Six years ago, HCR Personnel Solutions Inc. regularly experienced downtime because servers would go down or emails would stop working. The tech setup was antiquated, with servers in every office, and one person reactively managing IT issues. But Techify’s Intelligent Technology Roadmap not only got them where they needed to be as a business, but is also helping them successfully weather the COVID-19 pandemic.
HCR, a leading automotive and manufacturing staffing service in the Greater Toronto Area and Southwestern Ontario, began working with Techify six years ago.
“We were looking for a solution that would create less stress, less downtime, and less interruption,” said Lorie Mason-Pitcher, President of HCR. “When Techify came in, they looked at how we were set up and came up with a roadmap detailing where we were starting and where we needed to get to.”
That included looking at three key areas: technology, security and productivity. For example, Techify helped HCR transition away from servers in every office, and move into the cloud. And it was done gradually, which Lorie said was very important to her.
“We took it a step at a time. We made sure that it wasn’t a shocking change all at once for our staff. It was important to me, that our staff felt it was seamless and easy.”
And because the technology roadmap was already in place, that meant when COVID hit, employees could seamlessly transition to a work-from-home setup.
“We were under pressure. No one really knew what was happening. There was a lot of uncertainty. So the fact we were able to come up with a plan and had the technology in place to make the move to work from home just took that stress out of it for us,” said Lorie. “We would never have been able to do that before we updated our technology.
The technology setup allowed HCR to continue servicing clients seamlessly, and keep employees safe while working from home.
“We were able to keep our employees safe, react quickly and get everyone home, but continue to do business, which was great. It made a difficult time easier.”
Outside of COVID, having a Technology Roadmap has been valuable in so many ways, said Lorie.
“I love that I can see two-to-three years out what our investments are going to look like and where we need to focus our spending. Techify works with you based on your fiscal year and your financial position to make it work for you. I like that I know what’s coming. There are no surprises.”
As for where the business is now, Lorie said the company will be 100% in the cloud within the next few weeks. And because the Roadmap was implemented in small steps, this won’t be a big transition for employees.
“And then we’re there and it’s really just maintaining it. And I’m happy about that. I’m happy that we are where we need to be.”
How to Build an Intelligent Technology Roadmap
Lack of a business strategy can lead to a reactive approach to technology, and that can mean a loss in time and money. Three parts of an effective technology strategy include: technology, productivity and security.
In the videos below, Techify owner and CEO Brendan Howe breaks down each part of an effective technology roadmap.
Contact us today to learn more about creating an Intelligent Technology Roadmap for your business.
