SUCCESS Computer Consulting

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the primary IT person for the American Swedish Institute, a cultural and educational nonprofit based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The organization stewards the historic Turnblad Mansion, hosts gatherings and events, and provides education in Swedish language, craft, food, and culture. In my role, I do user support, some systems and network administration, and high-level project planning. I am responsible for the overall health of the network, computing systems, and AV systems onsite.

For what projects/services did your company hire SUCCESS Computer Consulting?

ASI's previous MSP was not maintaining their side of their service agreement, and was unable to meet the needs of our business. Success took over managed services in their stead.

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

The selection of the vendor was made prior to my involvement - my understanding is that the CFO at the time had read good reviews of the company and had talked to several companies, ultimately selecting Success as the final candidate.

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

Success provides comprehensive monitoring, patching, and security services for the IT infrastructure at ASI. They also serve as a point of escalation if I am unable to resolve issues as the in-house IT person, or am in need of in-depth technical assistance on a project. Success is proactive in their maintenance of the environment, but still allows for autonomy of the internal IT resources.

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

I don't have detailed information on this, as the transition to Success occurred before my involvement at ASI.

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

Success helps me maintain a high standard of service in our IT environment. I have capable on-call assistance if I need it, and can focus my efforts on strategic improvements rather than routine maintenance.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

I am very happy with the level of cooperation we are able to achieve. Success reaches out if they need to do anything in-depth, and I reach out if I have technical questions. Together we serve ASI's tech needs quite well.

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

Success seems to flow well internally in terms of work division, and everything I've heard from their senior staff makes it sound like a great place to work. An interview with them prompted my reading both "The Goal" and "The Phoenix Project", both of which helped me to think of business processes in new and interesting ways.

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

Nothing substantial! Success has been a valuable partner for our IT operations. Even in the rare case that things don't go well, they are quick to follow up and resolve issues.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CFO for Swanson & Youngdale, Inc.; we are a painting and drywall subcontractor.

What challenge were you trying to address with SUCCESS Computer Consulting?

We were looking for an IT service management partner.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’ve implemented multiple things for us regarding our IT security and firewall, and have been helping us with our network and infrastructure. They also provide guidance and training to our internal resources. 

What is the team composition?

We work with a team of 2–3 people.

How did you come to work with SUCCESS Computer Consulting?

Someone recommended them to us when we had an IT issue. When we interviewed SUCCESS Computer Consulting, they told us they would help us get to a point where we’d have all of our IT services updated and managed. They gathered information on our systems before we engaged them, so we had a good idea of the cost and ensured we were within the project's scope. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested between $450,000–$500,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2020; SUCCESS Computer Consulting provides monthly services, so the work is ongoing.

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

We were recently quoted for our cyber insurance policy rate, and we saved about $8,000–$12,000 because of the success and tools SUCCESS Computer Consulting set us up with. Overall, they provide the services they promise, and we’re satisfied, so we continue to work with them. 

How did SUCCESS Computer Consulting perform from a project management standpoint?

Everything has been completed on time and within budget, and SUCCESS Computer Consulting is responsive. We communicate via email and phone calls. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their overall IT security and offerings are very impressive, and they follow through on all their promises. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

We’re very satisfied at this point. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

We’d highly recommend them to anyone. 

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm an executive for RS EDEN, a non profit housing developer and service provider in the areas of supportive housing, treatment of substance use disorders, and reentry services.

For what projects/services did your company hire SUCCESS Computer Consulting?

Our agency had urgent needs for upgrades to IT systems and movement toward a more modern workplace to support increased and expanded forms of service delivery. Success Computer consulting has helped us navigate and plan for security needs and multiple upgrade projects as well as ongoing support.

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

We vetted several IT services companies and have had other relationships with vendors in the past. Success Computer Consulting was the best fit for us because they understand our model and needs and they feel like a partner, not just a vendor.

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

We have engaged several projects with Success Computer consulting and the scope and costs have always been clear well executed.

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

From our account manager and Fractional IT director to on site technicians and project managers Success Computer Consulting assigns knowledgeable staff to address any project or problem. The team assigned is the team that's needed to complete the work and we have always felt well taken care of.

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

In General, Success Computer Consulting completes projects in partnership with our staff and within appropriate timelines. They are always willing to adjust to find the best solution that will suit the needs of our agency's operations and staff.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Our workflow is efficient and effective and is constantly reassessed to ensure its functioning to expectations.

