BetterWorld Technology

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO and CFO of a small business that serves the gasoline and convenience store industry. Our company is in its 20th year of business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire BetterWorld Technology?

We hired BetterWorld as an MSP and choice their top tier service level based on the needs of our business and their willingness to be of service. They handle all of our endpoints in a small office environment, complemented by remote users in three states, and our Azure cloud environment.

SOLUTION

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

We selected them based on our need to exit a poor MSP service level relationship. Their CEO was easy to deal with, attentive to our needs, and willing to take on new applications in his service to us. Their willingness to cater to our needs was the key for us.

Describe the project in detail and walk through their service package.

They converted all of our apps from another MSP, migrated our Azure environment to them, and installed new monitoring software and AV as part of the conversion.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We worked with their vCIO and one other manager to implement the change. There may have been one other party involved.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We do not spend our time managing them as we had to with prior MSP, we spend our time explaining our needs and letting them fulfill them. We have a positive working relationship and they are attentive, good listeners, and take a project based approach to their work.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We had no issues that they did not work to resolve as part of the cutover. The workflow is collaborative, effective, and timely.

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

Their CEO is very knowledgeable and attentive, which is not always the case. He does make time for his customers, which helps me make time for mine.

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

None.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Director of Technology at a private liberal arts high school.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire BetterWorld Technology?

Our company was looking to switch our Multi Service Provider and we hired BetterWorld Technology as the company to swith to.

SOLUTION

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

We searched for a few MSPs and BetterWorld came with great reviews. We met them in person and their transparency ended up being what we loved most.

Describe the project in detail and walk through their service package.

They helped us transition from one MSP who was very difficult to work with. They made the transition as smooth as it could possibly be given the circumstances. BetterWorld currently consultants and implements everything from our remote management, our antivirus, server management, and even provides VCIO services.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We worked with a General Manager, Regional Manager, Service Desk Manager, to their technology support team; all of which we are still in contact with daily and weekly depending on our needs.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They helped us save money by removing redundant services that had gone by the wayside, and were transparent every step of the way. I had always felt as if I were asking favors from our previous MSP, but we're clearly a respected customer at BetterWorld Technology.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

During the transition we received answers on our questions within the day. We never had to wonder when we'd hear back.

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

They are far more cost-effective than other providers we had. In most cases I would expect a lesser service, but the opposite is true. I don't know how they do it!

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

I cannot think of anything to add at this time.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a human resources generalist at an outpatient treatment facility called Bold Recovery Inc.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BetterWorld Technology?

We needed to upgrade the technology of our phone system. We were using a landline, and we wanted to have a more professional approach to use our phone remotely, in person, or with auto attendance.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

BetterWorld Technology’s work has been remote. They use our existing internet connection and ship the phones to us — we have five current lines, so each administrative staff has extensions with their own phone at their desk. We also have a softphone service that allows our clinicians to use their cell phones whenever they’re out of the office while keeping their numbers private.

In addition to that, they assist us with any issue right on the spot.

What is the team composition?

I’ve been working with three people throughout the project, including John (General Manager) and Pat (IT Services Manager), who can help me with every partnership aspect.

How did you come to work with BetterWorld Technology?

I worked with them at another organization; our CEO said he wanted a new phone system, so I referred them to him.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in July 2021, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our phone system is working correctly, and it’s compatible with our internet subscription. We don’t have to answer our phones every time they ring now, and the auto-attendant has allowed us to support our team when we have to deal with COVID-19 closures by redirecting calls to the appropriate administrator, which is big for us. In addition to that, we can receive our voicemails via email rather than dial directly into a phone.

How did BetterWorld Technology perform from a project management standpoint?

I feel comfortable calling John and Pat because they’re always willing to help me handle my project — they quickly come back to me whenever I need them. Pat also sends me email attachments of how to train users step by step on managing the system — she teaches me, and I teach my staff.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their ability to work with our existing vendor and the fact that they can self-manage is outstanding for me. Also, we ran out of hardware to set up our phones, and they were generous enough to send additional ones with no extra charge — they’ve been awesome.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am President and CEO of our small trade association in Washington.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire BetterWorld Technology?

