King Group Case Study

Located in Norwich, Norfolk, The King Group own commercial properties which are leased to various companies within the Norfolk and Suffolk area. As a SME, it makes sound financial sense to call in an external company to manage its IT systems, ensuring everything delivers round-the-clock reliability and security.

Company name: Joseph King (Norfolk) Coordination Ltd
Product: TotalCare IT Support
Date: 16/02/12
Region: Norfolk
No Of Seats: 3

Summary:

In summary, DMC TotalCare has enabled Joseph King to:

• Delegate product updates, system maintenance, back ups and technical issues
• Enable them to focus on their core business, not the systems that run it
• Know that a virtual IT department is responding to their network round the clock
• Prevent, pre-empt and fix any issues as efficiently and effectively as possible
• Ensure their system says healthy, productive and secure

Situation:

Claire Sheppard is Joseph King’s Management Accountant at the company’s Norwich HQ.

“Why did we opt for DMC’s TotalCare Service? Initially we were looking for new accounting software, we had a very old accounting programme that was no longer being supported and as I had  used Sage in the past and had had an excellent relationship with them,  I contacted Sage who in turn  recommended DMC who then went on to install Sage Line 50 for us. So we’ve known DMC for over three years now.”

Once they had the Sage solution in place, the next obvious step was to get some IT support on board “because we don’t pretend to be IT experts and we needed the reassurance of having someone at the end of the phone should we have any problems”, Claire continues. “We’re not big enough to employ a full time IT manager, but we needed someone that could take care of everything on our behalf. Now I know I can just pick up the phone whenever I want, call DMC and shout ‘Help!’”

Solution:

A team from DMC came across to Norwich “to have a good look at how our IT was set up. They pointed out potential holes in our security and other areas where things could be tightened up to ensure 24/7/365 business continuity. They also installed a server for us because we didn’t have a one at that stage”.

Claire explains how DMC’s TotalCare “helps us get on with our business”. She talks about how the team at DMC “attach to our screens and walk us through any issues” and why, because this is done remotely, “they don’t need to come over to our premises. So, basically, we could be in John O’Groats or even on the other side of the world and it would still feel as if they were on our doorstep”.

In December, for example, Joseph King bought “a couple of new laptops which DMC set up remotely – and they helped us wipe data from the old ones we were getting rid of”. Then there was the time that one of the hard drives failed. “DMC immediately alerted us to the problem and sorted it out remotely. We didn’t have to get involved at all which is exactly what you want when you’re busy with your core business.”

Claire also talks about a recent occasion where she called DMC “because our computers were running slow. Mine is the oldest one here, but DMC managed to speed it up. All this was done remotely, too. They’ve sorted out problems with printers and helped us install new ones; it’s amazing what they can do without having to leave their desks”.

Dependable, bullet-proof data backup is vital for any business and Claire explains how the team at Joseph King “put in a tape every night for DMC to check”. Thankfully, so far, it hasn’t thrown up any issues like hacker attempts or intrusions “but it did alert us when the hard drive went. Also, a virus popped up on my PC recently so I called DMC who instantly accessed my computer and removed it for me”.

Benefits:

 Claire explains that the level of TotalCare Service they get from DMC is “excellent” because “they obviously know their products inside out”. She welcomes the way she can “just get on with” her work, knowing that “this is all ticking quietly away in the background”. She points out that with the virus, for example, she “wouldn’t have had a clue what to do. I know DMC can just attach to our system and sort things out. I don’t have to worry at all. It’s great.”

Why did she choose DMC? “They’re in Peterborough and we’re in Norwich, so we’re not particularly close. However when they came out and talked to us, we felt we could work with them. Some IT people can be a bit… how shall I put it… patronising to people that know nothing about IT, but DMC aren’t like that at all. I appreciate that.”

Another thing Claire likes about DMC is that she has “worked in companies with large IT departments. Here we don’t have any in-house IT yet thanks to DMC we can enjoy the same kind of support as if we did. DMC is like a ‘virtual IT department’, an extension of our business. They’re efficient, they’re always there at the end of the phone, they’re nice, friendly people and we like working with them!”

In summary, DMC TotalCare has enabled Joseph King to:

• Delegate product updates, system maintenance, back ups and technical issues
• Enable them to focus on their core business, not the systems that run it
• Know that a virtual IT department is responding to their network round the clock
• Prevent, pre-empt and fix any issues as efficiently and effectively as possible
• Ensure their system says healthy, productive and secure