Mid-size real estate firm was being held back because it was ignorant of trends and changes in technical direction of IT industry as well as huge benefits of instituting accounting and financial software. In addition to lack of knowledge, company president was reluctant to raise IT budget to necessary $1.3 million.

As Technical Planning Director, seized opportunity to create cost-effective IT strategy that dramatically increased company's technical capabilities. To contain costs, eliminated non-productive IT staff members and purchased only core hardware and software to support infrastructure. Finally, leveraged state-of-the-art product called VMWare to create virtual workstations and servers, which reduced overall IT expenditures and enabled department to stay within $1.3 million budget.

As a result of these changes, company's technical infrastructure was transformed into stable and robust environment functioning on Windows software and IBM hardware.

When leading lumber and plywood company was acquired, was personally asked to remain and join transformation team tasked with leading integration of company into acquiring organization headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Meeting this goal was complicated by fact that acquired IT team vigorously resisted participation in integration.

Began by conducting individual and group meetings with members of acquired IT team, handling each encounter with empathetic recognition and appreciation for team members' perspective and sense of loss accompanying acquisition. As previous member of this IT team, knew staff was filled with highly skilled professionals who had completed system integrations two years earlier to create acquired company and recommended that acquiring company recognize skills of team and use its expertise, in Asia and Europe in particular, to enter global marketplace. Emphasized opportunity for knowledge sharing and transferring best practices.

By showing empathy and respect, transition team ultimately completed 10-month scheduled integration in 8 months.

Cereal division of major food manufacturer operated with four-hour turnaround time for technicians to respond to end-users' work order tickets. Majority of the time, these computer problems rendered end-users unproductive until help desk technician arrived. Improving response time was challenging because help desk did not have dedicated staff to respond to end-user calls.

Was personally assigned to help desk with mandate to improve response time and service. First, secured permission to hire four interns. After training group on how to answer help desk calls, taught them to diagnose callers' desktop problems as well. Allowed interns 15 minutes from time of call intake to respond to affected user.

In this way, reduced 4-hour response time to 15 minutes, which also raised staff's productivity 10% per worker according to human resources evaluation.

Energy client needed assistance in navigating intricate migration from IBM Lotus Notes to Microsoft Exchange 2007 and approached company about providing an experienced IT resource to guide it through this process. Prior to contacting company, client had interviewed several vendors but had not been satisfied with experience level of IT resources these vendors were able to provide. Specifically, client was adamant that IT resource possess past experience with this type of messaging transition in other industries and be able to enumerate pitfalls and pain-points associated with technology conversions.

Situation was further complicated by fact that client was unwilling to pay for service until its executive team could evaluate all known and hidden issues that were uncovered. Furthermore, client wanted assurance that company professional with extensive experience would perform due diligence before it would present any request for capital appropriation to its board of directors.

In meeting with client, highlighted past experience in food and beverage, paper products, and government industries. Then, leveraged portfolio of 250,000 end-users personally migrated to new technologies to enumerate factors that can create mishaps if not addressed in planning and preparation phase. In addition, recommended that IT team create prototype to test new technologies and capitalize on Microsoft training academies.

By honestly sharing reality of potential pitfalls and respecting budgetary concerns, earned client's trust and confidence in ability to successfully migrate their messaging system, which had been in the client environment for 15 years. This trust generated $2.6 million in initial business for company.

Small, residential real estate company was thrust into commercial real estate market when it acquired three commercial firms in central and southeast United States. Company owner wanted to establish centralized headquarters in northeastern U.S. and, at the same time, integrate all IT systems into single platform. This was an arduous task because $1.3 million IT budget was inadequate to fulfill software-licensing requirements or fund hardware upgrades needed to replace legacy equipment. In addition, fact that two of three offices did not run on Windows platform presented another hurdle.

Began by evaluating 35-member IT staff and trimming headcount 50%. Next, directed IT staff to define workable method to facilitate immediate communication and document sharing, and in addition, purchased virtual software tools to increase IT staff's skills. Examined 15 third-party vendors and selected one that met company's pricing parameters and service duration. Furthermore, reduced and/or eliminated technical capital that did not support revenue generation and leveraged vendor market position to acquire hardware and software licenses that provisioned company for Microsoft 2007 products. Finally, consolidated financial and accounting software packages into stable database that enabled management to identify opportunities to grow business.

Successfully built secure, centralized technology infrastructure and provided sales and administrative teams with software tools that facilitated communication and document sharing, all of which improved budget 7% in first year and 16% by second year. Furthermore, retained best IT resources and offered staff low-cost training and skill enhancement opportunities.

Remaining IT staff members at mid-size real estate company had limited exposure to VMWare and no training in the technology network. Moreover, those staff members who were familiar with product had purchased it for personal use, and there was only one technologist certified in Microsoft products on team.

Empowered certified technologist with task of increasing IT staff's technical knowledge and capabilities. Evaluated technologist on communication performance as well as how proficient team became in new technologies. In addition, hired two consultants with extensive experience in technologies to support team as well.

