Bit by Bit Computer Consultants

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an executive assistant for Strategic Decisions Group, a management consulting firm. We do consulting for strategic decision-making, decision analysis, and executive education for decision quality. I also manage the internal IT services in conjunction with our managed services provider.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Bit by Bit Computer Consultants?

Over a year and a half ago, I was tasked with finding a managed IT services company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Bit by Bit Computer Consultants manages everything from our Microsoft Office 365 plans and licenses to the help desk and any other software support we need. They continue to operate the email servers and software accounts and provide cybersecurity awareness training, dark web monitoring, and other cybersecurity monitoring for us.

Additionally, they provide support on a project basis if something specific needs to be instigated. For example, if there’s a system cleanup, a new software review, an extra piece of security, or a more extensive project, Bit by Bit Computer Consultants gives us a proposal and scopes out the work. Then, we manage the timeline and workload.

Their services are entirely off-site. They can provide on-site support if needed, but we’re fully remote. We’ve got a couple of on-site locations, but Bit by Bit Computer Consultants doesn’t provide on-site support because we don’t need it.

What is the team composition?

We have two client success managers as our main points of contact; we work with them regularly. Additionally, we have access to at least 15 techs who are available 24/7 at the help desk.

How did you come to work with Bit by Bit Computer Consultants?

Since we didn’t have a specific location where we’d need on-site support, it opened up the possibility of where we could look. I searched on Google for different locations based on where we had employees.

We had offices in Boston, the East Coast, Houston, California, and Germany. Since we were so distributed, I looked at East Coast companies in general. I also looked for companies that were small enough to work with us. We had less than 60 staff members, so we didn’t want a big-name company.

We had an initial call with Dara (Senior Account Executive) and talked for at least an hour about our needs and what Bit by Bit Computer Consultants could provide. The interview was good enough to make them stand out from all the other companies I interviewed. Ultimately, Bit by Bit Computer Consultants was a good fit for our needs, given their mentality and capabilities.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent over $150,000 between our monthly cost and some of the project costs we’ve had along the way.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in February 2023, and our relationship is ongoing. We intend to keep them as our managed IT services; we don’t have an end date.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Bit by Bit Computer Consultants has helped clarify our policies and processes. We didn’t have clear policies and procedures before them, so they’ve helped us significantly.

Moreover, we’ve gone from having one person on staff to help 60 people to having over 12 people to contact for help with any IT immediate or long-term issue. Their help desk support is prompt, and they’ve helped with some software redundancies. For example, we had video conferencing software doing the same thing, so we were paying two companies for the same service. Bit by Bit Computer Consultants helped us cut back on some of those redundancies and clean up our IT systems in general.

How did Bit by Bit Computer Consultants perform from a project management standpoint?

We haven’t had issues regarding budget or timelines; those are clearly communicated and discussed as they come up. Overall, there’s never been any problem with scope creep or project costs.

Bit by Bit Computer Consultants has been available as a help desk 24/7, so we have great coverage for our IT support. We have weekly calls with their two customer service managers to address any urgent issues and have strategic conversations about any other IT needs or services they can provide. We also have a monthly call that includes an additional leadership person to discuss our IT plans.

Additionally, we can immediately contact them via a Microsoft Teams channel, and our users can place tickets via email or phone. We have many ways to get in touch with them.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

The two customer service representatives we regularly work with are Daniel (Client Success Manager) and Dara. We talk to them every week to touch base on how everything’s going. They provide the background info and help manage our relationship with the IT desk as needed.

What did you find most impressive about them?

In general, they’re willing to communicate and discuss potential options. When we’re talking about software redundancies, how to change some of our systems, or what could work best for us, Bit by Bit Computer Consultants really looks at it based on what they’ve learned about our company, so it’s not just out of the box. They’ve learned what our company does and how it functions, tailoring the answers to something that works for us, which is very appreciated.