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

The incredible level of support and knowledge they offer was impressive.

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

At this time Success has brought only benefits to our agency.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the IT coordinator at a financial investment company for multi-generational families.

What challenge were you trying to address with SUCCESS Computer Consulting?

We hired them to provide frontline IT service for the company. Our company was new and had no internal IT department at the time.

What was the scope of their involvement?

SUCCESS provides IT services for us on-site and off-site. They support our on-premise server and any equipment we have on-site. They come to our location and provide maintenance or service when we have an issue. They also offer 24/7 support when our team has a problem with a computer or printer; the team accesses our computers remotely and provides assistance.

They’ve also installed most of our equipment, including our firewall, router, switches, and servers. I coordinate when we need to acquire equipment, pass that along to SUCCESS, and they acquire and set it up. If any of our equipment is going out of warranty, they’ll inform us and assist us in replacing it. The team also helps with cybersecurity and offers maintenance.

Recently, they’ve helped us move from on-site servers to majority cloud hosting. The team helped us remove a lot of hardware on-site and put the data in the cloud.

What is the team composition?

We have a sales representative from SUCCESS as our main point of contact. 

How did you come to work with SUCCESS Computer Consulting?

They were already our provider when I joined the company; I was hired to be the middle person to communicate with SUCCESS and manage the company’s IT needs. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $300,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in 2017, and the engagement is ongoing. 

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

Thanks to SUCCESS’ help migrating us to the cloud, our data and information are more secure than they were a year ago. They’ve been an important part of driving that change. 

How did SUCCESS Computer Consulting perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve performed very well from a project management perspective. Most of our communication is through email, and we have meetings through Microsoft Teams. Our meetings have become more frequent in the last two years. Additionally, they come on-site once a month to review everything and ensure it’s running smoothly. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

SUCCESS has been able to turn work around for us expeditiously. We’ve called on them to work with our company’s owner on projects that require quick turnaround times, and they’ve always been able to provide service in a timely manner. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything they need to improve off the top of my head. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Utilize your assigned sales representative — they’re an integral part of the relationship. Moreover, don’t be afraid to schedule meetings to go over yearly goals and what you want to accomplish. With this approach, everyone will be on the same page, and if anything needs to change, you’ll discuss it, and it won’t come out of the blue.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the sole IT Manager for a medium sized Aerospace/DoD manufacturing company

For what projects/services did your company hire SUCCESS Computer Consulting?

Our company was struggling with an existing MSP prior to finding SUCCESS. Since onboarding with SCC, those struggles have disappeared.

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

We spoke with 4 other MSP's prior to signing with SCC, but no one could offer the service or make the promises like SCC did. They always have and continue to go above and beyond.

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

SCC made numerous recommendations based on our infrastructure. They never 'force' or make a change without consulting prior as well. SCC has sense made sure we are very secure and with their continuously security priorities, they have also made sure in the event of attack we are covered from just about everything.

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

I have worked with just about everyone at SCC from the president down to help desk.

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

Sense onboarding with SCC, we have added two new servers that effectively replaced three older ones. They stay up on technology and never suggest something that isn't needed or is not a direct benefit

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Prior to onboarding, SCC took the time to make a seamless change. They sat in multiple calls with our previous MSP as well as making sure there would be no hiccups during the transition

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

SUCCESS Computer Consulting has been more of a partner than a service. They really do have you in mind.

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

Surprisingly no.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CFO at a nonprofit organization with a mission to end Veteran Homelessness in Minnesota. Our organization has approximately 90 employees throughout Minnesota delivering various social service programs to Veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness to support them in achieving long-term housing stability.

For what projects/services did your company hire SUCCESS Computer Consulting?

We hired SUCCESS as our managed IT service provider starting in 2018 to support our staff and organization with IT services and support. SUCCESS has guided our organization in partnership with our leadership through significant growth and change and significant advancement in use of technology to manage our organization and deliver services.

They have helped with numerous projects such as new office spaces, hardware and equipment needs, advancing IT security, and more -- all in addition to ongoing IT support of our staff.

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

SUCCESS had a reputable brand and image particularly among other nonprofit organizations in our community, and demonstrated a level of professionalism that earned our business.

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

While we have worked with SUCCESS for many years and have an ongoing managed IT services relationship, a particular project most recently involves our journey to a modern workplace and serverless environment. This project has involved multiple steps ranging from transitioning our files stored on the server to the cloud with One Drive, migrating active directory to the cloud, reviewing and implementing device management for enhanced security measures, and ensuring all applications are managed from the cloud.

