designDATA

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the executive director of the Barker Adoption Foundation, a 76-year-old adoption agency serving birth parents, adopted persons, and adoptive parents. Our goal is to ensure every child has the opportunity to grow up in a safe, stable, and loving family. 

We have a range of support services designed for men and women experiencing unplanned pregnancies. They can use our services to explore whether they want to make an adoption plan or explore other opportunities for their child. 

We also recruit adoptive parents for children, particularly children with special needs, children with trauma history living in foster care, children living in orphanages in other countries, and domestic infants. 

We provide a range of services with a strong focus on ethics and mental health. We also offer counseling services for individuals, groups, and families with high competency in the adoption and foster care fields. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with designDATA?

We had long relied on a single person who lived out of state to manage our IT services. We realized we needed to be more proactive to ensure we used and predicted the latest technology to improve our efficiency and security. We also needed readily-available resources for training and hands-on IT support.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

designDATA is providing us with on- and offsite IT support. Their team is always available to troubleshoot whenever we need help. We also use their Hardware-as-a-Service (HaaS) product — we lease all of our equipment from them. 

Initially, they were on site for two weeks and got us up and running. They’ve fixed and replaced our equipment. 

Notably, two years into our contract with designDATA, the world shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our hardware then consisted of both laptops and desktops. Our team needed laptops immediately — within two days, we were all working from our home offices with their laptops.

In addition, designDATA provides us with weekly webinars and their library of online training, which our staff uses regularly. They also offer a 24/7 IT support line and web maintenance and hosting service.

We also have meetings with them every other week to go over open tickets and anticipate upcoming challenges and needs. We have quarterly business reviews with them as well. 

What is the team composition?

We’ve spoken with Erik (VP Business Development), Scott (Director of Trainings), and a board member during the vetting process. After our onboarding, we’ve been working with two points of contact, including Francisco (Project Manager). 

How did you come to work with designDATA?

We vetted approximately four organizations, and designDATA came out far ahead of the ones we had assessed. We chose them because of the attention that we got during the vetting and onboarding process. The references that we received about the consistency of their service were also impressive. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $200,000–$300,000 so far, but we’ve renewed our contract for the same amount. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2019, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thanks to designDATA, we’ve never experienced any IT-related crisis. We feel tended to, like we have a partner. At one point, there was a power outage on a Friday night, and they called to inform me that they were working on it. 

How did designDATA perform from a project management standpoint?

They are good at project management. They’re responsive, knowledgeable, and affordable. We communicate primarily through phone calls, emails, and Microsoft Teams.

What did you find most impressive about them?

designDATA is committed to excellence, and they understand the importance of our organization’s mission. In addition, they help us anticipate expenses on a 2–3 year schedule. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’ve been times when I feel like their business is growing, so much so that their staff seemed a little overwhelmed. We’ve been extremely patient during those times, considering that the whole world has gone virtual, and there’s been a spike in the need for their services. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Trust them, and communicate well with their team. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for a midsize trade association based in the DC Metro Area

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with the designDATA?

We have been a client of designDATA since 2013. We partnered with designDATA to improve the operational maturity in IT. We were always running into issues. We wanted to improve the staff experience and better align IT with our organization’s priorities. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

designDATA is our IT operations. They manage our network, train, and support our staff and keep us protected. They are vital teammates in any new technology implementation

What is the team composition? 

We work with a dedicated team that includes a program manager, technical account managers, and service desk staff. Everyone is very knowledgeable and passionate about helping us. You can tell they love what they do. 

How did you come to work with designDATA?

We were looking to improve the value IT was delivering to our organization. Following a rigorous selection process, designDATA was chosen as our IT MSP because they worked the hardest to really understand the business challenges we had and the goals we were trying to achieve. 

How much have you invested with them?

We invest about $25,000 per month with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with designDATA in 2013. We continue to rely on them for IT support and expertise. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

IT was holding us back. Now it’s an asset. I don’t have to worry about network issues or staff not getting the care and support they deserve. I have absolute peace of mind. I can’t tell you how important that is! We are planning our technology investments well in advance, and they are aligned with our goals as an organization.

We are finally having productive high-level discussions about the critical role technology plays.

How did the designDATA perform from a project management standpoint?

