designDATA

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re the Prevent Cancer Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit that does work around research, education, outreach, and advocacy on cancer prevention and cancer screening. I’m the president and COO.

What challenge were you trying to address with designDATA?

When I started the organization, we had an IT provider. There are only 25 people on staff for us, and we did some telecommuting at the start, but it wasn’t a lot. Our IT infrastructure grew quite antiquated, including our servers, firewall, and office Wi-Fi. The service provider we had was incapable of helping us.

designDATA evaluated our current hardware and software and built a plan to bring us up to par with where we needed to be.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They purchased and installed hardware and software, working on- and off-site. On-site services were required for both hardware and software, and they also trained us on how to use everything.

The help desk support for servicing us and our employees is off-site, as is their monitoring.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 4–5 people for the onboarding, and now we have a team of people servicing the help desk. I think the latter has about five people as well.

Our weekly calls include a project lead, an engineer, a project assistant, and a trainer, when necessary.

How did you come to work with designDATA?

I’d worked with designDATA at my previous office.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent close to $350,000–$500,000 at this point.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since December 2019.

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

This is hard for me to articulate. No one used our old IT provider; I had to call and manage everything with them. Now, our staff feels welcome and comfortable submitting tickets and working with designDATA themselves.

How did designDATA perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re great — a good partner to have in this regard. We use email and weekly calls to communicate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their partnership philosophy stands out. Rather than feeling like a service provider, they feel like a true IT partner. We don’t have dedicated CIOs or IT staffs in nonprofits, so it’s important to find a thought partner to help you make decisions so you can think about the organizations real mission.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It’s always helpful to share best practices across similar clients to facilitate information sharing. We would like to hear about particular solutions that would help clients of our same size. They could bring that to us proactively.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure your internal team is ready and identify which internal people on your side are going to champion the project and see the work through. They must represent a variety of departments in your organization, as well, so conversations with designDATA will be as effective as possible.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are an Insurance General Agency located in Rockville, MD. My title is Director.

What challenge were you trying to address with designDATA?

We needed to partner with a local IT provider to support us with our software and hardware needs.

What was the scope of their involvement?

designDATA is our primary IT Service Provider.  They handle everything for us including a 24hr help desk for staff IT issues.  The added options for training and staff webinars have been a huge help to our staff.

What is the team composition?

We generally communicate with their service manager, Helpdesk team, and training personnel.

How did you come to work with designDATA?

When we were considering a new IT solution we interviewed a few companies to see who would be a good partner for our growing business. designData provided the best solutions.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing partnership started in December 2010.

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

We’ve been working together for about 12 years and we have a great relationship and experience with them.

They help us adapt to current technological trends, resolve our issues, and they consistently deliver on their tasks.

How did designDATA perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re great from a project management perspective. We have status calls to discuss areas of improvement and we typically do that through email and phone.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’re impressed with their knowledge and willingness to help us grow.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’re proactive and they keep us to speed with what we need to do, so I can’t think of anything they could improve on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to spend time with them at the beginning of the engagement to make sure you understand what you’ll be getting into, and what their process is going to be.

Communication is important so make sure you clearly explain what you need so they can provide you with solutions.

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. 

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.

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.

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. 

Introduce your business and what you do there.

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

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. 

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. 

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. 

Introduce your business and what you do there.

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

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.

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.

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.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder and president of Staffing Advisors, an executive search firm serving associations, nonprofits and high growth companies in the Washington DC metro area.

For what projects/services did your company hire designDATA?

They are our IT Managed Services Provider

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

I met the senior leaders through CEO group, and was immediately impressed with the "white glove" level of service. We run with a lean team, so having impeccable IT support maximizes our productivity, and minimizes our frustration.

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

They did a seamless migration from our previous vendor (hardware and software), upgrading some key element of the service and simplifying our workflows along the way. Then included all the team training we needed, customized to our unique situation, so the team felt well supported at every step of the way. They developed a roadmap for all the changes, so we could go at our own pace. In our weekly calls we decide when to introduce each new service, so we've significantly upgraded our capabilities and security, without the "change fatigue" common to IT upgrades.

