Each year, our sister publication Computer Dealer News hosts the Channel Elite Awards to recognize IT Solution Provider for their innovation, leadership, and commitment for creating value for their customers. As Canada’s leading IT channel publication, CDN invited solution providers to submit their best work to nine different categories for 2013’s awards. Here, we present the case studies these award nominees put forward to us. Find out who the big winners are on Sept. 11 when CDN presents them at the CEA Awards Gala.
Learn more about CDN’s Channel Elite Awards 2013
Nominee: Audcomp from Ancaster, Ontario
Describe the solution or service your provide.
Audcomp has been providing end-user computer hardware deployment and support services to a southern Ontario municipality since 2004. Audcomp has been managing this city’s monthly refresh of end-user hardware including desktops, notebooks, workstations, thin clients, displays, and all associated accessories.
Utilizing proven deployment process and infrastructure, the service ensures that new machines are installed and deployed properly with minimal downtime. Audcomp manages the entire deployment process with minimal requirement from the city’s IT department. The service includes: Â Ordering and procurement; inventory and delivery scheduling; asset management and report; imaging; system configuration; help desk and support; end-of-life device removal (disposal and recycling of old equipment); securely transferring data form old systems; and customer support.
strong>What made your service of the highest quality? Provide measurable evidence of how you benefitted the customer’s business.
The city were service covers 1200 square kilometres and has 3500 to 4500 users. There are over 120 office locations. Audcomp provides the service to all municipal offices throughout the city, including, but not limited to, those offices occupied by city affiliates.
Audcomp deploys from 100-300 new equipment (desktops, laptops, workstations etc) every month. Audcomp takes all the burden of deploying new equipment with minimal downtime to the end-user and under budget. The service is quick and efficient with Audcomp assuming responsibility for all the city’s deployment projects including assembling, loading, configuring and testing the new equipment.
What makes this service of the highest quality are: Efficiency with minimal downtime for the end-user; minimal involvement of the city’s IT department; same-day resolution of issues; warranty support included; project is managed by certified engineers that are experienced with multi-vendor technologies; and customer support.
The city benefits from this service in different ways.
The city’s IT department focuses on major projects passing the technical process and deployment management to Audcomp.
This increases the department’s efficiency to focus on core projects resulting in:
- End-users having quicker access to new hardware and software
- With minimal downtime, user productivity is not affected
- Deployment is done right the first time
- The city gets faster return on its investment
- Fast and easily accessible IT support with minimal disruption at no additional cost
Describe how services were delivered in a timely fashion, or how the response to a crisis was above and beyond the usual.
Audcomp provides onsite service and support to the city from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday. Audcomp’s certified service technicians are available to the city at all times including after-hours support.  Audcomp provides the city with acknowledgment of the service request within 15 minutes, dispatch a certified technician to be onsite within four hours, repairs the defective device while onsite or provide the end-user with a loaner device, replaces loaner with original device once repaired. Audcomp has established a great reputation for being able to exceed the city’s expectations for on-time project delivery, IT equipment deployment and maintenance. Audcomp has a 99. 9 per cent SLA achievement with city. Audcomp’s ordering and support processes are streamlined to ensure that all clients are served accurately in a timely manner. Each customer is provided a single point of contact to resolve any issues.
How does your service best competitors in meeting the needs of customers?
As a local company in the city, Audcomp is more suited to provide fast and efficient service its customer.
Audcomp understands the entire city’s system and has developed a process in way that integrates to the existing system. The IT departments utilizes Audcomp as the support wing that takes care of the entire technical process. The IT department, therefore, focuses on major internal IT projects. The deployment process has been designed to integrate in the city’s system. The city has been very pleased with the service that they have restructured the entire IT department and staffing process based on lessons learned from their experience working with Audcomp.
How does the solution further your customer’s green or environmentally friendly plans?
The service undertakes proper disposal and recycling of old equipment. Audcomp takes care of the entire process to ensure that the customers achieve their green plans.