The meeting and communication cadence we have established works. We are having the right conversations about the right things at the correct times. I hear a lot from peers about IT projects that start and don’t finish or go as planned.

When we decide to implement new technology, designDATA gets it done and done right. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Our staff truly trusts and relies upon IT now. The team has a great relationship with our designDATA team. designDATA has come to know us as individuals, as well as our business needs and workflows. There is an immediate response to issues and resolve them efficiently.The quality of the productivity and security training they provide is also top-notch.

Our team has become more confident with the technology use and is finding ways to collaborate better and work more efficiently.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I am a delighted customer. designDATA seems to know their areas for improvement better than I do. I constantly see them working on their business for the better. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

The Armed Services YMCA is a national mid-sized nonprofit with offices in 9 states supporting military members and their families. I am the Chief of Staff and Chief Information Officer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire designDATA?

Put simply, IT was a roadblock, not an asset. As IT Managed Services company, our previous provider didn’t do what they said they would do, and we lost trust in them. We needed a partner who could put us in a position to deliver for the important people we serve.

SOLUTION

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

We interviewed local companies until we made a decision to have designDATA serve as our primary IT operations. They make sure our team members can do their work and collaborate easily and securely regardless of where they might be located. They provide IT road-mapping and strategic guidance, helpdesk support, system administration, security and training.

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

They are providing full service to three locations and remote service to 10 more. They are the go to for all service desk needs, all licensing, all infrastructure builds, and long term planning.

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

We have access to the entire company. My focused team has three main players, a customer success manager, a manager, and a technician. That along with dedicated service desk personnel, we get to know each of them and they get to know us as well.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

COVID is our biggest success. We were not prepared to work remotely. DesignDATA solved the problem for us. We are actually thriving and having a system in place is a large reason why.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very responsive. We communicate on a regular schedule and keep things moving forward consistently.

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

I have been impressed with how well they knew us. When staff has changed, we have not had a reduction in our service.

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

I don't know of any. Very happy with their team, performance, offerings.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for a midsize, global education-focused trade association.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with designDATA?

We have been a client of designDATA since 2011. They are our managed services provider, which means that they manage our network and provide day-to-day help desk support. We partner with designDATA so that we don’t have to worry about unexpected technology issues. We want to rest easy that we are set up for success now and in the future.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

In addition to being our managed service provider, they also provide us with tiered support and technology expertise where we don’t have it. They manage our network, our helpdesk responses, and all our hardware and infrastructure-related tasks. They also have protocols for our mobile devices which are not owned by us, but our employees agree to have them wiped if one is lost or stolen. Every year, we do infrastructure projects with them.

Furthermore, designDATA operates 24/7 and for our overseas offices, that is very important. They are available all the time, and they do intrusion protection consistently — they get a notification instantly if there is someone attempting to log in to our platform, and they have a team of people that watch it all night.

Because we’re an online merchant that sells books and registrations to meetings, we have to be PCI compliant — designDATA assists us with all the paperwork for that. If there is something that comes out of the PCI compliance scan that isn’t right, they remedy that and they also help with other odd technology-related issues.

We have a project that we’re currently working on, and some other minor things which are already budgeted. Before the pandemic, they would come on-site when we needed them to, with most of the setup of laptops being done remotely. We expect designDATA to help with the move once we get to our new space in January.

What is the team composition?

Depending on the nature of the issue, I would say at some point we have worked with all of the top-tier engineers from designDATA. Day-to-day, we have a program manager and a technical account manager who work closely together with our internal team.

How did you come to work with designDATA?

We were looking to modernize our operations. We had everything in-house, which concerned our COO because our offices are a few blocks from the White House. At that point, we went out to a number of different managed services companies in the DC area that had experience with nonprofits — designDATA was the one who got the contract.

How much have you invested in them?

Our monthly budget with them is about $30,000, but sometimes it’s a little more or less sometimes. That includes our server management, day-to-day help desk, and everything else.

In addition to that, every year during our budgeting period, we work with our technical manager and our account manager at designDATA to work through the projects we’re going to need for the upcoming year. We spend around $360,000 a year on contract work, and in any given year, it could be another $40,000 in projects.