This effort is the latest of our longer journey to improve our IT security and to ensure employees are equipped with access to data and technology wherever they and whenever is needed.

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

We work with our primary customer relationship manager, a project manager, and various IT specialists based on the stage in the project.

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

We have effectively completed the file migration and reliance on the survey with no issues, including ensuring all files from the server are accessible in Microsoft Teams and One Drive.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Our working relationship is very effective, and we meet both virtually and in person as needed to ensure we are maintaining our working relationship and advancing the project accordingly to plan.

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

SUCCESS Computer Consulting has been steady and reliable, and we most appreciate a primary point of contact who manages our organization's IT plan and advises on priorities and areas of opportunities on a regular basis.

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

We appreciate the relationship and their continued efforts to ensure new staff understand our organization and users.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior director of IT at NXC Imaging, a distributor and service provider for medical imaging equipment.

What challenge were you trying to address with SUCCESS Computer Consulting?

The network manager, who had worked with us for many years, notified me that he was going to retire, so I needed to find a team to replace this person.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We hired SUCCESS as our network manager. When they joined, we had an aging infrastructure that the network manager had built on a limited budget, so they initially guided us through a total replacement of our network infrastructure.

At the time, that process coincided with our relocation — we were moving from our corporate offices to a location we were building from scratch. It was a challenging project, but SUCCESS helped us acquire the right hardware. As a separate project, they helped us migrate all of our virtual servers and upgrade them from Windows 2012.

Now, they’re in charge of managing our network and our cybersecurity. They also offer level two and three network help desk support, provide IT support for all of our devices and users, and more.

What is the team composition?

For the relocation project, we worked with a project manager, a couple of technicians, a lead technician, and some field engineers who physically installed the hardware. That team had a total of 10–15 people working with us, depending on the stage of the project. For the server migration project, we required a much smaller team. Still, we worked with a dedicated team of 3–4 individuals from SUCCESS for around four months.

Now, SUCCESS provides me with a dedicated team for help desk support. Two technicians work for me directly two times per week, but I also have access to their entire network operations and security operations centers.

How did you come to work with SUCCESS Computer Consulting?

SUCCESS was recommended to us by a trusted partner, another local consultancy. I had a couple of criteria for my evaluation process in choosing a partner. Firstly, they had to be local to Minneapolis, Minnesota. Secondly, they had to have the size to be able to scale, ensuring that I would get the service I needed to keep my network secure. SUCCESS was better, by far, in this second criterion than any other local company.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve spent around $500,000, including a yearly spend of around $100,000 and some projects of around $50,000–$60,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

By the end of 2019, our network manager told me that he was retiring on March 13th, 2020, so we had to find someone and complete the migration process before that date. We selected SUCCESS in January 2020, and they were ready to take over our network by March 2020. Since then, we’ve continued working together.

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

From a security perspective, SUCCESS provides us with monthly reports for EDR (Endpoint Detection & Response), user awareness tests, and phishing tests. So far, we haven’t had anyone fail a phishing test, which is really good. Additionally, our users have been satisfied with SUCCESS’ service, which is also good.

How did SUCCESS Computer Consulting perform from a project management standpoint?

From a budget management perspective, we’ve never been over budget, which is really good for us. As for meeting deadlines, SUCCESS would have met the deadlines they agreed to for the relocation project if our schedules didn’t change.

During that project, they were very flexible and responsive to changing schedules, which I really valued. We were collaborating virtually due to COVID-19, and the supply chain issues associated with commercial construction were significant, so we experienced several delays in our construction process. Still, SUCCESS was able to handle those changes and reschedule key resources and tasks so that everything was ready for us when we were finally able to move into our new facility.

We communicate via Microsoft Teams and emails. Additionally, SUCCESS uses ConnectWise to manage the project, so we use its ticketing system. We also have our own internal portal.

What did you find most impressive about them?

SUCCESS has invested time and effort in learning what is important for us and our business model. They’ve taken ownership of our network and hold themselves accountable for its performance and security.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. They’ve done everything I’ve asked for, so I can only tell them to keep doing what they’re doing.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Ensure that there is a complete alignment and understanding of the requirements and risk factors, and come up with strategies to mitigate those risks.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an executive at a tour agency that specializes in international destinations.