Moreover, they don’t pretend to have an answer if they don’t have one. The team does the research, finds out what’s best, and comes back to us with it, which is also appreciated.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing comes to mind. Everything has gone smoothly for the past year and a half. Whatever snags we’ve had in the process have been mostly on our end; it’s been us trying to get them information and do a bit of a hand-off. We don’t have any improvement notes.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Openness and a good hand-off at the beginning are the best. The more we could’ve handed and communicated to them earlier, the better they would’ve been to pick up and go. Nonetheless, Bit by Bit Computer Consultants has learned about our company, so they know what fits and works best for us.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the IT Manager of a manufacturing company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Our company is powering a new era of electric transportation on land and in air with Li-Metal batteries.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Bit by Bit Computer Consultants to accomplish?

• Support end users
• Assist in Projects
• Monitor Infrastructure

SOLUTION

How did you find Bit by Bit Computer Consultants?

Online Search

Why did you select Bit by Bit Computer Consultants over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from Bit by Bit Computer Consultants were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Bit by Bit was hired to support our end users, monitor our US IT infrastructure, and help with IT projects.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Bit by Bit always helped end users when tickets were submitted, and they responded quickly to any alerts from our IT infrastructure. Bit by Bit Computer Consulting did an excellent job of discovering our network and fixed multiple issues throughout the year.

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

They delivered on all items in a timely manner.

What was your primary form of communication with Bit by Bit Computer Consultants?

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

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

The most impressive thing about Bit by Bit was the ability to go into a bad network and reverse engineer the network from top to bottom. Bit by Bit did not have the opportunity to speak with our last MSP, which made them learn our environment very quickly. One of their top employees is one of the most knowledgeable and down to earth people I have had the pleasure of working with.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Bit by Bit Computer Consultants could have done differently?

I would recommend starting the renewal process earlier and attempt to get quotes out faster.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of data engineering at a battery startup. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Bit by Bit Computer Consultants?

We hired Bit by Bit Computer Consultants to be our IT service provider. Our goals were to support our office and staff and implement basic troubleshooting. We also needed them to handle our emails, office configuration, and IT-related projects.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We initially had discovery calls with Bit by Bit Computer Consultants to talk about our goals. I came to them with general goals, and they guided us on the best practices for implementing IT projects at our company.

At present, they provide a combination of on- and off-site services. We have one person on site one day per week, and the remainder of their services are provided off-site. They’ve also purchased and installed hardware for us as we use their desktop and laptop services. 

What is the team composition?

We work with Dan (Customer Success Manager) and with someone who helps with purchasing equipment. Brian (Senior Field Engineer) comes to our office once per week and reaches out to staff members if we have ongoing projects. 

How did you come to work with Bit by Bit Computer Consultants?

We found Bit by Bit Computer Consultants through Google. 

What is the status of this engagement?

The engagement started in October 2022, and it’s ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Around 100% of our new employees are successfully onboarded through Bit by Bit Computer Consultants’ process. We’re fully leveraging their capabilities when it comes to implementing the new hires’ setup. Overall, their work has exceeded our expectations. As a small company, we appreciate that they give us suggestions wherever we need them. 

How did Bit by Bit Computer Consultants perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management is great. Dan is good at keeping things on time, while Brian is great at following up on tasks even when working off-site. Since we’re a small company, there isn’t always a project owner on our side. Our teammates are doing many things, and we don’t always fully manage our projects. As a result, things sometimes fall by the wayside. Despite that, the Bit by Bit Computer Consultants team remains on time. 

For communication, we use email, phone, and Slack. We have calls with them as needed. Everyone in our company has access to a ticketing system via email. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their biggest strength is their flexibility. As a small company, our needs change. Our priorities sometimes change from week to week. Brian is especially good at shifting gears.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

When we first started working with them, no one in our team knew what to do in terms of onboarding. We didn’t know what to do, and things felt slightly ambiguous. We could’ve used a bit more guidance from them from the get-go. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Bit by Bit Computer Consultants generally serves everybody. However, if there’s an escalation, somebody at your company must serve as the liaison between you and their team. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for a private equity firm headquartered in Paris. However, I’m working from our New York office, as I’m the senior administrative manager of that office.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Bit by Bit Computer Consultants?

