Ashton Solutions

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I'm an executive at The Cypress Companies, Inc.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

The Cypress Companies is a private investment firm specializing in the industrial sector. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Managed IT for an industrial holding company

SOLUTION

How did you find Ashton Solutions?

• Online Search
• Referral

Why did you select Ashton Solutions over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Ashton Solutions were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Cypress was looking to replace its current outsourced IT service provider due to a mounting list of challenges and lack of durable fixes. We are a small office with simple IT needs but we wanted assurance that our IT environment was correctly deployed, working as intended, and secured from known threats.  

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Entire IT environment has been working flawlessly and staying in the background ever since Ashton took over. When issues pop up, they are diagnosed and solved immediately...the first time....every time.

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

Ashton's project management was outstanding. The plan was documented and clearly communicated to us. Progress along the way was shared and we hit every established milestone. Knowing where we were going at every step of the project provided comfort and built trust.

What was your primary form of communication with Ashton Solutions?

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

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

Ashton "walks the walk". We have worked with a number of providers, before Ashton, who talked a good game but their execution was spotty and it often required us to follow up repeatedly to get results. We admire their ability to methodically deliver on their customer promises.

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

If there are, I haven't found them yet.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Plymouth Church's Sunday Service Live Stream broadcast was routinely being interrupted by service outages. The ISP requested an engineer from Ashton Technology Solutions be present to confirm all hardware & software permissions for the internet service stream.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

As the IT service provider to Plymouth Church, Ashton is always involved in the IT functionality of the Church network. Their presence was necessary to ensure all hardware & software permissions were correctly configured.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Ashton has provided many IT services for us. Their team has worked on our network server, desktop stations, and security. Our IT, computer, and desktop administration tasks have also been handled by their members. When we need to add VoIP to our network, we use their technical support services. They’ve also helped us improve our security using cameras and fire and burglar alarm systems. To make sure that our system is up and running smoothly, Ashton also helps us interface with other third-party vendors. 

In general, Ashton’s services for us are 60% remote and 40% on-site. They do many things remotely, but they also come on-site when necessary. For instance, they’ve recently collaborated with our ISP to fix issues with our Sunday services’ live streaming function. They’ve assigned a network engineer to work with the ISP’s technician, correcting things that disrupt our live stream. 

What is the team composition?

Ashton was the contracted IT service provider, at the time I joined the business. At that time, business leadership was considering other providers. However, my initial interaction with Ashton was very positive, and we decided to continue using them as the IT service provider. Working with them also helped us maximize our budget as Ashton Technology Solutions serves many other local nonprofit organizations. Meanwhile, another vendor provided us with printers and copiers, but their services were substandard when compared to Ashton’s. As a result, we decided to continue working with the Ashton team.

How did you come to work with Ashton Technology Solutions?

Ashton was already working for the church by the time I arrived. At that point, our leadership was considering other providers. However, my initial interaction with Ashton was highly positive, so I felt that we should continue using them as a provider. Working with them also helped us maximize our budget as we worked with a lot of nonprofits. Meanwhile, another vendor provided us with printers and copiers, but their services were substandard when compared to Ashton’s. As a result, we decided to continue working with the Ashton team. 

How much have you invested with them?

Annually, we spend $15,000–$25,000 on network services. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Ashton Technology Solutions continues to provide IT Services. The specific project of restoring live stream broadcasting has been successfully concluded.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

So far, Ashton has done the work they say they’ll do — they’ve done it effectively and efficiently. Every day, I don’t have to worry about our network because they handle many things for us. If something happens, they notify me immediately and work to resolve it. They’re like a good sports referee: we don’t know that they’re there, but the game goes well in our favor. Overall, they’ve provided invaluable assistance in making IT and network administration the easiest part of my job. 

For their collaboration with our ISP, I’ve measured success by checking whether the internet service is working well. So far, our Sunday services’ live streaming has had no disruptions, thanks to Ashton’s engineer. The expertise they’ve offered has also been appreciated well by our ISP’s technician. Overall, their work has been invaluable to the project’s completion and success. 

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

Ashton performs well in terms of project management. They’re excellent at helping customers define a project from the start to the end. Whenever we have small projects, their team is truly helpful from the planning to the execution and closing stages.

In terms of communication, we can call them anytime. All of us can also send an email to their tech support. We generally receive their responses within 5–15 minutes, depending on the matter’s urgency. In their responses, they let us know that they’re working on resolving the issue. When it’s necessary for them to go in person, they’re responsive and prompt; they arrive early. As a result, I’m always grateful for their assistance and support. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Ashton’s work for us is quite seamless; it’s almost like they’re in our building, doing continuous IT work on our behalf.

