CASE STUDY: ADVANCE SCAFFOLD

A move from slow, unreliable IT to faster, smoother technology

A raft of unsolved IT issues were causing headaches for scaffolding builder and supplier Advance Scaffold. They knew they needed to upgrade their dated, lagging systems – not just to improve workflow, but to save themselves from being doublecharged for services.

Background

With 45 people across Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, Advance Scaffold boast a wealth of scaffolding knowledge and experience that’s allowed them to build a tight-knit company skilled at going where others can’t. 

Around a quarter of the team work with laptops and remote access. Advance Scaffold encourage their staff to work from home or remotely, and equipment is shared across the teams. With all this in play, seamless communications and secure IT services are key to the smooth operation of their business.

Problem

Advance Scaffold were maintaining comprehensive databases and important systems – but their tech had become seriously outdated.

Office Manager Carol Robertson felt that their previous IT supplier had “just lost the ability to listen, more than anything.
“We were using Excel 2003 – we felt there should be something more modern than 18-year-old technology, but they never told us about it,” she explains.

“We also discovered that we were essentially paying twice for the same type of service: we were paying for rented server space, as well as cloud storage – it was a double up, when we only needed one of those services. We realised the supplier was just clipping the ticket, rather than here to help us. We’re reliant on good IT and expect an IT provider to be proactive. As it was, it felt like we were in the Stone Age.”

If Advance Scaffold wanted to work smarter, grow their business, and continue to serve their customers in the best way possible, then they knew that their systems needed an overhaul.

Solution

Optimus Systems were excited about the opportunity to work with Advance Scaffold from the outset. When Carol contacted our team, she’d already reached out to a number of potential IT providers but hadn’t yet found anyone who quite understood her and Advance Scaffold’s needs. Just as well Optimus Systems were able to help create an IT solution that would work for them, and not the other way around.

“They just seemed really onto it,” explains Carol. “The initial emails and meetings went really well – they just clicked. I had a good gut instinct about them: I felt confident that Optimus Systems were the right people for the job – and I was right.”

After talking through Advance Scaffold’s current systems, and coming to know where they wanted their IT to be, we were able to create a plan that would see the company thrive without hold-ups from dated systems.

Outcome

Advance Scaffold now have an up-to-date, powerful, and comprehensive IT solution that is making their lives and work much, much easier.

“What we have now is 100% better than what we had before,” says Carol. “The team can’t believe how quick spreadsheets are to open, and we’re no longer having continual printer issues. It’s a noticeable change.”

By taking a forward thinking approach, Advance Scaffold are now able to work faster and focus their energies on what they do best. And the feedback has been incredible.

“We’ve just had our 3-month review with Optimus Systems, and everything is so proactive: their level of care above everyone else. It’s the little details that make a difference. For example, we brought them a laptop to set up, and they asked us if we wanted any personal files on the laptop to be saved or not: we’ve never been asked that before. I was so surprised and impressed,” says Carol.

“We’re paying the same for our IT as we were previously, but now there’s an actual improvement in our systems. We’re getting bang for our buck.

“My favourite part of working with Optimus Systems is how down to earth the team is. They just fit in and click. They don’t try and baffle us with IT jargon either. I’d recommend Optimus Systems to anyone.”

“We’re paying the same for our IT as we were previously, but now there’s an actual improvement in our systems. We’re getting bang for our buck”.

CAROL ROBERTSON
OFFICE MANAGER ADVANCE SCAFFOLD

benefits of moving
with Optimus

Single Technical Contact

Minimized downtime

Physical Moving of devices

Setup of Servers and Workstations

Connectivity Setup (WiFi / Internet / WAN / VoIP)

Scalability

A Partner with 20+ Years of Expertise

If you’re just moving to a new location or scaling your business, you can’t afford unnecessary downtime.

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