Before working with Bit by Bit, we had been working with a managed IT service provider for five years, but we weren’t happy with them at all. Therefore, we wanted to make a change.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Bit by Bit is our managed IT services provider. They come to our offices almost every day from 9 a.m.–2 p.m. to provide us with help desk services. We have 23 employees at the firm, so they support our daily IT needs.

Bit by Bit also works with other service providers to help us with things like our internet network or our conference room installation. For example, although they don’t offer cybersecurity directly, they work with our cybersecurity provider to ensure our systems are secure. Basically, they manage our network and systems setup.

Initially, Bit by Bit started the project by having many calls with our IT manager in Paris. During those calls, we provided them with a list of our needs, our priorities, and what had gone wrong with and disliked about the other company.

Then, our IT manager came from Paris to New York, and we had a few on-site meetings with the leaders of Bit by Bit. Later, we met with their technicians and introduced them to our employees before starting the actual help desk service.

In addition to the help desk service, Bit by Bit helps us with our software and hardware purchases. Any purchase orders that we have are managed by them. They buy all our supplies so that we just get one invoice, and we can go to just one service provider for all of our IT needs. Their team is always aware of the supplies we have and the ones we need, and they let us know whenever we’re missing something.

What is the team composition?

We work with three technicians from Bit by Bit. Two of them are the main technicians, and they rotate on a weekly basis. The other technician is just there for backup in case one of the other two is out. Thus, there is always someone on site helping us no matter what.

How did you come to work with Bit by Bit Computer Consultants?

We found them through a referral.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2023, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since the beginning, Bit by Bit’s work quality has remained consistent. Every day, there’s something they work on to make our systems better and achieve improvements. They even stay longer whenever needed.

How did Bit by Bit Computer Consultants perform from a project management standpoint?

We have weekly meetings every Tuesday to oversee tickets, ask questions, and discuss ongoing issues, which is very helpful because we get a lot out of those meetings. Bit by Bit doesn’t come to our office on Fridays because not a lot of people are on site on Fridays. Still, they’re available remotely 24/7, and they’re very good at immediately replying whenever there’s an issue.

As for collaboration tools, most of our virtual communication and chats are on Microsoft Teams. Whenever there’s an emergency issue, we simply jump on a call. We also use Bit by Bit’s proprietary ticket management system, which is great.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

I would like to congratulate the entire Bit by Bit team. Our three technicians are all super efficient and extremely helpful.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Bit by Bit’s biggest strength is their promptness in answering emails and questions; they’re very efficient. Additionally, the quality of their service is excellent. Whenever they work on something for our employees, they go back to them to make sure they did it right and see if anything else is needed. The fact that they work directly with our employees, no matter if they’re even our CEO, shows that they’re concerned about us and truly care.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing Bit by Bit could improve on; working with them has been an amazing experience. They’re always present and on time.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It's very important to have initial meetings with them and ensure that they can answer any questions that are important to you and cater to your needs. It’s very important for Bit by Bit to be the best service.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of IT for a financial services company. We manage clients’ funds like an asset management company. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Bit by Bit Computer Consultants?

Bit by Bit serves as the IT service provider for our office in the US. Since our head office wasn’t there, we needed a local company that could support our office in a timely fashion. We needed their expertise to help our US team do business. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Bit by Bit has provided us with experts to manage our office needs in terms of desktops, computer servers, and all of our IT infrastructure needs. Most of the hardware we have in the office has been provided by Bit by Bit. Moreover, they have a full-time staff in the office. 

What is the team composition?