We were looking for a more engaged IT provider that could also provide additional cybersecurity protections.

SOLUTION

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

We compared their services to the other vendors we were reviewing and BetterWorld not only offered more in-depth cybersecurity options, but their IT services were more comprehensive. Additionally, they provided more value to us from a cost standpoint. Finally, they offered the level of responsiveness we were looking for, with a dedicated team to manage our account and address issues quickly when we reached out.

Describe the project in detail and walk through their service package.

At a high level, these are the services BetterWorld provides us: Help Desk Services Onsite Desktop Support IT User Training Services Remote Monitoring and Management Network Management Backup and Disaster Recovery Managed Security Services Technology Leadership as a Service Software Licensing Each of these categories has a detailed breakdown of the services they offer, which we felt was more comprehensive than other vendors we spoke to. We chose the Elite cybersecurity package because it offered services that we felt would make us more secure as an organization and brought us up to industry standard.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We have a dedicated team of six individuals who assist us regularly, including a project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

One of our biggest goals was to ensure whoever we hired was responsive. Nothing is more frustrating that waiting a week or more for a reply. When we were evaluating BetterWorld as a potential vendor we were struck by how engaged they were and that carried over to our projects when we hired them.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow between our teams was extremely effective. Having a dedicated team on their end with a project manager helped ensure that everybody knew what was going on and where we were in our onboarding.

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

They are very engaged with our team and are quick problem solvers. Even though we are a small organization, they make us feel like we are a priority.

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

We had a little back and forth when we were negotiating our contract because each of our employees has more than one computer. So having a set option ahead of time accounting for the fact that many people have multiple computers might make onboarding smoother.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m an assistant engineer at a state-funded, nonprofit organization. Our primary focus is with nonviolent drug offenders, the homeless population, individuals with mental health issues, and the LGBTQ community. We take care of people that most people forget.
 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BetterWorld Technology?
We reached out to them for a unified VoIP phone solution. One of our biggest challenges in 2020 was cleaning up our desk phones, finding better pricing, and discovering a solution for our staff members who work at home.
 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?
Their team is setting up our VoIP network. At the beginning of the engagement, I had several calls with BetterWorld Technology. They came to some of our sites and figured out what was needed without going overboard or being expensive. We worked on some common solutions for issues such as phone cost and so on.

Their team put together a roadmap plan for how long it’d take. Then, they implemented a transition from our old system to a new one. I provided the extension list and phone numbers, and they’ve done the heavy lifting. We’ve covered 64 sites throughout California. BetterWorld Technology set up the VoIP provider and arranged for their staff to come to the sites. 

What is the team composition?
We’ve worked with John (General Manager), Jose (IT Managed Services Provider), and Edwin (Senior IT Service Delivery Manager). 

How did you come to work with BetterWorld Technology?
They were referred to my executive. We looked into several other companies. Our team wanted more than just a vendor with a good price, we wanted a partner that could come out and assist us. We have a large end-user base and a small IT department. It came down to doing research. BetterWorld Technology deals with the same company we buy our software and some hardware from. Ultimately, we selected them because they’d provide a good cost and provide support.

How much have you invested with them?
We’ve invested about $45,000 for the set-up services.

What is the status of this engagement?
Our ongoing engagement started around January 2019. We have two sites left. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 
We’re very pleased with their service, as is my executive team. Because of COVID-19, we’ve been strict with our guidelines when it comes to having people in and out. There were a couple of sites that we had scheduled but had to change plans due to health conditions. BetterWorld Technology is always receptive to it. They consistently follow all of our protocols. I haven’t had any complaints over the 64 sites. BetterWorld Technology is always on time and communicative. We’d definitely work with them on another big project.

