Making the right technology decisions is just the first step to building and managing an effective IT organization. The challenge is in implementing those decisions. And, carrying out any IT initiative requires people. 

However, few IT organizations have all the human resources needed for every initiative. Information technology is becoming more complex, and not many organizations can keep sufficient headcount on staff to master every skill that might be needed. Furthermore, most organizations have taken a lean approach to staffing, with barely enough people to carry out day-to-day operations, let alone take on special projects. 

Therefore, along with our helping clients to make the right technology decisions, Strativa can provide skilled resources to help clients carry out those decisions. Our Enterprise IT Services cover three main categories of need.

Interim Management
Occasionally, an IT organization may be going through some sort of transition. A key manager may have departed, or there may be a merger or acquisition taking place. In these situations, the client may need a seasoned manager to step in the gap and provide leadership for that area on a temporary basis. The need may only last until the transaction is completed, or until a new leader can be hired. In these cases, Strativa can provide the interim manager, assist in the recruiting process, and, if needed, help the organization through the transition. 

One client, a well-known entertainment company, engaged Strativa to perform an operational assessment for a $100 million data center. Although the client accepted the recommendations of our study, it quickly found that it did not have the right leadership in that data center to implement those recommendations. Therefore, the client asked us to provide a senior consultant to serve as interim data center manager. This individual, along with several project team members that we provided, was able to accomplish—over an 18 month period—every one of the major recommendations. As a result, the data center met or exceeded its goals for service levels and customer satisfaction. 

Project Teams
Other times, there is a specific project that needs to be completed. The client may have a project manager but no one to serve on the project team, or there may be team members but no project manager. Sometimes, there is neither. In these cases, we can assemble the project team with whatever combination of in-house and outside resources the client needs to get the job done. 

One company had an important IT initiative to migrate over 800 users from Lotus Notes to Microsoft Exchange – in one month. Over a 30 day period, our consultants set up new servers in seven branch offices, configured MS Exchange to support multiple languages, installed Microsoft Outlook on over 800 desktops enterprise-wide, established connectivity between all of the offices and to the Internet, and ensured that e-mail communications continued to operate throughout the organization. Our project team, including an experienced project manager along with a complete project team of system engineers and desktop support personnel, managed and executed the entire project. 

Our network of skilled IT professionals is extensive, allowing us to carry out a wide variety of IT initiatives. For a sample of some of the types of projects that our resources have provided in the past, please refer to the following flyers.

MS Exchange Planning and Implementation
MS SharePoint Implementation
System Management Server (SMS) Deployment 
Storage Area Network (SAN) Services
MS SQL Server Implementation
VMware Deployment

Individual Experts
Sometimes, a client simply needs a skilled resource to fill a specific need, such as a Cisco network engineer, an Oracle database administrator, or Java programmer. The need may be for a specific project or simply to fill a temporary gap in the client’s organization. 

For more information on our approach to these services, please read our flyer on Technical Staff Augmentation. 

One of our clients in the pharmaceutical industry was in the midst of a major ERP implementation. Because of the aggressive schedule, however, there were simply not enough skilled implementers available in the client’s organization. Furthermore, because the client was rolling out the new system globally, systems analysts from other business units were not available to assist. Strativa provided this client with two seasoned consultants to fill specific needs in the project team. They learned the client’s business, analyzed the business processes, developed new procedures, and trained users on the new system. As a result, the client was able to meet the aggressive schedule and successfully complete the project. 

Experienced IT resources can be difficult to find, and current employment forecasts indicate that these conditions will continue for the foreseeable future. As a result, most organizations have found it necessary from time to time to reach outside for specific skills, project-related resources, and interim leadership. Strativa’s Enterprise IT Services are a resource to fill these needs. 

Contact us for more information on our Enterprise IT Services.