Waident Technology Solutions

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the office manager and the executive assistant to our CEO. We’re a boutique financial real estate firm, and we raise funds for student housing and sponsor equity.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Waident Technology Solutions?

We hired Waident to provide technical support to our internal employees. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

During pre-pandemic, Waident had in-house technical support in our office. However, that changed when we started working remotely in March 2020.

As a result, we’ve run into challenges more than we’ve ever had before. Since our employees are working from home, sometimes we can’t respond promptly and we face technological problems similar to when we were still in the office.

It’s very difficult to tell you in detail what Waident does because it depends on the user. Essentially, we’re all on a VPN. Sometimes some of us have problems with our passwords expiring with the security features. Others have more technical issues that are happening with the software on their laptops or computers. 

Then, there are also instances when people have connectivity problems with VPN getting on our server. I can go on and on with the different issues that happen sometimes, but the main purpose of the Waident team is to help us resolve our technical issues.

We also use their services when we hire new people because that’s also the time when we experience many hiccups. The team helps our new internal employees to have a smooth start on their first day. 

What is the team composition?

I don’t know how many people they have, but they provide services to 65 internal employees.

How did you come to work with Waident Technology Solutions?

One of the owners of our company knew John (CEO & Founder). Overall, they came recommended and it was the reason why we engaged with the Waident’s team.

How much have you invested with them?

We originally paid Waident on an hourly basis until 2–3 years ago when we became a contractor. Currently, we pay them a $9,000 monthly fee. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in December 2007, and we continue to partner with Waident.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Waident’s impact pre-pandemic has been great, but since we’ve worked remotely, I don’t feel that we have a good measure of their efforts. Overall, I’m having a hard time answering that accurately. 

How did Waident Technology Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

At the office, we used to reach out to their assigned tech in our office and access their services through the help desk.

They continue to have the help desk email that any of our employees can contact. Once the Waident team reads the request, they open up a ticket to resolve our issues.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

They share information about new cybersecurity nuances and things that we can use to protect ourselves. We have quarterly reviews with Waident Technology Solutions, and their team informs us of what’s coming up as far as equipment upgrades are concerned. However, as far as what distinguishes them from other providers, it’s hard for us to compare because we’ve never had another outsourced company. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

We’ve not been prepared for the COVID-19 pandemic, so we’ve had to scramble to ensure that all of our employees have the technology that they can use to continue to work productively. In that regard, both Waident Technology Solutions and our company is doing our best, but in the end, our system’s a work in progress. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Communication is vital in the engagement. I’ve found myself following up more than I want to since I act as the liaison between our employees. 

Whenever an issue takes longer to resolve, I usually follow up. Overall, communication lines always need to improve between the internal and external team. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Risk Reduction Education. We’re management consultants, coaching chief executives.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Waident Technology Solutions?

We hired Waident to manage our IT issues.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We have an ongoing contract with Waident. They respond to us for any problems we have with any of our IT solutions. They’re our troubleshooters.

What is the team composition?

We work with several people, depending on the need. It’s generally around five technicians.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent less than $5,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since April 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I’m happy with Waident’s services. If I give them a problem, they find a solution.

How did Waident Technology Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

We stay in touch over phone and email to stay in touch. In terms of deadlines, I’ll give them a window of time, and they complete the task within it.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They respond, they find solutions, and they don’t quit until they fix it.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing that comes to mind.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’ve recommended Waident to several people. I like them because they’re responsive and they’re smart a team. Plus, they’re nice, patient people.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a senior account manager at Network Solutions, Inc.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Waident Technology Solutions?

We’ve partnered with them for several client projects. They’ve come onto our team to serve as an IT director for hire, managing the desktop and server- related applications work.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

When I engage them, I provide them with an overview of what our client is looking for. From there, a representative will dig into the problems, articulating them back to the company. They put together a proposal to offer any services from project management to engineering or ongoing monitoring.

They’ll direct the client toward projects for refresh and upgrade. Once problems are diagnosed, they work with my team of engineers to ensure everything is designed and installed properly. Then, the handover is done for ongoing maintenance.  

What is the team composition?

We work with about five people, including onsite and remote engineers as well as an account manager. They also provide us with a project manager.  

How did you come to work with Waident Technology Solutions?

We’ve partnered with them on about 10 different client accounts at this point. I originally met their owner through a networking group. We had common values and a commitment to serving our clients. I liked that I saw that in their company as well, and it’s been great to see those values be put into practice over our time together. 

How much have you invested with them?

My clients are the ones directly paying for the work, but they’ve probably spent in excess of $100,000 over the years. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since about 2009.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

When I bring them onto a project, they represent me well. They make my clients happy, which reflects positively back onto my company. That strengthens my relationship with existing customers.  

How did Waident Technology Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re well organized and good and communicating details. The follow-through is consistent, and I’ve never had to question whether or not to hire them for a project. We communicate using ConnectWise and Tickettracker. Those platforms are leveraged well between our teams.   