Are there any areas they could improve?

At this time, I have not identified any areas for improvement that would increase the service value Ashton currently provides.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Call their customers and ask them how satisfied they are with Ashton’s services. I’ll give them an excellent rating. In fact, I’ll recommend them to any small companies and nonprofits who are looking for efficient and effective IT support with preventative & responsive service and security solutions. Small nonprofits handle a lot of information about a lot of people, and Ashton performs well with its partners, maintaining business network security and privacy.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of IT at a 22-company group centered in the commercial building materials space.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We needed help with IT managed services. We’ve grown a lot through acquisition over the last 10 years. We hired Ashton Technology Solutions to help us scale.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Ashton Technology Solutions is our managed IT service provider. In a recent project, they helped us redesign all of our network security and helped us build a firewall soup to nuts. They helped us in everything from procurement and deployment to production.

We also use Ashton to augment our teams in certain situations. They run our helpdesk and act as a sounding board. They do all of our firewall security, routing, and help manage our NTL network.

What is the team composition?

I work with Jim M. (CEO), Jim A. (Sales & Marketing Manager), Pete (Sales Manager), and Travis (VP Operations).

How did you come to work with Ashton Technology Solutions?

We bought a company in the Cleveland area that manufactures welding materials and they were using Ashton as their IT services partner. I found a wiring project for them to do that needed to be done quickly.

When I went to check on their progress, Jim M. was pulling wire with everyone else at 11 PM at night. I was really impressed that their CEO was willing to work with everyone else that late. That work ethic matched our internal culture. We decided to work together from there.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent close to $250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2016, and our work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In IT, there’s very little feedback. If I don’t hear complaints, the project was a success. With Ashton, I don’t hear any complaints at all.

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

We have an internal ticketing system that they use. As far as I know, they’re really on top of their assignments.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I respect Jim M. for his work ethic. The Ashton team is always willing to get the job done.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing really stands out. While there’s always room for improvement, Jim M. is always looking for ways to build a better mousetrap.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the office manager at a commercial and residential real estate management company located in east Ohio.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We had an in-house IT director who had left, so for about a year, we were working with an outside provider which was a one-man operation. It was not working out as he didn’t have the time for us. We needed someone who would be more available and more knowledgeable, so we asked Ashton Technology to help us out.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Ashton Technology works as our overall IT support. They have upgraded all our desktop computers to Windows 10 and migrated us to Microsoft 365 from an old exchange server that had vulnerabilities popping up in the past month. We go to them for any issues we have with software and emails. They maintain our servers, set up our new users, and manage all our IT-related purchases.

Their team has remote access to all of our equipment. When we were first setting up with them, someone would come into the office when we needed them to. However, especially since 2020, unless something physically fails, their team works remotely.

What is the team composition?

We have worked individually with around six of their technical engineers on separate projects. They had a senior engineer who is the head of their team and service coordinators who we contact when putting in a ticket. We also work with 1–2 people from their marketing department when we’re making purchases.

Overall, we work with around 8–10 people on an ongoing basis. 

How did you come to work with Ashton Technology Solutions?

We shared a physical space with the company that handled the search. They recognized Ashton Technology as the service provider of somebody they knew. One of our employees was also aware of them through an alumni network, so we decided to check them out.

How much have you invested with them?

For their services, we pay about $600–$800 a month. On top of that, we’ve also spent on the upgrades to Windows 10, software subscriptions, and warranties. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We signed the contract in November 2019 after making decisions three months prior. Our partnership is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Overall, our systems are definitely up and running and the majority of our problems have been resolved. Most of our employees have had very favorable interactions with Ashton Technology even during the upgrade of our servers and the replacement of our computers. 

We have not heard any complaints about their services; everything has been positive for us. We went from a year of not knowing what’s going on to now having complete IT support. 

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

Ashton Technology is very willing to figure out what is happening. Sometimes they would follow up on a problem in the middle of the night and send us an email or message the following morning. I am assured that any problem is being worked on because they keep us up to date. We have access to the portal of their ticketing system, which is also helpful.

They’re very communicative, which I definitely appreciate. They’ve got a good tracking system and there’s clear coordination between departments. They make note of whenever their work gets unexpectedly disrupted or if they have another team member working on a similar project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re the kind of tech-savvy that doesn’t make us feel like we’re lost without them. They do not make you feel like an idiot for not knowing as much as them. Ashton Technology also always explains what their plans are or why they think you need to do a certain action. 

Transparency, genialness, and knowledgeableness are all qualities of theirs that I have enjoyed this past year.

