Michigan Pipe Embraces IT Transparency

Michigan Pipe Embraces IT Transparency

Michigan Pipe Embraces IT Transparency

IT can be messy and complicated. A lot of organizations just want it to work seamlessly behind the scenes so they can focus on running their business.

Michigan Pipe and Valve, however, wanted to be informed of how its IT was working and what things could be done to improve IT maturity.

As the water and sewer distributor grew, it sought greater transparency and open communication to better understand and improve its IT operations.

MI Pipe’s former IT provider fixed problems promptly, said Theresa Jaime, co-owner of the Saginaw, Genesee and Mount Pleasant MI Pipe branches, but there wasn’t enough conversation about how those problems were fixed or what ideas could be implemented to prevent them from happening again.

As MI Pipe expanded to nine locations across Michigan, its IT needs evolved, not only in terms of scale and complexity but also in security. The distributor needed IT solutions that could keep up and ensure continuity between branches. At that point, the existing IT support model just wasn’t built for that level of growth.

Additionally, MI Pipe had a security scare that Jaime said acted as a wake-up call that a change needed to be made.

“That was kind of like the straw that broke the camel’s back,” she said. “We were obviously not protected as much as we wanted to be. That’s when I said, ‘We gotta do something different.’”

Hungerford Makes IT ‘Entertaining’

In January 2024, MI Pipe heard about Hungerford through one of its partners that also used Hungerford for its IT services.

Wanting to learn more about Hungerford’s offerings and culture, MI Pipe invited the MSP to speak at its biannual employee party, where it discussed fraud, phishing and other cybersecurity topics that excited Jaime and her team.

“It was an amazing presentation,” she said. “It was really engaging, and I talked to them about maybe helping us out, and we chatted about it and I said, ‘We have to jump.’

“They made it seem interesting. IT is not the most interesting thing in the world to us as a water and sewer distributor. They made it really easy to understand, entertaining and they seemed like really down-to-earth people.”

Just three months later, onboarding began.

“When people think of IT services, they think of calling the support desk to fix a problem. And while fixing things that are broken is part of what an MSP does, Hungerford takes the extra step to offer meaningful advice and proactive measures like roadmapping and lifecycle planning.”

Onboarding and Beyond

For MI Pipe, switching IT providers came with added complexity: its former provider owned the physical server that ran critical applications. Hungerford helped MI Pipe purchase the server, relocate it and reestablish connectivity across the state to bring systems back online.

After many issues with the relocated server, which Jaime referred to as “the bane of our existence,” MI Pipe decided to migrate its operations to the cloud. A few months after migrating, Jaime said business operations have been smooth, and many of their biggest problems were resolved once the server was retired.

Cloud migration was a major step, but it’s not the only reason MI Pipe has seen improved productivity and reduced downtime. Jaime also pointed to the HT Support app as a time-saver for her team. Instead of routing every IT issue through her, employees now have direct access to Hungerford’s support team — whether through chat, email or phone — making it faster and easier to get help when they need it.

“Especially with support, they are learning our business quickly, and that’s a big thing for me,” Jaime said. “We are a very unique company, and to learn it and to understand it and talk to us knowledgably about our business, that’s big.”

Hungerford’s Proactive Approach

When people think of IT services, they think of calling the support desk to fix a problem. And while fixing things that are broken is part of what an MSP does, Hungerford takes the extra step to offer meaningful advice and proactive measures like roadmapping and lifecycle planning.

These help clients see the bigger picture by continuing to optimize their IT to achieve the greatest possible outcome. They also help avoid unexpected costs and downtime when computers or other hardware break and need to be replaced immediately.

Jaime highlighted Hungerford’s transparency and open communication as key reasons for MI Pipe’s decision to switch.

“I think communication is important because we were so much in the dark (before Hungerford) that when we came out of it, we didn’t know what we had, we didn’t know what we needed, we didn’t know where we were going,” she said. “(The former IT provider) had full control over everything, which is OK because they were the experts.

“But it’s nice to have more of a proactive approach than a reactive approach. We need to know ahead of time, for time purposes, for money purposes, what’s coming down the pipeline.”

To keep MI Pipe updated on current projects, future projects and just the overall state of its IT, Hungerford offers quarterly meetings, where Jaime is briefed on important details. These meetings also allow her to raise concerns and collaborate on ideas.

Shared decision-making is important: Our clients know their business, and we know the tech. On our own, we each do fine. But the best work happens when we do it together.

“I like to talk it through, and Greg (Webb) and Scott (Dare) are really good with hearing everything and getting all the information from my head onto paper of what I want to do,” Jaime said. “They’re really easy to work with, easy to talk to, and they can take this plan I have and put it into action.”

Managed Services in Grand Rapids

Looking for more transparency and open communication or have you outgrown your current MSP? Consider making the switch to Hungerford. Our proactive approach and dedicated support can help your organization thrive.

Contact us today to schedule a meeting with our team. We’ll discuss ways we can improve your IT and keep your business running smoothly while increasing productivity, security and profitability.

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