We work with an account manager who works remotely. Our team also has access to their expertise behind the scenes. For example, they can provide resources whenever I need them to do something, such as cabling or setting up a network.

How did you come to work with Bit by Bit Computer Consultants?

We found Bit by Bit through a referral by a neighbor in our office building. They were already approved and vetted by our company when I joined it, so I wasn’t part of the selection process. 

How much have you invested with them?

Our investment has been between $300,000–$400,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the engagement in May 2022, and it’s ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our end users — who were unhappy before Bit by Bit worked with us — have given positive feedback. Everybody loves the team, and user satisfaction is high right now because the person they’ve deployed does everything he has to do. He’s doing a great job. 

How did Bit by Bit Computer Consultants perform from a project management standpoint?

Bit by Bit has been highly responsive. We’ve needed them to do work quickly, and they move mountains to do it. They respond super quickly without making it hard for us to explain anything. They simply ask us what we need and make it happen. 

For communication, the person who works in our office uses our ticketing system. If I need other things from Bit by Bit, I communicate with them through email. We also use Teams and Google Meet. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re responsive and committed to their work, so I feel confident whenever I ask them for something. If I ask them to do something by Wednesday, they do it. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

We had to switch out a couple of the original resources they’d given us because they didn’t fit our culture. However, the team has been open about it and accommodated our request 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Communicate because Bit by Bit is there to listen. If you’re experiencing a challenge, don’t hold it to yourself or complain about it. Just tell it to them, and they’ll address it. They’re a small family business, so they care about their customers. If you need something, ask. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the operations manager for Project Sunshine, a nonprofit organization that aims to provide children with play during difficult hospital times. We work with several other nonprofits and corporations to deliver play activities at medical centers and virtually. 

In my role, I oversee technology, implementation, onboarding of vendors, and HR tasks. Additionally, I support our organization’s board and staff and keep both engaged. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Bit by Bit Computer Consultants?

Our organization was hacked while working with our previously managed IT service provider. The previous provider wasn’t proactive when a staff member flagged that they weren’t receiving their emails correctly. It turned out the hacker had had control of our employee’s email for two months. 

When we realized our employee had been hacked and our previous provider didn’t take action despite many red flags, we decided to switch providers. We hired Bit by Bit Computer Consultants as our managed IT service provider.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Bit by Bit Computer Consultants has been our managed IT service provider for almost two years. Initially, we had a discovery phase; Bit by Bit Computer Consultants gave us a checklist of items they needed to take over from the previous company. We organized an introductory call where we introduced Bit by Bit Computer Consultants to the previous company; the latter provided our passwords, all login credentials, our Microsoft contracts, our action plan, and a Green Book. 

The onboarding process took around two weeks, and we had a one-month period where the companies overlapped so that the previous company could provide Bit by Bit Computer Consultants with whatever they needed. 

Currently, the team maintains our IT infrastructure, including helping us with onboarding, setting up new computers, and managing our servers, printers, and phones. Bit by Bit Computer Consultants manages our Microsoft Exchange account and provides backend AI monitoring, including 24/7 cybersecurity monitoring of our servers and email accounts. 

The team offers on- and off-site services. For installations and server upgrades, they send an on-site teammate. However, they primarily work remotely using a ticketing system. We email them and receive an acknowledgment when the ticket has been assigned. From there, a Bit by Bit Computer Consultants technician follows up with us. 

Some of our servers were at end-of-life (EOL) when Bit by Bit Computer Consultants took over, so they’ve helped us purchase a new server for our email. They’ve also recommended investing in WiFi changes; we’ve bought a Cisco Meraki device, and Bit by Bit Computer Consultants has installed it. 

The team has also advised us to switch from headphones to softphones. Bit by Bit Computer Consultants has managed the transition into softphones. The team has migrated us into Microsoft Teams phone numbers since we have a hybrid model of working some time at home and some time in our office.

Our AV equipment was also at EOL, so Bit by Bit Computer Consultants has updated the technology in our conference room and replaced it with the Logitech Rally Plus system. The team installed the new AV equipment.