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have integrity paired with strong competence and follow-through. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing comes to mind. I’m very happy with the way that they engage.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Let them provide you an understanding of their capabilities and develop a scope of work. They provide a broad set of services but will map their work to your needs. It helps when they walk you through that process.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of software engineering, but I also oversee IT. We’re a marketing and analytics company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Waident Technology Solutions?

Anytime a machine broke or a hard drive died, it would cost me a large portion of my day. I don’t have the background in general systems administration tasks, so they were hired to provide those IT services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The more of our company’s infrastructure that we’re willing to share, the more management responsibilities they’re willing to take on. For instance, they started managing our phone system, so we can send tickets to them whenever we’re having phone issues. That saves us a lot of time calling AT&T. They also manage our email server, providing us with a checklist when we’re onboarding a new employee. That makes us seem like a much bigger company than we are in recruitment and onboarding. 

Their team works remotely, but they come on-site when we need their assistance for larger projects. For instance, they helped us set up and move our office when we relocated. They’re available in the Chicago area for onsite assistance. 

What is the team composition?

They have the same resource always managing the help desk phone line. After we communicate our problem, we are assigned an engineer with the experience level needed to solve it. We also have an account manager, who also takes care of administrative IT tasks for us. 

How did you come to work with Waident Technology Solutions?

At the time, we weren’t happy with our IT service provider, and their team worked in our building. That encouraged us to partner with them because they could be onsite in a matter of minutes. They were also priced competitively, and we liked that they were also a smaller, more nimble business.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend about $25,000 each year. At this point, that’s a $75,000 total. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2017, and our teams are still working together.  

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve really helped us clean up our onboarding and employee exit processes. Without an IT organization, it took a few days for new employees to get set up with a company email and all necessary software. If someone leaves the company, they’re able to handle the individual’s removal from our software systems and other accounts. Now, they’ve taken on much of that management and made it more efficient.

Additionally, they’ve saved me a lot of time fixing broken machines and systems. We’ve also been impressed with their strength in security. They do an annual security training with us, taking the security of our company very seriously.   

How did Waident Technology Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re also a pretty small company, so I never have to introduce myself more than once to their teammates. If an engineer is having trouble solving an issue, they can easily escalate it to a more senior engineer. They work pretty quickly in that way, always communicating with us when they run into problems.

During our large-scale office move, they came up with checklists and a general plan for the move. That helped us manage our expectations. We were up and running pretty quickly because of that organization. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They hire very skilled team members across all positions. It doesn’t matter who we’re working with from their company because everyone does such a good job. That level of consistency is difficult to keep up in their space.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m very happy with them. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Listen to their team because they’re experts in the IT space. If you take the time to understand their suggestions, you’ll see that they’re trying to do what’s best for your organization.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Director of Administration-SmartForesight, LLC dba Foresight ROI We help leading CPG companies improve shopper marketing ROI with a proven, continuous “measure and improve” process.

Foresight ROI has developed its analytic methods from 100-plus years of collective CPG experience, perfected for all types of products and retail formats to support budget allocation, strategy development and path-to-purchase optimization.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Waident Technology Solutions?

We are a small company and use Waident as our IT support and security. The also consult for us on contracts with our clients. Clients are very concerned about IT security and Waident has helped us with reassuring our clients we are secure.

What were your goals for this project?

Maintain IT equipment and workflows. IT security. This is ongoing.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We were having difficulties with a current provider and we had recommendations for Waident. We have been using them for 3 years and have had no reason to look elsewhere.

Describe the project in detail.

IT security IT equipment IT mainenance IT workflows

What was the team composition?

We have used several levels of Waident's service. They assisted with our company move. They continue to provide upgrades as required by the industry. They advise on client contracts related to IT security and needs. They provide day to day IT support.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Waident is consistently top notch and provides professional timely services.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow is great. They work on a ticket base system and they are quick to reply and give support.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The timeliness of their support. Their expertise and ability to stay ahead on IT issues and products stand out.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There could always be a better price.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Wrightwood Financial, a real estate investment firm. I’ve also had two prior investment firms, too.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Waident Technology Solutions?

Waident Technology Solutions has provided IT support for all of my firms.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They serve as a support function for our businesses, solving any issues as they arise. They’ve also helped with database management and implement technology for efficient dissemination of marketing materials. 

What is the team composition?

John (CEO) is our point of contact, but around 6 people have supported us through the years. 

How did you come to work with Waident Technology Solutions?

John used the work with us and we were one of his first clients. We’ve remained a longstanding, loyal client since then. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since 2004 and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve all been pleased with their responsiveness, knowledge, and ability to solve problems. 

How did Waident Technology Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

They are timely and efficient. They communicate thoughtfully and are responsive. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their timeliness and customer focus make them stand out. They are sophisticated and can work with small businesses with a more modest budget. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing comes to mind for them to improve. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a good understanding of what services they’re going to provide and communicate well. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Investor and Consultant

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Waident Technology Solutions?

i outsource all tech and IT systems, management, hardware to Waident

What were your goals for this project?

certainty and reliability in a cost effective manner

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I ran the company that was Waident's first client

Describe the project in detail.

thats it

What was the team composition?

primarily Mike Spellman

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

responsive, responsible, timely, they're cost-effective and super reliable.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

exceptional

What did you find most impressive about this company?