We spend around $360,000 a year on contract work, and in any given year, it could be another $40,000 in projects.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with designDATA around July 2011, and our partnership is an ongoing engagement.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The metrics would be that we’ve not had an outage at any point in time as long as I’ve been here. Apart from a time when there was a wire cut outside our office in DC, which didn’t have anything to do with designDATA, we haven’t had an outage anywhere in the world.

I have to say, it was pretty amazing how we transitioned with designDATA during a pandemic when all of our offices shut down at slightly different times. In our Washington DC office, there weren’t any notices, because it was reported that someone in our building had tested positive for COVID-19 — everyone grabbed their laptops, went home, and we got them back online almost immediately.

How did designDATA perform from a project management standpoint?

We meet with them every Wednesday and talk through issues or upcoming problems that need to be resolved.

We communicate by email, Microsoft Teams, and often by telephone. We have a Teams meeting once a week, and there is ad hoc messaging between us that goes back and forth. Furthermore, our website is developed by a third-party company and is housed in the Amazon cloud. Wherever there is a change to that, we get designDATA on with the vendor to make sure that everything is working together properly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

There are a couple of things that impresses us about them. Their top-level engineers are really good and helpful, and they come up with creative solutions to problems that I appreciate. I also think that their leadership is very available, and if I have any kind of issue that I need to kick upstairs, they will take my phone call and help me resolve it. 

When we had some pandemic-related budget issues last year, I called the president of the company to let him know I needed a break on my monthly fee. We lost 11 staff in a day because we needed to downsize, so he immediately said not to worry about the fees and gave us a discount on our monthly fees. That availability to talk to someone when you have an issue that you need to be resolved is the biggest thing for me.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t really have many complaints about any of their work. When I’m working with designDATA, they always make me look good.

If I had to say something negative, one thing that’s always a little bit difficult is getting newly hired helpdesk employees up to speed quickly.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Developing your relationship with the account manager and the technical account manager is very important, and there needs to be a level of trust there.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re an autism therapy practice specializing in in-home therapy for children. We have about 25 employees, and I’m the executive assistant to the CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with designDATA?

We were trying to find a managed IT service provider for all of our operations, including user logins, computer setups, new software deployment, and management for when someone terminated their contract with us, disabling their credentials. Additionally, we required general support from a help desk.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

designDATA is in charge of setting up the new equipment for our new employees. They also help us whenever we need software updates or add new pieces of software, and they keep track of all of our login activity. Additionally, they manage and oversee our employees’ activities to ensure that they’re only on sites they should be on.

Aside from those responsibilities, designDATA provides general help desk support to our employees, and when one of them is terminated, they’re in charge of disabling their credentials. Currently, their work is fully remote.

What is the team composition?

At this point, we’ve worked with many people from designDATA. We worked with Erik (VP of Business Development) and Ashley (Account Executive) when we were setting up our account — they were wonderful. We’ve also worked with Kevin (Systems Administrator) and Francisco (Program Manager) on more specific needs.

How did you come to work with designDATA?

We had been looking for a managed IT service provider for a few months. We interviewed a few companies and, ultimately, designDATA met all of our needs, so we went with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We pay around $5,000 per month, so we’ve spent around $20,000 in total.

What is the status of this engagement?

We got a proposal from designDATA around August 2021, and we signed around September 2021. We’re still working together.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

designDATA works very fast, and they take IT challenges off our plate. For example, a new employee onboarding takes several steps to ensure that everything works properly for them, and we don’t have to worry about that anymore. They’ve also kept track of our software licenses to ensure that everything is updated and running smoothly. Overall, working with them has been wonderful..

How did designDATA perform from a project management standpoint?

Now that we’re fully set up and up and running, our engagement is very easy. Whenever I need something, I can email designDATA's help desk and get a status response that confirms that they’ve received my email. Then, I get another response that notifies me who has been assigned to help us so that we can message them directly.

So far, we haven’t experienced more than two days without an issue being fully solved. Usually, they solve issues within half a day. Aside from email, we communicate via Google Meet.

What did you find most impressive about them?

designDATA is very friendly. Our conversations are very easy, and we never have to overexplain ourselves. They definitely understand their business.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. We’ve been fully satisfied every step of the way.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Follow up on the communication you have with them. Sometimes, even when a ticket has been closed, it’s helpful to take that extra step and review the ticket for them so that they can get your feedback.