract and onboarding.

How did you come to work with Vserve Ebusiness Solutions?

We had an outside consultant, and she was the one who knew about Vserve. We outsourced the decision to her, and she convinced us that they were a good solution.

How much have you invested with them?

We have a $1,500 monthly fee.

What is the status of this engagement?

We officially signed with them in October 2020, and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve had two projects up front and then one standing project. The first project went very well, but it just wasn’t used. I was happy with the results of the second one, but again, it was a no-win situation. I think there were automated solutions for it, so it took longer than it should have, but given the job and price, I don't have any complaints about it.

On the other hand, the third project has gone very well. It’s not a pretty complicated thing, but we’re satisfied with the results. There are usually a few edits each couple of weeks, but they’re minor, and our representative is always quick to deal with them.

Our only concern now is that we’re not sending nearly enough work. We’re just not making good use of their services given the flat rate and the little material we’re sending away. However, the work we send to Vserve is done in a timely fashion, and we’re satisfied with the results.

How did Vserve Ebusiness Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re always very friendly and responsive when I have questions, so that’s all good. Most of our communication is mediated through our consultant, which is an extra level of indirection and perhaps not ideal.

For the first two tasks, it was a little hard to know when they’d be finished. They seemed to drag on a little bit, but those were one-time tasks, and they’re done. Since then, we’ve been happy with the timeliness of the deliverables on the third project we’ve sent their way.

As far as other project management, they seem to be one-person tasks, so we haven’t seen any kind of team issues. In terms of the assignments we send to them, they’ve been timely and productive, so we’re happy with that.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I guess it’s their work output per unit cost. We had national and international options, but the amount of work they’re able to do compared to the dollars per hour is just a great ROI.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their communication could be better. We’ve never spoken to them on the phone, seen our assistant’s face, done calls on Zoom, or anything. We just send deliverables over to our representative or one of our internal colleagues.

Also, there are just some challenges given the physical distance, time zone difference, and the fact that our communication has been mediated through the consultant who found them for us. We don’t chat with our assistant on a day-to-day basis, and I don’t know what it would take to see him more often and make him more front-of-mind. He has sort of receded in the background, and we’ve served along with him. It’s easy to lose track of his presence until we receive a bill.

Ultimately, if they could spend a little time shadowing what we do and monitoring our processes to see what else they could handle, that would be useful. It’s understandable that they sit back and say that the ball is in our court, but if they were a little more proactive at pulling tasks, instead of just waiting for things to be thrown over the wall, that would make their service a better value proposition.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Think in advance about what kind of services you want to send to them. Convince your team that it’s a good thing because of course there’s value in handing things off, but sometimes people are reluctant to hand over their tasks because they want to ensure their jobs. If you convince people that they’re not out of their job if they hand this off, then your team members can be redeployed to other activities with higher value, but it’s a cultural thing.

Beyond that, as with any kind of outsourcing, give precise instructions, pay dividends, and expect some iteration period toward a goal. The first handoff will reveal the shortcomings of the initial instructions, and so there’ll be some course corrections, but if you ensure that, it will definitely pay off.