John and Mike

Are there any areas for improvement?

na

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of Millenia Group, LLC. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Waident Technology Solutions?

We wanted to find someone who could do network administration for us so our developers could have more time to focus on their core responsibilities.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’re running a help desk for us to support the computers we use within the organization. Their team provides application support and performs network administration tasks to ensure we keep our network up. They’ve also managed the infrastructure for a database we host. 

What is the team composition?

I work with a team of four. 

How did you come to work with Waident Technology Solutions?

The owner of the company was our neighbor. We have used them for numerous projects over the years, so we knew we could trust them when it came time to outsource network management. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested between $15,000-$20,000 so far. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working on this project in January 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve certainly been happy with the quality of their work. The viewpoint they take is the same that we would take if we were doing things internally. We share a similar mindset. 

How did Waident Technology Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

I think communication is very good. We’ve met with them virtually and in-person to work on the project. I’m not familiar with the internal project management tools they use, but the system they have in place allows them to provide frequent reports on how everything is functioning. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very responsive. They get back to us very quickly. Our team likes that a lot. They’re also quite organized. 

Are there any areas they could improve? 

The only thing they could improve is to turn off the mandated surveys that we’re directed to every time we submit a ticket with them. 

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs? 

They're good people. The team cares and is very diligent in their work. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the chairman and founder of Food Marketing Support Services, Inc.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Waident Technology Solutions?

We had an outmoded IT system and our COO at the time recommended a major upgrade. We needed to build our IT capabilities. We also wanted to downsize our physical space because we have a sizable remote workforce. We also had run our course with our previous IT provider that didn’t explain their services but would send us a ton of invoices.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Waident Technology Solutions first audited our system. We had an onsite server and two levels in a commercial building. They then submitted a design plan as well as a plan for the project’s execution including timeline, cost, and phases.

We were able to phase in the project over our allotted time and budget, which was important because we’re a small company. They also assisted with our phones because we had to completely change our system when we relocated. That was the process for our conversion to a single floor in a commercial building and increasing our remote access capability.

Throughout that time, their team gave us IT support. If we have an issue, we fill out a service ticket and their team begins the correction. They do backups, licensing, and renewals.  

What is the team composition?

We have a key contact who was instrumental in the audit and strategy. And then, we had a project lead who implemented the strategy.

How did you come to work with Waident Technology Solutions?

I met their CEO through a peer mentoring group. I was impressed by his behavior. He was client-friendly and knowledgeable about his field. He wasn’t a hard sell and didn’t talk over people, which I appreciated.  I liked how he approached his technology, how up-to-date he was, and how small business-friendly he was.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $10,000–$50,000 on their services. We book a certain number of hours for a given fee in a month. They use that account and perform their service functions off that account.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our big project started in March 2019 and we’re still working together.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our data access failure rate is less than 1%. We have a 100% success rate with data accessibility even with everyone remote. We started to use SharePoint and I rarely hear about failures with remote access. Their handling of service requests is 100% positive.

How did Waident Technology Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

They flag our major needs before there are urgent breakdowns. They’re proactive, which allows us to plan our budget. When we fill out a service ticket, we get an immediate response that it’s been received, who it’s assigned to, and when they will begin the correction. They deliver on time and there’s a sense of immediacy about them. We don’t wait for responses.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re an incredible team of smart, responsive, and respectful people. They’re fantastic. Their team has really good resources. They’re timely, fiscally responsible, and technically able. I love knowing that my money is well spent with Waident Technology Solutions.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP and CIO of ELCO Mutual Life and Annuity, an insurance company. We provide life insurance and tax-deferred annuity products, specializing in retirement planning and serving the senior market with a focus on personalized customer service.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Waident Technology Solutions?

We were looking for a larger managed service provider (MSP) to provide services for cloud services, networking, and user support.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Waident Technology Solutions provides MSP services, including endpoint protection and user help desk support. The team has also helped us move our build-out of a more robust IT infrastructure. This build-out has included several disparate systems that we need to access for our day-to-day operations. Waident Technology Solutions has created tunnels and routing to allow us to do this seamlessly.

What is the team composition?

We work with three members of Waident Technology Solutions’ team.

How did you come to work with Waident Technology Solutions?

Our company had worked with Waident Technology Solutions before I was onboarded. I was working with another vendor who said they could provide MSP services through a third-party agreement.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $130,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Waident Technology Solutions in January 2019, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Waident Technology Solutions has adapted to our needs quickly and effectively. The team has been very effective in ensuring that the tunnels and routing they’ve created meet our operational needs. We’ve also found a colocation vendor and are now planning.

How did Waident Technology Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

Waident Technology Solutions’ project management is fair; they deliver on time. We communicate via email and phone calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We have a more hands-on approach with support from Waident Technology Solutions’ team.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could have a better transition with new team members.