Cost Savings – First Things First

Quartet’s approach to IT cost savings is simple, but works. We put “First Things First” as my father used to say. We start by lowering costs compared to what you are spending now. We leverage our hard skills, infrastructure, knowledge and tools to improve your efficiency. We follow with technical innovation that usually includes infrastructure rationalization and process re-engineering. The innovation part of this approach is where all the drama is, but we can’t get there without saving money on status-quo IT to start with. First Things First.

 

Quartet’s hard skills – Certifications, experience, technical investments and an integrated support system highlight Quartet. The support system has two main elements. The first is a rapid response approach to technical problems. Our help desk response time average in August 2008 was 17 seconds and our average time to resolution was 27 minutes. The system is based on a 7×24 help desk, network & server monitoring, remote support tools, statistics and keeping on-call service technicians very near your offices. Our system allows for very efficient division of labour. By minimizing IT down time, we improve your staff efficiencies and reduce your costs. We further reduce your costs with a-la-carte service provisioning, flexible contracts and unlimited service plans. Hourly rates on special projects range from $70-150/hr. and come with performance guarantees.

 

The second element of our support system is preemptive planning and design. The key to efficiency is to minimize the number of problems in the first place. Hardware adequacy, network design/analysis, software integration and planning are all part of this. We are IT infrastructure specialists, but uniquely, our expertise includes telecommunications. This integrated, one-stop shop approach eliminates finger pointing, accelerates innovation and reduces your costs.

 

Quartet’s culture – We strive to be an employer of choice for IT professionals and in order to minimize staff turnover, we search for clients that share our values. At Quartet, IT professionals get the training, experience and career path that is difficult/impossible to justify for most of our clients. We retain good staff for a long time and are able to leverage the resulting skill economies to save you money. In addition however, these long term relationships are the genesis of true technical innovation at our clients. Technical innovation can be the heart of sustainable competitive advantage.

 

One of the core elements of Quartet’s culture is accountability and we share that culture with our clients. Contracts are based on outcomes, with strict performance metrics determining compliance. Many of our clients have similar responsibilities to their clients. Detailed reports are available on our activities and live on-line access to our service records is available.

 

I could ramble on about culture, skills and accountability for a while yet, but I hope I’ve made my point. Quartet’s hard skills lead the way on our cost savings initiatives, but our culture drives the innovations. “First things first” is one of those fundamental truths I’ve come to appreciate over the years and we try to follow that rule at Quartet. As always, I look forward to your ideas and welcome you to contact me at any time.

 

Regards,
Robert Bracey