Eight members of IT staff developed proficiency in these hardware and software technologies. In addition, with honed skills, team was able to create a Microsoft database to manage client accounts from a recent acquisition.

State government had received additional federal funding that made it possible for state to migrate its remaining 250,000 e-mail users to Exchange messaging platform, which was in keeping with state mandate to consolidate components to centralized technology model. However, during initial migration phase, uncovered rogue IP addresses, unreported hardware, and unauthorized software. Furthermore, state officials were uncertain what other issues might be discovered within municipalities and state agencies in outer regions.

Personally put at helm of discovery team tasked with determining additional unknowns in state network. First, marshaled client service state contact to pinpoint correct questions to ask during discovery phase. Assembled network and project management teams and asked them to trace network traffic across state. Also, got telecommunications team involved to assist in identifying which network nodes generated high activity during peak work hours. Also, convened weekly meeting to debrief team members on next steps, document issues surrounding discovery, and ultimately draft a remediation plan.

This process uncovered 62 unsecured servers on network that were located in closets, under desks, and in homes of state workers. Decommissioned unauthorized hardware, removed virus-infected machines, and replaced them with secured hardware that was preconfigured at central site before deployment to remote agency work sites.

Company recently hired 15 technical resources to install desktop messaging software on local and remote desktops; however, these resources possessed no appreciable messaging skills.

Approached predicament by first testing resources' ability to walk a remote end-user through desktop setup with role-play activity, where personally enacted a distressed, time-constrained end-user with limited patience for walk-through process. In this way, trained resources in handling end-users resistant to change. Also, trained resources as a group on manual installation tasks of messaging package and assigned them ownership of a local and remote sector. Next, measured each resource on delivery quality and number of end-users they converted within specific timeframes.

In the end, resources successfully converted 800 end-users to new desktop software, two weeks ahead of eight-week project schedule.

Company recently hired four college interns majoring in computer science to complement its help desk; however, these interns had virtually no hardware and software technical skills.

Trained interns on answering telephone calls, building desktop hardware, deploying new computers, and installing software. Furthermore, taught interns to pinpoint problems from end-user descriptions as well as how to walk that end-user through a solution. Also, directed interns in developing checklists to follow when working with end-users on phone. As interns gained skills and confidence, decreased response time metric between end-user's help desk call and intern's arrival at end-user's desktop.

Through this extensive training, interns became highly skilled in technical support, and end-user community expressed its satisfaction with new help desk processes, especially 15-minute turnaround response time.

Company needed to recover $131 million in legacy accounts receivables, and its urgency surrounding matter was intensified by client's need to reconcile outstanding accounts in order to receive new federal funding. Specifically, client needed to finalize process by close of second quarter of 2008; however, resources required on company's end were not immediately available to complete this work.

Contacted resource management principal to identify benched resources as well as resources whose engagements would be concluded by mid-January. In addition, secured project sponsor's buy-in on plan to bring in remote resources for three-day training session. To minimize travel expenses, introduced virtual team format to processes and critical timelines to complete work by second quarter deadline. Also collaborated with legal, contracts, and project managers to obtain language requirements for terms and conditions, statements of work, and task order amendments.

With highly effective virtual environment, team quickly reconciled 375 accounts worth $86 million.

Newly created IT eCommerce service client wanted to position itself to win a state government contract. To be successful, new firm needed senior-level IT professional who could effectively communicate firm's capabilities. This was crucial because state government typically awarded contract to companies on its preferred vendor list and was reluctant to take a risk on an unknown firm with its statewide messaging migration contract.

Presented government representative with innovative proposition that involved personally working at government offices for 30 days; and during that time, developing solutions-based migration plan that would cost less than preferred vendor's alternative. In this way, eliminated risk on government's behalf, charged negligible amount to develop plan, and also required no obligation if government was not satisfied with result.

Ultimately, presented government representative project proposal to migrate 22% of 250,000 e-mail users in first year for $3.8 million, which was 25% less than government's existing budget of $9.5 million. Government was pleased with plan, and as a result, company won its three-year, $3.8 million service contract for e-mail and database technologies, which produced 22% earnings before interest and taxes amortization contribution to company's budget.

Company's messaging and computing environment was being inundated with virus attacks, and proliferation was exceeding existing anti-virus software package's ability to prevent and recover from such attacks. However, $215,000 remained on company's current service contract for existing anti-virus product, but its updates were consistently several days behind outbreak, which did not serve company well.

Initiated dialog with existing service provider and explained company's dissatisfaction with product. Service provider offered no appropriate recourse but instead insisted that company would incur 10% cancellation fee if it terminated existing contract. Was personally familiar with an anti-virus product designed for Exchange messaging and eventually contacted third-party vendor who was working with both potential new product and failing current product. Invited vendor to present management with alternative anti-virus product as well as resolution for existing contract.

Eventually, third-party vendor assumed control of contract for failing product and presented $225,000 contract offer for new anti-virus product. Leveraging third-party vendor's relationship with current service provider allowed company to avoid paying 10% cancellation fee and only required it to pay an additional $10,000 for a new, effective software product, producing net savings of $21,500.