Compudyne

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the IT director at Miner's Incorporated, a grocery market and liquor store chain. We have 41 locations across the US.

What challenges were you trying to address with Compudyne?

Most recently, we wanted to switch from our on-site routers and firewalls to a managed solution.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Compudyne helped us switch from our Cisco routers to a managed solution that they continue to maintain for us. They ensured that our operations wouldn’t be interrupted during the transition. They copied the configuration of our existing firewalls and transferred it over. A wide range of communication happens through this system between our warehouse, stores, and POS system.  

We went to each of our locations and switched out our old routers. They walked our team through that process over the phone. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with four people, including Ryan G. (Director of Network Services), Ryan N. (Senior Network Architect), and Dustin (Solutions Architect).  

How did you come to work with Compudyne?

The company had a relationship with them before my being here. We looked at other local companies for this project, but we felt that Compudyne could give us the most support. 

How much have you invested in them? 

We spent about $35,000 on the initial project. We pay them $10,250 per month for continued support. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked on this project from March–July 2020. However, we’ve worked with them on IT projects for many years. 

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

We’re able to satisfy more business needs because of their support. 

How did Compudyne perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated over email, in-person, and via telephone. We also had a designated customer success manager. 

What did you find most impressive about them? 

I like the personal relationship that they have with their customers. They have a personal touch. In addition, they’re always proactive in offering us new services to enhance our business. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I feel good about our relationship with them. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Ensure that you understand the escalation path for issues that may arise.  Compudyne prides itself on customer service and has always done their to ensure that we are satisfied with their service.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the executive director of Lighthouse Child & Family Services. We provide mental health services to people in our surrounding communities in our state.

What challenge were you trying to address with Compudyne?

Because we are a company made up of only 47 staff in a rural area, we don’t really have enough work to employ a full-time IT employee. And so it was nice to be able to contract Compudyne who can provide the services we need remotely.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They have a team that works with my agency. To start, they’ve downloaded and installed a software agent on all of our computers. This allows them to manage all of our IP needs from their home or offices. 

Currently, they handle all of the technical issues and help manage and configure any network related issues that we encounter. The team works closely with our internet service provider (ISP) and makes on-site visits to troubleshoot and resolve any issues on their own.

They also help us order computers to make sure they’re the right business grade. I used to go to Best Buy and just buy a computer, but that’s really not the best way to do it. Now, I’m learning things as we go because they provide the expertise and knowledge that I clearly don’t have when it comes to IT hardware. 

What is the team composition?

In the beginning, we worked with Benji (Sales Consultant) and Elliot (vCIO). Then there have been several people that we’ve met over the process like Cory (Managed Services Technician).

How did you come to work with Compudyne?

Out of the four companies that I interviewed, the team at Compudyne were genuinely interested in what we were doing. Benji and the whole company talked about their battle of mental health services in communities, so I felt like they had the same values that I have. We tried to incorporate that within our staff at Lighthouse, and it just felt like a really good fit.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost of the initial stages to get everything set up was a bit different, but we spend a minimum of $30,000 a year.

What is the status of this engagement?

The ongoing partnership started in October 2020.

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

The partnership has been extremely successful. We’ve not had any lag time, people are very responsive on their team and my staff are amazed at how quickly they respond and resolve issues. In my past IT contract, it would sometimes take a week to fix issues and then my office manager would have to constantly follow up on it. But with these guys, it’s literally a same-day service.

They’ve eliminated my office manager from having to field and make 20 calls a day for all of the IT-related issues. They basically took out the middleman, and our staff can go to Compudyne and have their issues resolved directly.

I’m glad I signed on because it has been a huge investment during this pandemic. It was a risky financial commitment so they were willing to be flexible with how they contracted with me, which has been very reassuring and helpful.

How did Compudyne perform from a project management standpoint?

I have weekly meetings with Elliot to talk about what our issues are and what work they’ve done. We also have larger monthly meetings about budget, planning, and projecting into the future to see which computers need replacing. This is all done through phone calls or emails.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We are impressed with their customer service and the attention they give to us as an agency. They’ve really eliminated us from having to learn how to do what they do. 

This is what they do and this is why we pay them every month. Bringing on staff can cost around $70,000– to $80,000, and we just don’t have the funds set aside for that type of service. Working with them allows us to save money.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I have yet to have a complaint about their services.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

When you approach them, you will get a stellar service from day one. I never felt like the salespeople were trying to sell me something. It’s really becoming a partnership, and I’ve felt that from the beginning. It’s very personal — they’re not like other big businesses.

Developing that kind of personal business relationship is very important. I don’t have a worry about what’s happening because I’m very confident in their services.