How did BetterWorld Technology perform from a project management standpoint?
Project management is great. Our communication started over phone calls, and then we moved to emails. I’ll reach out with a message about what we need, and they usually respond with any questions, ideas, or thoughts. Then, I may respond and offer another suggestion.

BetterWorld Technology is very professional. They’ve been proactive in handling all the ideas and planning. The biggest delay was because of us, not them. We have a standing weekly meeting that makes collaboration easy. 

What did you find most impressive about them?
They take work off of my plate. I can fire them an email, and they will handle it. BetterWorld Technology does what I need, in my best interest. If there’s a question, they’ll always verify with me first. 

Are there any areas they could improve?
They’re not the biggest company out there, and we have no concerns or issues. I hope they don’t get to the point where they get to be too big.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Set a precedent of what you want and expect. That way, there won’t be any miscommunication on their part. Their team is great and always finds me what I need. Additionally, the cheapest option isn’t always the best. There are companies out there that are cheaper than BetterWorld Technology, but you wouldn’t get that level of service that you want. I get that level of service from BetterWorld Technology.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the IT Manager for a private nonprofit foundation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BetterWorld Technology?

We were trying to resolve an issue we had with consistent phone quality and a consistently stabled circuit.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Like many other businesses and foundations, we were caught in the middle of our phone provider and data circuit provider pointing fingers at each other as to what was causing the lack of stabilization and good call quality of our phone system.

BetterWorld Technology offered a solution to take over the data circuit that the phones run on. They now handle the management of the circuit so we’ll never be in the middle again.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with at least half of their staff, including the founder and a former sales VP.

How did you come to work with BetterWorld Technology?

I heard about them from their founder. He had heard through one of our grantees that we were interested in looking into an avenue for homeless people to get phone services as a way to access country and state services.

We didn’t start an engagement for that, but they offered to look at our phone services. I was so unhappy with being the middle man that I happily switched to BetterWorld Technology.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested about $70,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing engagement started in April 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our staff was unanimous that phone quality is much better. What’s more, voice quality is better, the system doesn’t go down constantly, and we actually get messages now. Additionally, the number of tickets for phone-related questions, problems, and issues has decreased immensely. I went from more than a dozen tickets a month to maybe three or four a year.

How did BetterWorld Technology perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re really professional. Once John (General Manager) joined, it was even better. He has such a wide view that they could speak to issues and do things they hadn’t done previously. I hope that has resulted in growing their business.

What did you find most impressive about them?

BetterWorld Technology steps right up in handling mistakes they make. They’re never in denial, they take accountability and ask how to do better. That’s way more important to me because mistakes are inevitable.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing comes to mind. They do a lot of things well.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Trust them and be frank right upfront. Tell them what you want and how you measure success. I think the world of BetterWorld Technology. I have a lot of respect for the services they provide and am always ready to recommend them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the executive director of a small virtual company that provides business and individual coaching to professionals. We also have a media presence with our weekly radio shows and, now, Facebook Live sessions about how to grow and develop in positive ways.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BetterWorld Technology, LLC?

Our company is completely virtual, meaning we have clients literally all over the world. We access these clients primarily via telephone, so we needed a reliable VoIP set up.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

BetterWorld Technology, LLC has primarily created our VoIP phone system for us, which allows us all of the benefits and options of a VoIP system. Since we’ve started with them in 2013, VoIP technology has changed over the years. We’ve really needed to stay up-to-date to make sure we could successfully communicate with our clients. 

The biggest, mission-critical goal has been preventing dropped calls. We need the quality of our VoIP to be solid, which they’ve achieved throughout our time. I’m also impressed with their desk phone integration and smartphone app. We’ve recently expanded and bought a seat with Cisco Webex through them.

What is the team composition? 

Different people have joined the team over the years. I’ve worked with Ceddrick (National Account Executive) and Pat (IT Services Manager), both of whom are very helpful. But, for the most part, I haven’t spent a lot of time interacting with the team because we haven’t needed to. Our VoIP system is very reliable. 

