IT MANAGED SERVICES CAN HELP IMPROVE SCALABILITY: RELATIONSHIP CASE STUDY

The Partner Valenti-Held is a general contracting company based in Whitestown, Indiana. Founded in 1976, the company has more than four decades of site development experience in residential, commercial, industrial and municipal projects. The Valenti-Held Group is made up of six companies: Valenti-Held Contractor Developer; Innovative Engineering & Consulting; Real Estate Development and Land Sales; Heartland Dredging and Eco Infrastructure Solutions. This group of companies works together holistically, consulting with clients at every stage of real estate development. This “Value Engineering” team approach streamlines the entire process, saving clients time and money while maintaining incredibly high quality work. The Valenti-Held Group began working with AIS in 2008. AIS has now supported the IT needs of all six companies for 9 years. The Valenti-Held Group was AIS’s first client, and their relationship continues to be very highly valued. The Problem In 2008, the Valenti-Held Group faced a common IT struggle: they were frustrated with an IT infrastructure that was inefficient but were apprehensive about change and onboarding a new resource. The group employed an IT consultant who charged on an hourly basis. This consultant would come out to monitor their IT infrastructure once a month but was not consistently available to them. When faced with IT inefficiencies and issues, the group would have to wait for the consultant to come on-site. Often, the network would be down for a full day before an issue was resolved. Ultimately, this IT management style was reactive and ineffective. The Valenti-Held Group felt they weren’t receiving the attention they wanted and needed in terms of IT support. They were losing valuable time waiting for the consultant’s on-site support and felt they were being “nickel and dimed” with accumulating charges. More importantly, they were frustrated with the overall approach of the IT management. In the development industry, scalability is crucial; businesses must adapt to the changing environment. The Valenti-Held Group needed to be fluid enough to scale their business up and down without extremely straining their company. They felt unable to plan for the future and scale their business accordingly under current management; their IT infrastructure was being navigated moment-to-moment without the future in mind. The Valenti-Held Group was in need of an approach that employed foresight and was proactive rather than reactive. They wanted more oversight over their infrastructure — an IT partner who would look toward the future to adapt, avoid potential problems and enable them to scale their business. That said, although the Valenti-Held Group was dissatisfied with their infrastructure and consultant, they remained apprehensive about making a change. The consultant had been working with their entire staff for five years. Ending a longstanding relationship and forming a new partnership was an intimidating prospect for the company. The Solution Lamont Hatchet, CIO of AIS, met with Jackie Francescon, the Accounting Manager of the Valenti-Held Group. Lamont listened to the concerns of the group and offered a proposal that addressed those concerns with strategic IT solutions. Lamont suggested an approach that stressed planned and managed updates, educating the end-users, incorporating remote access and minimizing downtime. Most importantly, he offered a vision for the future, looking down the road for growth opportunities. Lamont’s forward-thinking proposal eased the Valenti-Held Group’s anxieties and convinced them to partner with AIS. According to Jackie, the partnership with AIS dramatically improved communication and foresight regarding IT infrastructure. She noted, “What we had before was simply a consultant installing updates and performing break/fix. We wanted someone to look down the road to future growth.” Lamont was able to provide that forward-thinking perspective. He remotely monitored and evaluated the Valenti-Held Group’s IT infrastructure with the future in mind. Lamont streamlined communication concerning IT infrastructure, consistently updating and consulting with the group on the status of their network. He offered proactive solutions to potential problems and indicated opportunities for growth. With AIS’s proactive approach to IT management and open communication, the Valenti-Held Group was able to plan for their business’s future. They were able to adapt to changing environments in the development industry and scale their business up and down accordingly. By partnering with AIS, the group was able to leverage technology to improve scalability and afford growth. Their IT infrastructure was no longer a hindrance but an asset. Moving Forward As AIS’s first client, the Valenti-Held Group has always been, and continues to be, a most valued partner. The relationship extends beyond the IT world and into the business world generally. Over the past 9 years, the two companies have always been available to each other. AIS and the Valenti-Held group have grown together and have established a strong friendship. We look forward to continuing that growth in the future. The Valenti-Held Group experienced a common IT problem. Many companies struggle with ineffective and reactive IT infrastructures. Poor infrastructures impede scalability and stymie future growth. Constantly putting out IT fires prevents business owners from scaling their businesses. AIS can help your business leverage technology and strategically plan for the future. Find out how IT management can improve your business’s scalability: contact AIS today.