Miles IT

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are an enterprise architecture consulting company providing software and expertise to enable clients to effectivly manage their enterprise architecture.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We had too many siloed business systems which were used throughout the comapny and there was a great deal of duplication. In addition, the existing systems had limited capability and required any manual processes. As our company is growing rapidly this situation was ot sustainable.

SOLUTION

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

We reasearched various integrated business solutions and chose the Striven system due to its extensive functionality and the very low cost compared to their competitors.

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

Striven productprovided the core accounting functions, ease of creating user generate custom reports, CRM capabilities, ticketing capabilities to handle software and service support internally and with our cutomers, the employee/customer/vendor portals allowing self sevice and the recuriting capabilities.

The system is also highly configureable through the numerous settings which allow for customized sales orders, quotes, purchase orders, invoices, statements and user roles to name just a few. Miles technlogy offers a full range of services that allow companies with little technical or project management capability to get up and running quickly. They also work well with companies that wish to most of the implementation work themselves.

The flxibility and the SaaS model allowed usto get up and running in a very short timeframe.

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

We worked with the implementation manager, migration specialist, support manager and the company owner. Bottom line ... the implementation manager made sure e had access to the most knowledgeable resources available to address our requirements at any given time.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We migrated the accounting functionality to production less than a month ago and are now enjoying the benefits. Duplication has been reduced, we have more meaningful and timely business intelligence and every one has easy access the information they need through the user defined roles and centralized data repository.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Excellent. The staff are easiy to work with and always professional. Working with their team was one of the highlights of the project. The truly understand customer service.

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

The team's level of professionalism when dealing with or requirements and concerns was impressive.

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

Any areas we felt need improvement were raised and resolved during the project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the principal at BRS, a consulting firm that does grant writing and management as well as environmental planning and investigations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Miles Technologies?

We had received a contract from the city of New York to manage their new Brownfield Incentive Grant (BIG) program, and we contracted Mild Technologies to develop a portal for us to manage the intake review and grant applications processing.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We worked with Miles Technologies to develop a requirements document that specifically details the function of the portal they created for us. Their team provided a lot of input as to what was and was not possible, making sure that what we were asking for was feasible.

They built it to allow BRS and outside consultants, like the Office of Environmental Remediation (OER)  for New York City, to communicate back and forth per application while logging and tracking all email and phone correspondence. All communications are categorized either as public or private with the idea that the OER, at some point in the future, might want to make the portal have a public-facing element that lets grantees log in and check the status of their applications. Though this did not come to pass, Miles Technologies still designed the system to still have that sort of flexibility.

The portal also enabled the storing and associating of a tremendous amount of grant-related documents within the system. Each application fell under any of the four different review queues, depending on their status. After each application has undergone a technical review process and has been inputted into the system by the BRS grant administrator, the OER would then review it as well and send it back to our queue. 

We would then send out a grant agreement, receive it once it’s been signed, and return the application to the OER’s queue where they can confirm insurance. Once a grant is approved, we would be able to issue a requisition for the funding and get the funding out to the applicant.

What is the team composition?

We were working directly with two people, John (VP of Software Consulting) and the head of the development team who might’ve been changed out during or right after the project. They also had a whole team that we didn’t get to interact with. 

How did you come to work with Miles Technologies?

Our primary office is located in Medford Lakes and Miles Technologies was local to that area. We had already been using their services for internal IT work, so when we had this opportunity, we reached out to them. We partnered with their development team to create a proposal that was submitted to and selected by New York city’s OER. 

How much have you invested with them?

The original construction of the portal was about $200,000. We had also paid them a monthly fee.

What is the status of this engagement?

We signed the contract with the OER in December 2009, but we had started with Miles Technologies a little bit prior to that. The project itself began around April 2010 and the portal was completed in April 2011.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Though I don’t have any specific numerical metrics, the portal that Miles Technologies created has made it easy for us to manage the program and has, no doubt, saved us money over the long term. The most impressive thing about the product is that, 11 years later, it is still functional and requires very few updates and relatively minor adjustments. 

The financial aspects of it are linked to our QuickBooks, so most of the compatibility changes that we’ve had to make were due to updates that needed to be done on the QuickBooks side.

How did Miles Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

Whenever we had any issues, we usually contacted our designated representatives through email and followed up with a phone call. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their ability to personally interact and work with us for the long-haul was impressive.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The most important thing is to invest the time, upfront, to really think through each aspect of your project and to know exactly what elements you need Miles Technologies to build into the system. We had spent a ridiculous amount of time going over every single detail and contingency, but it has definitely paid off in the end.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

NCS is a financial services company providing income, identify and employment verification services to lenders.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

NCS has worked with Miles for over ten years. Miles provides NCS custom software development, systems support, IT support and marketing support.