How did you come to work with BetterWorld Technology, LLC?

Originally, I found BetterWorld Technology, LLC through their connection with nonprofits. At the time, we were moving away from another company that wasn’t giving us the service that we needed. We ended up choosing BetterWorld because they had a special offering for nonprofits.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve paid about $21,000 over a seven-year period.

What is the status of this engagement?

It’s an ongoing engagement that started in May 2013.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their support has been very helpful for our customer service. We had a problem with the way our phones were set up, which is a hard technical issue to deal with. Most companies would just refer you to a manual, which are often difficult to follow and require more tech-oriented people. But, BetterWorld just did it for me. I appreciated their help, and it made a huge difference on our end.

How did BetterWorld Technology, LLC perform from a project management standpoint?

We don’t have a lot of problems, but I’m very confident that I can just call them up to get any issue resolved. Because we’re so small, we don’t have the staff nor expertise to allocate for technical problems. In the event of an emergency, I phone BetterWorld’s team, and they’ll manage it. That’s based on my past experience with them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

As a small company, the level of personal attention that they’ve given us has really meant a lot. And, I’ve liked everybody that I’ve spoken to at BetterWorld, too. Life’s too short to work with significant vendors that you don’t like.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there’s nothing negative to report. They provide the service that we want, and I can talk to them whenever I have problems.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

For those who don’t have huge technical departments, BetterWorld is the perfect company. You’re hiring them to help you with those technical needs, and you can interact with them on a human-level to get what you want. That’s pretty powerful, and it’s what makes this relationship so great.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

EMA is a client-driven and planet-focused architectural design firm.

As trusted advisors and environmental stewards, we balance the synergies of people, program, and place to create spaces that reflect values, maintain resilience, and impart lasting positive impacts.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire BetterWorld Technology, LLC?

When our current VOIP phone system contract was coming to an end we knew that staying with the unnamed company that is neither Mi(ne) nor that could Tell(l) me anything, let alone reply to a simple customer request was not an option.

So we looked for a telecom company with triple bottom line roots and chose BetterWorld Telecom, a fellow B-Corp. I am actually happy and excited to have a great company to work with for our phone service!

What were your goals for this project?

A cost competitive VOIP phone system for our office with a company that would listen and does not suck and sit on a huge corporate egg

SOLUTION

How did you select BetterWorld Technology, LLC?

We found BetterWorld on a B-Corp B-Labs database of fellow B-Corp companies

Describe the project in detail.

Our sales agent was with us through the whole simple process. We shared the basic needs for our phone system and they matched us with a perfect system. Phones showed up as scheduled.

We followed the clear schedule that was laid out (except for some reply delays on my part) and they worked with me even when I delayed the system setup.

Anytime that I had a question it was promptly answered, and each time that I called a person actually answered or my call was promptly returned.

What was the team composition?

We had our main sales rep, and “the voice” on our answering tree with a little bit of back-up support by a technition. I never felt like I was being passed off to another person who did not know me or our project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our phones work great, calls are forwarded to cell phones when we want, voicemail actually works, and our phones are modern and full of features that our other phone company would not offer us, and at a lower cost!

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Workflow was clear and effective.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Most impressive about BetterWorld telecom is their follow through and attention to detail. It was night and day from our previous telecom company

Are there any areas for improvement?

I would not suggest any improvements to the process of getting our new phone system with BetterWorld.

The only wish that I had would be that they could be in Portland so that I could invite them over for dinner

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing director of a consulting firm that works with a number of entities in the telecom space.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BetterWorld Technology?

Nowadays, my team isn’t working out of a particular space, so I wanted to make sure that we were all connected. We hired BetterWorld Technology to install a standard dial-in and ensure that everyone was getting their messages.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

BetterWorld Technologies set up a common call tree that had specific local numbers and connected my team. Team members could call directly into the tree or reach each other individually. The solution also connected to their cell phones.

