Client Profile:  Large Printer

This very large regional printing company came to Vista because of our reputation in the community.  They had just had a new local area network (LAN) installed by another firm based on a fixed-price bid and wanted specially scheduled computer classes for their employees to prepare to use it.  We provided a series of short courses in Windows, WordPerfect, and Excel.  During the classes, it became apparent that their new network was not working.  Our consultant, Steve Moore, met with the in-house person assigned to work with their network vendor and that started a consulting relationship that would last nearly four years.

Steve started by working with in-house personnel to replace the unreliable network cabling.  He then replaced the off brand, unreliable file server and reinstalled the Novell Netware operating system and all other software and data onto a new Compaq server.  In addition to redundant (mirrored) hard drives, the consultant also immediately implemented a new, reliable tape backup system and set up user groups and IDs and data security.  Many of the workstations were also unreliable.  In some cases workstations had to be replaced; in others off brand network interface cards (NICs) were replaced with quality NICs.

Because the network included 30 to 40 workstations, a standard workstation configuration was carefully developed so that application, drive mapping, and printer configurations were uniform throughout the organization.  This consistency both helped users understand the system better and reduced support costs.  The new configuration was installed on all workstations—the network had now become stable.

At the client's request, additional database applications (ACT and Microsoft Access) and additional network printers were installed.  Vista's consultant, Steve Moore, played the lead role in the installation, configuration, and user support of applications such as:  Excel spreadsheets, ACT and Access databases, WinFax, PCAnywhere, WordPerfect, Visio, etc., and set up an intra-company email system.  He participated in a major company-wide effort to implement the new process scheduling and accounting system that the client had purchased from the former network vendor.  The system used PSI and Macola Accounting software.  Steve performed maintenance and frequent updating required by its FoxPro-based database.

Data communications and internetworking were particularly important to this client.  Internally, the client used PC-compatible, Apple Macintosh, Unix, Xerox DocuTech, and Scitex computer systems, among others.  Initially, each of those separate technologies was on its own isolated network.  Steve began systematically connecting those networks into a single, internal internet, replacing other complex, costly, and time-consuming methods of transferring files from department to department.  When the client expanded into a second large building, the consultant set up new fiber optic equipment linking the two buildings.

The client had large, international customers who transmitted files electronically for printing.  Vista's consultant set up and maintained technologies to support customer file transfers, employee remote access, and remote system administration.  Those technologies included:  Novell Netware Connect, analog dial-up lines, a computer bulletin board system, ISDN, frame relay, Internet connectivity, and a Hewlett-Packard Unix FTP server.

After about 6 months, the in-house employee, who was not an experienced IT professional, but who had played the lead role in meeting users' day-to-day support needs, left the company.  Steve Moore filled in for the departing employee, while working with company owners to search for, select, and hire a full-time IT employee, who could meet those routine support needs.  He then trained that employee and provided technical leadership during his employment there.  With the workstation configuration so thoroughly standardized, the employee was able to set up and maintain workstations with minimal assistance from the consultant.  Steve continued, however, to play the lead role in troubleshooting complex system problems and in developing and implementing plans for system expansions and enhancements.  After nearly three years, the second IT support person left and the consultant was again called on to help find, select, and train a new support employee and to fill in during the transition.

Over the more than 3 and a half years that spanned multiple general managers, two sets of owners, and three in-house IT support persons, Vista's consultant provided the continuity that helped the company's computer systems function reliably.  In fact, after replacing the former vendor's unreliable systems during the first 6 months, the remaining 3 years saw only 2 or 3 unscheduled server or network service interruptions lasting a total of about 15 minutes.