What is the team composition?

We have a dedicated account manager, a dedicated tickets manager, and dedicated senior teammates. For each area, Bit by Bit Computer Consultants provides dedicated leads, such as a Mac-focused lead, a hardware lead, and a teleconferencing lead. Additionally, we’ve worked with junior staff. 

How did you come to work with Bit by Bit Computer Consultants?

They came highly recommended. Our technology committee works with a cybersecurity analyst team who looked into what happened during our hacking, and they recommended Bit by Bit Computer Consultants to us. 

How much have you invested with them?

We pay them $2,500 monthly, and there are separate fees for different engagements. In total, we’ve spent $30,000–$35,000 yearly with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We signed the contract in February 2022 and started working with them in April 2022. The engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our organization is going through an expansion as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. While we used to bring our services in person, we now get our activities to kids through video apps. For the expansion, we’re hiring new staff and educating developers and designers about future work, which causes more need for troubleshooting. As a result, we’ve seen tickets increase, and Bit by Bit Computer Consultants has been very consistent. 

How did Bit by Bit Computer Consultants perform from a project management standpoint?

We’re a nonprofit organization and work with fixed income. Bit by Bit Computer Consultants understands the need to be flexible in their support. They provide a steep discount when it comes to software and new agreements. The team also recommends alternatives to paying licenses and leverages their relationships with industry parties to waive license fees. 

We have recurring meetings weekly or twice weekly via Microsoft Teams to avoid surprises or delays. Our internal team recognizes they should all check in and keep constant communication. Additionally, I review tickets every Thursday with the Bit by Bit Computer Consultants team. During this meeting, I can remind them of recurring issues or provide critical feedback. 

As for project management, we use an email-based ticketing system. We communicate through Microsoft Teams; they text or call us depending on the complexity or urgency of the project. Our staff usually goes through the ticketing system and waits for a call or text from Bit by Bit Computer Consultants to set up a meeting and review issues. If there’s an emergency, we have a dedicated 1-800 number to contact Bit by Bit Computer Consultants’ international team, who work in different time zones.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

I want to shout out Dara (Client Solutions Executive), who acts as our account manager. She’s been very helpful and provided her dedicated phone number. If we have an emergency or a higher-level issue, we have a direct line to Dara without going through ticketing, and she expedites tasks for us. Jino (Security Engineer) is also helpful and always goes above and beyond.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Bit by Bit Computer Consultants’ service has remained superb, even with a demand increase. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

While Bit by Bit Computer Consultants always address tickets, we’ve had issues with their follow-up calls. If they didn’t receive an answer, they would keep insisting until the issue was resolved. Sometimes, they’d call during a meeting, which can be disruptive because we use Microsoft Teams, and our phone numbers are also linked to that platform. 

Therefore, we’ve advised our internal team not to submit a ticket unless they have time to answer a call. Bit by Bit Computer Consultants has also agreed to set times for calls in order not to disrupt our meetings.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Set expectations at the start of your engagement with Bit by Bit Computer Consultants and have an open communication channel. 

There’s a lot of heavy lifting during onboarding processes, so you should be very prepared and know your inventory, software, and login credentials. The onboarding process will be time-consuming if you don’t have all your information prepared. Initially, we had meetings with Bit by Bit Computer Consultants twice weekly for three months and reduced the cadence once we fully onboarded them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the global admin officer of Build Change. We are an international nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives through resilient housing against disasters worldwide. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Bit by Bit Computer Consultants?

We’ve hired Bit by Bit Computer Consultants as our primary IT support partners. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Bit by Bit Computer Consultants has been responsible for ensuring our laptops are secured, technical troubleshooting, virtual CIO services, and onboarding and offboarding. They provide antivirus software and patching for all of our work computers. We are an international company, and they’ve been able to help our worldwide offices with troubleshooting, regardless of the time zone. 