Since then, they’ve trained us on how to use the solution, and we’re just starting to explore beyond the basic features. We tell them about our needs, and they advise us to find cost-effective solutions.

What is the team composition? 

I’ve worked with three people: the initial salesperson and then the customer care operatives who followed up on delivering the solution and explain how to connect it.

How did you come to work with BetterWorld Technology?

It was important to me to have a company that was mature, had cost-effective services, and offered personal support. They’ve also been around for almost 20 years, now, and are a certified B corporation. No other company seemed to have that combination. 

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve spent about $500.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in April 2020, and we’re still their customer. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their call tree solution has saved us a lot of administrative time because it allows us to easily connect with the world. Our firm runs better and more smoothly, for sure, and the solution makes us appear bigger than we are.

How did BetterWorld Technology perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management is as seamless as it can be. We use Microsoft Teams, Salesforce, and WhatsApp internally.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Beyond how easy it is to get a hold of people, it’s their accountability, professionalism, and delivery that set them apart.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there haven’t been any problems so far.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Use their resources because there’s a lot of knowledge there. The team really knows what they’re doing and seem willing to do anything to deliver. You should rely on them for support. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CFO for Easter Seals Florida, a nonprofit providing services to individuals living with disabilities and their families. We have about 250 employees, with about 65% who are computer systems users. We are geographically separated into 9 locations across the state and have about 100 staff working remotely from home.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire BetterWorld Technology, LLC?

We needed a secure replacement for our aging terminal server environment for our staff to work in and share data. Additionally, we needed coordinated support for our staff which are geographically dispersed. Finally, we needed expert guidance and support for maintaining our systems, our connectivity, and security around our IT systems.

What were your goals for this project?

Our primary goal was to provide a stable, secure centralized computer system to our staff that would allow them to be effective in their jobs of supporting our clients.

SOLUTION

How did you select BetterWorld Technology, LLC?

We underwent a negotiated procurement process which included issuing an RFP to qualified companies, followed by Q & A sessions for each company to learn what our needs where so they could design the most effective solution. Once bids were received, we interviewed each company to ensure complete understanding of their proposal and assessed each based on our needs, the quality of the solution, the information provided by reference checks, and pricing.

Describe the project in detail.

BetterWorld recommended a Citrix based DaaS solution using Microsoft 365. They provided a plan for enhancing the local connectivity equipment to establish effective remote support, with cellular backup for outages. They installed remote monitoring software on all local workstation to manage the hardware and provided a help desk with multi-option access for all staff.

What was the team composition?

BetterWorld provided an excellent team, led by John Jordan, their General Manager. They created a large and skilled team of individuals with the expertise necessary to handle the job effectively.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

First and foremost, the stability and speed of this new solution has provided our staff with the ability to perform their jobs much more efficiently. The ability to directly contact a help desk to get quick resolution for most issues, has been especially appreciated by staff. Beyond that, the cellular backup for continuous internet services, even with the frequent outages we see here in Florida, has allowed programs to function properly.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Working with BetterWorld has been wonderful. They are incredibly responsive. Our biggest problem was with our old vendor and their unwillingness to cooperate with the transition. However, even with that challenge, BetterWorld was patient, but persistent and worked through every challenge and barrier that was put in their path by this old company.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

For me it is the level of expertise that BetterWorld has or has access to that most impresses me. I have quickly come to trust their advise and judgement. I am also grateful to see continuity in the folks we are working with. Sometimes companies have "start up" staff and then pass you off to someone else - which doesn't always work well. BetterWorld has not done that.

Are there any areas for improvement?

The thing that I wish went smoother, was having information available for distribution to our staff about the many changes they would see, or need to know about. We have training systems, and tools that are available to disseminate information, but we could not really use those tools because the content was not as readily available as I would have liked and often we were provided it, or developed it "after the fact".