What were your goals for this project?

To modernize all existing product APIs to be Restful and support Json. Miles knows our business and understands best practices for modern software design.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Miles takes the time to know our business as well as understanding and supporting our staff. Miles also provides direct customer support and ongoing maintenance and development for all our customer-facing order fulfillment systems. We believe Miles is unique in their dedication to total support.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Miles interviews all stakeholders to ensure they understand the business and technology goals. Next, Miles quickly delivers a project plan that defines the full project.

Next Miles very quickly delivers demonstration apps that allow stakeholders to provide feedback and ensure the project meets all requirements. Miles will coordinate all backend system setup and implementation planning.

What was the team composition?

Miles provided a senior project manager, senior developer and software support. All members of a Miles project team are prepared and understand both our business and technology goals.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

The API moderation, Swagger and supporting white paper have allowed NCS to move quickly and with confidence. NCS immediately began marketing our desire to push all our products through a single smart API. To date NCS has been able to successfully implement five significant integrations using our new API.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Project management is all done remotely using Zoom conference to gather and then present project plans and weekly progress. The project manager anticipated many requirements and worked directly with NCS staff to ensure implementation progress moved forward without delay. In the 10 years I have worked with Miles they have always delivered on time and on budget.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their commitment to excellence in Miles case this often over-used term describes them best in my opinion.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None, very happy.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CFO of a small company that deals with attorneys and the insurance industry in regards to liability lawsuits, the handling of HIPPA-protected medical records, and the scheduling of examinations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Miles Technologies?

Most of the software that’s available in our industry is geared toward particular types of exams, and we only deal with liability. We have a different process for vetting and credentialing the positions on our panel, offering more comprehensive services. We needed a software that would help our staff organize their tasks, allowing them to hit all of our benchmarks.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The team at Miles Technologies developed a web-based software for our clients and physicians to access, ensuring that all documentation and information is password protected and encrypted on the system. It’s also accessible from our corporate website. It was built from the ground up, loosely utilizing the software we were previously using.

While there were some aspects of the software that I was familiar with, Miles Technologies had input into what would work and how the architecture should be.

What is the team composition?

We initially made contact with Will (Senior Software Advisor, Miles Technologies). I worked more closely with Indira (Senior Project Manager, Miles Technologies) and Melina (Business Systems Analyst, Miles Technologies). Behind the scenes, there was Tom (Software Developer, Miles Technologies) and another programmer.

How did you come to work with Miles Technologies?

Last June, our owner decided he wanted to look into building software. He asked about my experience. I spent an evening reading about software development and researching different software options. Miles Technologies, along with a handful of other companies, came up quite a bit.

After I gathered information and had an understanding of what I was looking for, I made a few phone calls to different companies. Within an hour, Miles Technologies called back. There was a real human speaking on the phone about what we were looking for and answering any questions that I might have. I contacted six other companies and heard back from one or two with an automated response.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent a couple $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We received their vision to reality plan in August of last year.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The software is live, but we’re in the process of transferring data over from the previous system. We didn’t want to sacrifice any of the older data. We’re still pending the access of the external portal to the clients, so we’re waiting on tracking the business impact.

It will be a game-changer for us because it will ease the process for our clients. In terms of our own productivity, moving data is a bit of a time crunch, but with newer cases, it’s been faster. All of the documentation and reminders are working the way we want them to.

Miles Technologies is incredibly nimble. Since we’ve gone live, they’ve said that they don’t like how certain things are working and suggested changing the structure to improve accessibility. I can manipulate things a little bit more, getting the reports and activities that I need.

How did Miles Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

There is a website where they submit project documents and invoices. Mostly, we communicate through emails and phone calls. With the help of Tom, we did our data migration entirely through Google Sheets.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their communication style stands out.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I went into this completely unprepared with no software background. In a year, they’ve managed to get the information they needed from me to build an entire operating system. The only thing I’ve come to realize late in the game is that when you’re talking to programmers, you have to be careful about what you’re saying. It’s a literal process, which had me taken aback. I would use the word ‘subsequent,’ and it would happen right after that.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Clients should make sure that they explain what they’re looking for. I made sure to take the time to explain our process so that they could understand my end goal. When I thought that I finally understood their language, it didn’t work out so well.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a Manager for Delaware Avenue Enterprises Inc. We are a cold storage warehouse. We do imports and exports of perishable and frozen commodities. We load outbound trucks Monday - Friday and handled anywhere from 50 to 120 trucks daily.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Create a Remote Kiosk for the carriers to check in and a customer Portal for appointment scheduling. There are different phases of our projects.