We recently started using Bit by Bit Computer Consultants for CIO services and are building our password policy. They have been responsible for procuring equipment, device disposing, and cybersecurity services. We’ve had several phishing incidents, and the team is responsive to those threats. Bit by Bit Computer Consultants has an account on our Google Workspace to monitor any activity that requires high-sensitivity security. 

What is the team composition?

Our senior staff and I interact with Ivan (VP Sales & Marketing), Thomas (Senior Account Executive), Joan (Project Manager), and Melanie (IT Helpdesk Manager). Our entire team — located in various time zones throughout the world — receives technical support from their responsive and knowledgeable helpdesk team.

How did you come to work with Bit by Bit Computer Consultants?

They were a referral from a former colleague. We interviewed three separate vendors and eventually decided to move forward with Bit by Bit Computer Consultants. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $86,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April 2022, and the engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We save time by working with them because we don’t have to allocate someone on our team to troubleshoot issues. We’ve also seen a quicker turnaround time with onboarding and offboarding because we no longer have to activate and deactivate the software and procure equipment. Another metric is that all our laptops are now protected with the same antivirus security. 

How did Bit by Bit Computer Consultants perform from a project management standpoint?

Their team is highly communicative and responsive. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Bit by Bit Computer Consultants consistently exceed our expectations because of their level of IT support, care, and expertise. Their whole team is incredible to work with and extremely responsive to our needs. Every time we need something, they’re able to offer valuable support. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing we can come up with. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You won’t have to worry about anything because Bit by Bit Computer Consultants will take care of everything. They’ll discuss what they need from you; if you communicate with them as often as they communicate with you, you’ll be very successful. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the President of GreyBox Creative

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Branding and web development, security and maintenance

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire to accomplish?

• Build a custom application to support our client's employees and their customers
• Create real time actionable reports and dashboards
• A simple way for users to access critical data remotely and efficiently

SOLUTION

How did you find ?

• Referral

Why did you select over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

We hired Bit by Bit to build us a custom application to support our clients employees and their customers. We wanted to provide the staff and clients a way to access critical business information simply and securely on demand to be more efficient and make their lives easier.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The portal is a big success, both our internal staff and clients are more productive because they can access critical business information in real time and act on it. There are reports and dashboards that allow us to measure key performance indicators and we can make adjustments as needed.

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

Very organized and very hands on. The regular meetings really kept us all on task.

What was your primary form of communication with ?

• In-Person Meeting

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

While they are not in our clients business per se, they completely understood their business needs and how to build this application as we envisioned. They asked good questions and listened.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Bit by Bit Computer Consultants could have done differently?

The project went very smoothly. The ongoing support is spot on.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the design and IT manager at Benhar Office Interiors, an interior design company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Bit by Bit Computer Consultants?

Bit by Bit Computer Consultants provides us with managed IT services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Bit by Bit Computer Consultants provides onsite and offsite managed IT services including support, implementation, networking, and future growth. In addition, the team has installed servers and switches for us. They bid everything out for the best price, present our team with 2-3 quotes, and then execute on our decision.

What is the team composition?

Bit by Bit Computer Consultants has a variety of people helping with our project including the owner.  

How did you come to work with Bit by Bit Computer Consultants?

Our owner knows the owner of Bit by Bit Computer Consultants through a networking group.

How much have you invested with them?

The project cost over $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2023 and the collaboration is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Bit by Bit Computer Consultants has made our company more efficient. The team gets the job done.

How did Bit by Bit Computer Consultants perform from a project management standpoint?

Bit by Bit Computer Consultants is very responsive through a very clear and detailed ticketing system that they use.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I'm impressed by how the team is always available.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The technicians’ communication skills could be improved a little.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Collaborate closely with the team from the start of the project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the systems administrator at a third-party administration firm. We manage our clients’ medical, dental, and pension annuity benefits. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Bit by Bit Computer Consultants?

