MDS service value is one that is driven by aligning certain solutions with a customer’s problem. Our objective is to make a positive impact by understanding the business issues a client faces and then tailoring our services to address and remedy the ultimate concern. The following are actual case studies in which MDS helped to identify the problem and provided a value-added solution that over time had a very positive ROI.
Industry: Financial
Challenges:
Business Challenge: Provide cost effectiveness and improved ROI on entire network infrastructre and systems
Technical Challenge: Create and understandable, redundant network systems and infrastructure to provide a more reliable and efficient
information Technology platform as well as improved support services to the credit union.
Solution: “Replacement Acquisition Costs” associated with turnover. MDS took over the existing Information Technology staff, and infrastructure. The approach was multi-faceted and included a comprehensive I.T. strategy and proactive based work plan. The plan consisted of identifying skill sets and services provided by the existing staff, a complete inventory of all hardware, software systems and telecom, review of existing vendors and the quality and cost of the services they provided as well as a clear understanding of what was working, what was not working and what was needed. Then using the data collected, decisions were made to address repair, removal, or replacement of the most critical process and services.
For instance it was determined through documentation that the phone system was outdated and extremely complicated to manage. This was causing the credit union to pay additional charges for an outside vendor on an hourly basis to make even the simplest changes. It also required a critical maintenance agreement with the vendor to address failures. MDS recommended and managed a project to replace the phone system with a more modern, GUI based system, making it administratively simple for IT to manage, and effectively service in house at 20% of the initial purchase cost. This resulted in the elimination of those original maintenance and administrative costs. This process was repeated on all of the items identified in the original plan.
Results: The net result was a huge savings in all of these areas, especially in the telecommunication areas as well as a decrease in the I.T. Staffing costs, and an increase in systems availability and end user productivity by utilizing MDS’s trend analysis approach to helpdesk services and our monthly reporting on all I.T. issues providing response times, completion times and project plans. MDS leverages their “vendor neutral” approach to information systems to provide the most cost effective solutions for the client.
Benefits: Additional benefits included reliable staffing. MDS provides “backup” engineers to fill in as needed for additional projects or temporary replacement of exisitng MDS engineers. Each Engineer is fully trained on the client’s site specific systems to provide consistant service levels without ramp up time. The service MDS provides is owned by MDS not the engineers on site.
Technologies: MS Windows (Server and workstation), Ms Exchange, Lotus Notes, RSC based systems (including Unix, Aix), Zetafax servers, Fiserve core systems, Frame relay and MPLS wide are networking, TCP/IP, Firewalls, VPNs, Routers, Switches, Hubs, Avaya, Nortel, Mitel and Televantage phone systems.
Challenges:
Business Challenge: Provide cost effectiveness and improved ROI on entire network infrastructre and systems
Technical Challenge: Create and understandable, redundant network systems and infrastructure to provide a more reliable and efficient
information Technology platform as well as improved support services to the credit union.
Solution: “Replacement Acquisition Costs” associated with turnover. MDS took over the existing Information Technology staff, and infrastructure. The approach was multi-faceted and included a comprehensive I.T. strategy and proactive based work plan. The plan consisted of identifying skill sets and services provided by the existing staff, a complete inventory of all hardware, software systems and telecom, review of existing vendors and the quality and cost of the services they provided as well as a clear understanding of what was working, what was not working and what was needed. Then using the data collected, decisions were made to address repair, removal, or replacement of the most critical process and services.
For instance it was determined through documentation that the phone system was outdated and extremely complicated to manage. This was causing the credit union to pay additional charges for an outside vendor on an hourly basis to make even the simplest changes. It also required a critical maintenance agreement with the vendor to address failures. MDS recommended and managed a project to replace the phone system with a more modern, GUI based system, making it administratively simple for IT to manage, and effectively service in house at 20% of the initial purchase cost. This resulted in the elimination of those original maintenance and administrative costs. This process was repeated on all of the items identified in the original plan.
Results: The net result was a huge savings in all of these areas, especially in the telecommunication areas as well as a decrease in the I.T. Staffing costs, and an increase in systems availability and end user productivity by utilizing MDS’s trend analysis approach to helpdesk services and our monthly reporting on all I.T. issues providing response times, completion times and project plans. MDS leverages their “vendor neutral” approach to information systems to provide the most cost effective solutions for the client.
Benefits: Additional benefits included reliable staffing. MDS provides “backup” engineers to fill in as needed for additional projects or temporary replacement of exisitng MDS engineers. Each Engineer is fully trained on the client’s site specific systems to provide consistant service levels without ramp up time. The service MDS provides is owned by MDS not the engineers on site.
Technologies: MS Windows (Server and workstation), Ms Exchange, Lotus Notes, RSC based systems (including Unix, Aix), Zetafax servers, Fiserve core systems, Frame relay and MPLS wide are networking, TCP/IP, Firewalls, VPNs, Routers, Switches, Hubs, Avaya, Nortel, Mitel and Televantage phone systems.
Industry: Consumer ISP
Functional Dept: Call Center
Problem: “Replacement Acquisition Costs” associated with turnover.
MDS Solution: Developed recruiting campaign that included training related to the specific client’s call center processes.
Client Benefit: Reduced the acclimation cost associated with new hires and helped to provide a higher level of customer service.
Functional Dept: Call Center
Problem: “Replacement Acquisition Costs” associated with turnover.
MDS Solution: Developed recruiting campaign that included training related to the specific client’s call center processes.
Client Benefit: Reduced the acclimation cost associated with new hires and helped to provide a higher level of customer service.
Industry: Business Communications – IP Services
Functional Dept: Router Management Center
Problem: “Turn-around time” – inability to hire specific technical talent in quantity and on short notice.
MDS Solution: Customized a recruiting process and created a sub-group recruiting team whose responsibility was to assemble the right talent on an ongoing basis, essentially creating an inventory of talent-for-hire.
Client Benefit: Increased responsiveness to customers.
Functional Dept: Router Management Center
Problem: “Turn-around time” – inability to hire specific technical talent in quantity and on short notice.
MDS Solution: Customized a recruiting process and created a sub-group recruiting team whose responsibility was to assemble the right talent on an ongoing basis, essentially creating an inventory of talent-for-hire.
Client Benefit: Increased responsiveness to customers.
Industry: Leading Retailer of Fine Jewelry
Functional Dept: Human Resources – training and education
Problem: “Training/Learning Curve – cost and time associated with the use of internal Customer Management System
MDS Solution: Developed a customized interactive, E-learning platform that was enterprise-wide to assist in the user training of the Customer Management System.
Client Benefit: Savings in time and cost; increased worker efficiency and customer satisfaction.
Functional Dept: Human Resources – training and education
Problem: “Training/Learning Curve – cost and time associated with the use of internal Customer Management System
MDS Solution: Developed a customized interactive, E-learning platform that was enterprise-wide to assist in the user training of the Customer Management System.
Client Benefit: Savings in time and cost; increased worker efficiency and customer satisfaction.
