Coulson Technologies

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Bell Socialization Services is a nonprofit that has mental health, residential, and intellectual disability services. We also have a homeless shelter and rental assistance division.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Coulson Technologies?

Our previous IT service provider was not sufficient for our needs. Their services were terrible, and we didn’t even want to talk to them because they were rude. As a result, our staff turned to our internal IT technician for help. Helping our internal team was becoming a full-time job for that IT technician, and it was preventing her from finishing her own work. Given that, we decided to look for a better third-party IT service provider. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Coulson ensures that our data is secure and that control protocols are being followed. We also use their help desk, where our staff could talk to them to work through their technical problems. 

What is the team composition?

We mainly work with Chris (Founder), Andrew (Senior Technical Consultant), and Steve (Sales Manager).

How did you come to work with Coulson Technologies?

We sent out an RFP to 4–5 IT companies that we wanted to investigate. Then, we interviewed three of them and decided that Coulson was the best fit for our needs. We believed they’d mesh with us well and would provide what we needed. As a result, we hired them.  

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested over $225,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the partnership in September 2020, and it’s ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve received plenty of positive feedback from our staff. They truly like the help desk because the Coulson resources are pleasant. The team helps and works with them effectively.

As a result, my staff member that works on our internal IT needs is receiving fewer calls from our members. Most of the time, our members call her only out of habit, and she tells them to call Coulson instead.

How did Coulson Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

I don’t have complaints about Coulson’s project management. We have weekly meetings, and Chris keeps a detailed list that we look into from top to bottom. He strikes through the listed pieces there to know when they're done. For some projects, we have biweekly meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Coulson’s services distinguish them from other providers. The team is highly service-minded, and they focus on meeting our users’ expectations. On top of that, they’re proactive. Other service providers are always reactive, but Coulson’s approach has been different. 

They’re good at setting up what’s going to work best for us and putting things into place in a way that prevents them from becoming a problem. That’s been fantastic. The team has also removed some things that were present with our previous IT provider. They’ve had to remove them for security reasons. As a result, we have a much tighter IT system now than before. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t any.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Meet with Coulson and talk to them to help them understand your system and what your system uses. On top of that, know what you need upfront. 

For context, we’ve run into some confusion with our system at the start of the engagement. We provided Coulson with the specifications of what we needed without realizing that our previous IT service provider changed our system’s backend. Because of that, we experienced some hiccups. Ultimately, though, Coulson worked well and resolved it. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Vice President of a Ready-Mix concrete company with 4 locations in South Central Pennsylvania.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Coulson Technologies, and what were your goals?

I engaged Coulson Technologies to fully manage our IT services including; network monitoring, cyber security, cloud storage, and remote computing. Our main goal was to keep our network running safely 24 hours a day for all users.

In addition to these services, Coulson designed and implemented an SMS notification system for our cement storage silos.

SOLUTION

How did you select Coulson Technologies and what were the deciding factors?

We began working with Coulson Technologies from its inception. We had a previous relationship with Chris while he was employed by another firm. Our decision to switch to Coulson was based on the level of service and expertise he provided to us for years prior.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

Coulson designed and developed the hardware and software to receive push notifications for our cement product storage silos. The hardware was designed to integrate with our existing hard-wired system that had light indicators for the silo storage levels.

The push notifications activate when the product storage reaches a fixed threshold and notifies the associated managers.

Rasberry-Pi circuits, Amazon's AWS service and IO Watch were integrated to achieve our goal.

How many people from the Coulson Technologies team worked with you, and what were their positions?

Three team members from Coulson Technologies worked with me on the above project. They were the following: Chris Coulson, Owner, Solutions Architect Andrew Runkle, Senior Technician Jeff Besecker, Developer

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Coulson's team worked with me in an accelerated time frame to develop and complete the project. It was accomplished at a reasonable cost but performs as it was designed to.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Coulson's style included personal on-site meetings, electronic communication, scheduling, and video conferencing. They were able to achieve our result without layers of red tape or delays.

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

One of the most impressive features of this company has been their personal attention. They are able to easily communicate IT strategies and solutions to us without speaking scientific IT jargon. They have the qualifications to deliver the latest and most thorough products but are able to simplify their communication for all users to understand.

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

no.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a local orchard and farmers market in Loganville, PA. We have our own Produce, Bakery, Deli, Cafe, Gifts, Greenhouse etc...I am the Operations Manage.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Coulson Technologies?

Our previous owner was an IT professional by trade. He suddenly passed away in 2018 and Coulson was our support for him. We have since used Coulson to manage our entire IT infrastructure from that point forward

SOLUTION

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

They were a support team for us for hardware and software. We were happy with the support. Very engaging and hands on and went lengths to support us.

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

We use a fully support package from Coulson Technologies. They manage all of our office PC's, POS systems, servers, switches, upgrades etc. Top to bottom.

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

2. And they were full tech support associates.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have developed a great relationship in which they manage all of our IT systems either in person or remotely. They have made everything virtually handsfree for us so we may focus on running our business. We have improved our customer traffic flow, increased network speeds for more reliable data traffic. We have never had to shut down or lose sales due to reliable systems and forged a great relationship where they understand our needs and can help with continuous improvement initiatives.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Phenomenal. They are always available and ready to help when needed.

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

Level of customer service and knowledge of our needs.

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

no