What were your goals for this project?

To have one central check in portal for all carriers.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Miles Technologies Upgraded our company Website

Describe the project in detail.

Prior to the start of the project we had a introduction/vision meeting so Miles can have an understanding of what exactly what we wanted from the project.

What was the team composition?

We were assigned a Project Manager (PM). The PM advised that there were team members behind the scenes. All coordination went through the PM. The PM arranged frequent calls / emails to keep me update to day.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our project is still on going. Initial progress is we are able to free up a clerk to move onto other tasks.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very well. We speak weekly for updates and Q&A sessions.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

How engaging they were and how very excited the PM was to be handling our account. It was like he was creating this portal for himself.

Are there any areas for improvement?

In my opinion always for improvement. We are still working through our project so I don't have a full assessment of what could be improved upon.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Im Vice President of IT. McCollister’s, headquartered in Burlington, New Jersey has approximately 1,000 full time associates throughout our 16 strategically located full-service facilities.

McCollister's owns and operates a service fleet of over 1,000 pieces of equipment to support our client’s transportation and warehouse needs. Throughout our history, McCollister's has leveraged our asset-based infrastructure to deliver tailored logistics solutions.

We adhere to a consultative, market-driven approach to implement service mechanisms of uncommonly high value supporting the needs of our corporate clients.

McCollister's Transportation Group does this within three primary divisions: High-Value Product Logistics, Commercial Services and Employee Relocation. The McCollister's organization measurably differentiates itself with flexible solutions, quality service, safety, efficiency and speed.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Migration off legacy servers and infrastructure to the cloud. A web-based ERP solution with integrated solutions for HR, CRM, Accounting and Project Management with API integration to other 3rd party applications is what we were after.

Miles Technologies have delivered server support, VM and VMWARE migrations, 24/ 7/ 365 co-location data center support with SSAE18 cert and security. Full time staff to help us move processes into Striven.

What were your goals for this project?

Sunset legacy servers. Improve efficiency. Drive automation and digital transformation, and less dependence on manual effort. Put our teams and associates to work on value-added revenue-generating tasks, and not obsolete redundant double-entry steps.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Countless hours of RFI, RFP, RFQ process, and a couple of failed migration with various partners

Describe the project in detail.

• Vision to Reality stage one investigation of Goals and objectives.
• Strategically align different SMEs and resources.
• Carve out Project Sponsor and leads.
• Develop, Design and progressively modify with Agile method the scope.
• Deployed a solution with adequate Hyper-support and "training" of SME and internal staff.
• Set a Go Live with Clevel champions, and stakeholders in all departments motivated and bought in.

What was the team composition?

C-Level champion and vision SVP / VP leaders in various departments Stakeholders and proces owners collaborating on design and requirements.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Positive - Software validation and testing Development / Testing UAT System testing comprehensive audits and review Pre-Production review Go Live Post-Production Review

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very - highly efficient as we are a few miles down the road, but they scheduled onsite resources to drive to our site, or schedule a large room in their location for team and departments to attend.

They had a large space with great hospitality (kitchen, sports area, very cool space!) -- this was disarming and allowed our teams to relax around each other!

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Team chemistry, speed of gathering information and disseminating that to all programmers and developers -- I appreciated all of the visibility on the project milestones at every stage of the project.

Comprehensive and clear documentation of all steps and requireemnts - scope details were clearly documented and reviewed several times before an order was approved -- to avoid Change Orders.

High effective management and middle-management support, reduced escalations.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Budgetary limitations from our organization would be an opportunity. We were not clear with a budget which is impacted by change orders --- SCope CREEP and SCOPE modifications result in delays and cost.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the CEO of an accredited private career school.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired them to build and develop a functional web site that would be competitive in our trade.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

They were a local company with a brick-and-mortar location and a long-term reputation.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Miles Technologies provided web development and digital marketing services, including SEO, Google Ads, and Facebook management.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website was up and running within the correct timeline. Results started to build over a six-month period, and we met our end-of-year goals. In the second year, we started to exceed our first year goals and pinpoint our target market. We had a few trial and errors along the way. But Miles Technologies was quick to address our concerns and correct the target to move lead development forward in a positive direction.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Miles Technologies developed a team that started to better understand our unique needs and work our project forward. They did not lump us into the framework of other clients as a one-size-fits-all approach.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, not that I can see.