Bit by Bit supports our infrastructure, and all our servers are hosted in their data center. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had a discovery call so Bit by Bit could know more about our infrastructure and servers alongside what we did as a company. At that time, they told us that we had to move servers because they were moving their data center. This coincided with our need to improve the infrastructure of our data center. 

I told them to give me options that I could present to our higher-ups, and they gave me three of them. Then, we jumped on a call and hashed out the pros and cons of those options. We also discussed each option's hidden costs and what we might incur later. From there, they presented us with an infrastructure where they could easily support us and provide resiliency, reliability, and scalability. 

At present, they provide consulting services for us around our projects. I tell them what I’m trying to do and ask them if it’s good based on their experience as a managed service provider and in relation to their clients with the same issues. 

Meanwhile, our software and hardware are either purchased by our team or leased with the help of Bit by Bit. Moreover, the team does both on- and offsite services. If I see issues with the network in our office, I can create a ticket. I can then have a remote session with them. That way, they can see what I’m seeing and figure out what’s causing the problem.

What is the team composition?

I mainly interface with Jim (CIO). Meanwhile, my other points of contact depend on the issues I’m facing. When I send an email about an issue through their support system, I get routed to a tier one, tier two, or tier three teammate. Most of the time, I interface with a tier two or tier three person. For some issues, a higher-level teammate takes over to see what’s going on.

Moreover, I’m able to reach Michael (Social Network Engineer) for certain issues after hours. He’s helped me work on our on-premise server and Microsoft 365. 

How did you come to work with Bit by Bit Computer Consultants?

The president of our company knew Bit by Bit’s president. We engaged them to do backups for us. At that time, another company handled our infrastructure and support needs. However, we eventually moved those tasks to Bit by Bit. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested around $50,000–$100,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been a client of Bit by Bit since September 2012, and the engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our updated infrastructure has been working for 3–4 years, and Bit by Bit has helped us migrate older servers to newer ones. We’re able to work with them on a 5–10-year timeline for our servers and infrastructure. Moreover, we’ve referred them to other clients with certain IT needs. 

How did Bit by Bit Computer Consultants perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been great at managing projects and meeting deadlines. Most of our projects have always been planned out, and both teams try to minimize the number of projects with hard deadlines. 

Some projects have mini-projects that must be completed before the bigger project can proceed. Sometimes, Bit by Bit has mini-projects of their own, or I’m relying on a third party to finish something before we can complete everything else. As a result, most of our projects are pre-planned without hard dates. 

In terms of tools, Bit by Bit has a ticketing system. I can submit a ticket or talk to them via phone or Teams. If the issue requires them to be more involved, I tell them to put in a ticket so we can track the problem. On our side, we use Jira. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m impressed with their expertise and the breadth of their knowledge — I can ask them about almost anything related to IT or our infrastructure. They’re quick to point me in the right direction and always understand what I’m trying to do. 

Other teams will simply do what the client wants to do. Bit by Bit does that, but they always warn me about the potential results of our actions. They tell me if something I want to do might complicate things or delay our project. In other words, they’re more than happy to do what I want them to, but we always have conversations on how best to do it. It’s not just about what’s easier for them or me; it’s about what’s easier for both of our teams. I also understand that they can’t just drop everything at a moment’s notice just to take a look at a ticket from me. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t any. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You have to go into the relationship with an open mind. There are things you want as a customer, and then there are things that a vendor like Bit by Bit wants — you have to meet in the middle. Vendors won’t give you 100% of their resources for things that shouldn’t require that; remember that no company is ever going to stop what they’re doing for one client.

Moreover, you might be experiencing pressure from your internal team, but relaying that pressure to your vendor doesn’t help anyone. Instead of doing that, work with the vendor to figure out what’s wrong and look at the problem methodically. Don’t jump to conclusions, and remember that it’s not a blame game or anything like that. Just keep an open mind and be patient.