Are there any areas they could improve?

This could be something on their side as well as on ours, but I guess their appointment process could use some improvement. We’re still used to having someone in the office walk up to our desk to offer support, so getting accustomed to their ticketing tools is something that several of our employees have not enjoyed.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Do not be afraid to say how exactly you want to interact with Ashton Technology or what exactly you need to get done. Their team will take not but they definitely need to know beforehand.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a mortuary shipping firm. We handle the logistics and coordination for funeral homes for shipping bodies from one point to another.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

They manage our IT, taking over from a previous company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Their team designed our server infrastructure. They maintain our server, email, and programs that operate off of the server. It’s mostly remote, but at times, they do have to come in person.

What is the team composition?

There are about four or five key people we work with. The number of technicians changes, and a contact runs the help desk. Travis (VP of Operations) is our go-to guy when things come in. Anthony (Tech Lead) contacts us a major of the time when there are issues.

How did you come to work with Ashton Technology Solutions?

Our software engineer referred Ashton Technology Solutions to us. They came in, told us what they could do, and gave us their prices.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend over $36,000 a year.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve worked together for almost five years.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

As long as everything keeps working, we have no problems.

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

When they’re called for a service-related issue, it might take a couple of hours to hear back. If it is an evening or weekend, it is hard to get ahold of somebody, which poses a problem for us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re knowledgeable about the server.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their response time could improve. If our servers are down, it shuts down our operation. For example, a month ago, we couldn’t get a hold of anybody and we were down for eight hours. The CEO and I had to come in the office to get things on track in the middle of the night.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Think about what your needs are. If it’s something where they’re going to require 24/7 maintenance, they might want to look elsewhere. If it’s just normal maintenance, they’re fine, but they might want to find someone with a better emergency response time.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the COO of Elevation Group. We’re a marketing agency and management firm primarily focusing on sports and music.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We needed the expertise of a vendor that was familiar with servers, hardware, networking, and data storage.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Ashton Technology Solutions provides consultation and advice on anything and everything that relates to IT. They’re our go-to for any hardware and software issues. Their team helped us move to cloud storage, handle any dealings with our scanning and copy machines, manage our wireless access points, and so on. If our laptops break and we need replacements, they handle that; they work with me to do an inventory.

If we run into an issue, we send it via email to their service desk. We receive an immediate reply acknowledging the request and within a reasonable period of time, there’s always someone who gets back to us to solve the problem.

What is the team composition?

I work with about eight of their team members comprising their owner, the head of sales and business, the primary administrative person, and five of their techs.

How did you come to work with Ashton Technology Solutions?

We run a music festival that used to take place on the grounds of a private school. Ashton Technology Solutions was the service provider for that school. That’s how we got connected with them. They put a proposal together for us that was the best stab in the dark at what would make sense for us. Then, they reviewed it six months later and made some changes.

How much have you invested with them?

We invest about $25,000 annually.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing engagement started in January 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We don’t have any other service provider that is so involved with what we do that it feels like they have a desk in our office. They’re readily available and quick to respond to our problems. Their team has to deal with a lot of agitated individuals and do so in an excellent manner.

They’re solving problems and people get angry at problems. It’s as if I hired an in-house IT person but I haven’t. We have offices in another state, but they still manage to deliver the service there as well.

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

Project management has been great. Ashton Technology Solutions is great about getting information to us. Their team is spot-on. Currently, they’re helping us handle our transition of the North Carolina office going exclusively remote. They’re extremely receptive to everything we’ve shared with them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was very impressed when they revisited and tweaked our proposal. Other providers don’t come to a client and let them know they’re paying too much. That is so rare. They called us and expressed we were on a plan where we were paying too much, then helped us reduce that plan. I just find that to be unheard of in the service industry. They have exceptional integrity.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’d appreciate it if they knew a little bit more about Mac computers, iOS, and so forth. However, that’s not really a complaint, it’s more of a constructive recommendation.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you share more information, they’ll ask a lot of questions and assist you in every way possible. Take the time to make a list and make them aware of it. They will respond accordingly to those things.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the President of a logistics & supply chain company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Logistics

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Technical Support

SOLUTION

How did you find Ashton Solutions?

Referral

Why did you select Ashton Solutions over others?

• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

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

Ashton managed our IT services.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are still currently using Ashton for all of our IT management.

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

Ashton was always punctual and very responsive to all of our needs.

What was your primary form of communication with Ashton Solutions?

Virtual Meeting

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

I think that they have a great culture at Ashton Solutions. Everyone I've ever met there is really "down to earth", willing to help, and very polite.

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

No.