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

We love their team approach with a dedicated support team, drawn in as needed, leveraging people with real expertise. The right people, and the right time, right when we needed them. How they manage to have someone awesome at our beck and call, I do NOT understand, but it's awesome. I never feel like we have to wait to get the top tier support person. And most of our routine stuff gets solved on the first phone call, with no waiting on hold. (I've never seen anything like it.)

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

The seamless productivity of our team, and regular weekly calls with no outstanding issues is stunning to me. We are able to think ahead and plan our technology roadmap with them, and get their assistance making things better, rather than begging for help on repeat frustrations.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow is beautiful, with multiple ways to get the help we need and a total absence of friction, rules, and surprise charges.

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

The humanity of it. Their team talks in our language, is cool calm and collected while rapidly diagnosing and solving problems. They get us back to work whenever something comes up. The customized training, the fast answers to questions, and the long term partnership orientation is what was promised, and what was delivered.

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

I would not change a thing.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the chief operating officer of the National Pharmaceutical Council, a 501(c)6 trade association focused on the value of innovative medicines for patient health.

For what projects/services did your company hire designDATA?

We were dissatisfied with the service of our previous managed services provider. We contracted with designData for improved customer service (for all managed services) and for leasing of laptops, etc.

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

Word of mouth led me to designData. While costs are roughly 50% higher than the previous vendor, we are receiving more than triple the value in improved customer service.

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

The project entailed new, configured laptops for our staff (~15), enhanced security measures and a transition from Box to SharePoint. As our managed service provider, they tackle everything - and do it in a timely and thorough manner.

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

Their sales team was Dave and Erik. Everything is now in the hands of Elliott, Arwa and Ricardo to finalize the onboarding and transition. We have a dedicated service team. Staff are incredibly happy!

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

We had an email breach in the final months with our old vendor. designData stepped up the onboarding to accommodate and, even though we weren't their client as yet, helped us resolve the breach. The remainder of the transition, including staff training, has been seamless.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Excellent.

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

The customer service is stellar. The team has been exceptionally happy with every interaction and I couldn't be more pleased. I highly recommend designData as a MSP.

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

Sometimes the jargon was hard for a non-techie to understand, but designData has worked to educate me in a way that is 100% supportive.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the President of The Adhesive and Sealant Council, a national nonprofit representing the leading manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors of adhesives and sealants in North America.

For what projects/services did your company hire designDATA?

Our association outsourced all of our IT needs, including hardware, software, and help desk needs to designDATA for all employees.

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

My predecessor made the decision, but we wanted a company that was local and known to have strong customer service, especially for associations our size (i.e., under $3 million)

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

They set up our complete IT services on-site and have kept up our equipment and software ever since. When we moved office locations, designDATA was fabulous to work with, from beginning to end, to ensure we were completely ready before we officially welcomed our employees back.

Recently, they upgraded us to Microsoft Teams and gave my staff thorough training, which has ben great. We have a monthly client meeting scheduled with our primary rep where we can share any concerns or ask questions.

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

We have worked with employees at multiple levels within the company depending on the project, from the senior leadership to the techs at the Help Desk.

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

With the relocation we did in 2018, their thorough planning and hands-on approach ensured my employees were ready to go with their IT resources on day one. Recently, our smooth transition to Microsoft Teams and moving our files to the cloud would not have been possible without designDATA's thorough training and patience with us as we learned how to use the new tools.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Communication has always been a major strength of designDATA's. Their Help Desk technicians are always prompt and willing to assist, no matter the issue. As a client, I am always confident that my needs will be carefully and thoroughly addressed by designDATA.

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

Their willingness to communicate and work with us when we need assistance as well as their professional team recommending new services and programs to help keep our IT systems secure and updated has been impressive.

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

We have had such a positive experience working with designDATA, I have no suggestions for improvement.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.