What challenge were you trying to address with SUCCESS Computer Consulting?

We needed help with our IT needs.

What was the scope of their involvement?

SUCCESS Computer Consulting does IT services for us and helps us expand as the travel industry evolves. Their efforts have also included hardware and software purchasing and on- and offsite support.

What is the team composition?

We work with their whole cloud-based team, Stacy (Sales Account Manager), and Mark (Strategic Account Manager).

How did you come to work with SUCCESS Computer Consulting?

I knew Eric (Owner), reached out to him, and after having a chat, we started working together.

How much have you invested in them?

We’ve spent $200,000–$1 million with them so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 1998, and the engagement is ongoing.

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

Since we started working with them, we’ve gone from being a zero-technology company to a cloud-based business that can work everything remotely. Their assistance over these decades enabled us to minimize our overhead and succeed through new tech.

How did SUCCESS Computer Consulting perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management has been excellent in terms of meeting deadlines and staying on budget. In addition, they’re very sensitive to us being a legacy client within an industry that has suffered from the COVID-19 pandemic; they’ve helped us out immensely with their response times by being much more reactive to our viruses and security breaches.

Regarding tools and communication, we’ve used phone calls and emails.

Overall, we have nothing to complain about; they’ve been an exceptional partner.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They respect the longevity of our partnership — it’s evident that they’re sensitive to our needs.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s anything they can improve on — they’ve been phenomenal.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It’s important to go through an interviewing process with them to ensure that they are the right fit for you.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of a law firm.

What challenge were you trying to address with SUCCESS Computer Consulting?

We needed help with cybersecurity and network maintenance and improvement. In particular, we wanted to ensure that our network and computers worked as quickly as possible and there weren’t delays in receiving and sending emails and data.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our IT department works with SUCCESS Computer Consulting. They oversee our whole networks and servers. If there’s an issue, they handle it, including problems with our devices, telephones, and so on.

What is the team composition?

We have around five people handling different areas. We have a lead, and then a team works with that lead.

How did you come to work with SUCCESS Computer Consulting?

Somebody referred them to us.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve probably spent between $500,000–$1 million. It must be at least $100,000–$200,000 a year.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in January 2017, and our relationship is ongoing.

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

Our overall computer systems have improved dramatically compared to our previous consulting company. Everybody’s computers are faster, so the work is more efficient. All in all, they’ve been a significant improvement for our firm. They’ve not only made us more efficient, but their efforts have resulted in a decrease in our IT spend.

How did SUCCESS Computer Consulting perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management is excellent. They always do what they say and get everything done on time. I don’t work with them directly, but when I’ve dealt with them, it’s been by phone.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their responsiveness is outstanding.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they’ve done a great job.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Give them an opportunity.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the front-line IT person on staff in my nonprofit. We focus on education, legislative advocacy, and resources within the mental health sphere.

For what projects/services did your company hire SUCCESS Computer Consulting?

SUCCESS is our managed IT service provider- when we need to escalate to tier-two or higher IT help, it goes to SUCCESS. They also were instrumental in setting up our internal networks and have been helpful in getting us set up for a cloud server move.

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

To be honest, I'm not sure - this decision was made before I was hired into my role. I inherited the Success contract, and they have been great to work with. They set me up with trainings and meetings to get caught up on all the services they offer and to work to support me in my role.

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

They ensured that our network was up and available, they monitor our machines to make sure that we mitigate risk for viruses and malware, and they have a lot of tools and expertise at their disposal for keeping us up and running. They used

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

I've worked with several amazing people! Our assigned field tech, Justin, has helped us maintain an ancient server, Jimi came in to help when Justin was unavailable, Sydney, Michelle, and Jackie have been fantastic resources and contacts within the org- they work with us to give us what tech help we need.

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

To be honest, I've just been happy that they keep us up and running! They are responsive when things go down (we've had several random power outages) and they're available to help make sure we get our services back up.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

This has been great! Sydney knows her stuff and is easy to talk to - she truly wants to have a partnership and give us the support we need.

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

I was most surprised when I've had more calls with women than men - it's a nice change for a woman in tech to be able to see other women with experiences similar to my own to work with - not to say that there have been any issues with the men at all! I've had nothing but respect from every person I've worked with at Success.

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

There were some rough patches ahead of my employment here, so I can't speak to those - but from my experiences, SUCCESS wants to build trust with their clients and give them the services and support they need.