Managed IT Case Study: Marshall Building Specialties

MANAGED IT BRINGS BUILDING SUPPLY COMPANY INTO THE 21ST CENTURY

Marshall Building Specialties Co., Inc. has been a supplier of commercial construction materials in Indianapolis, Indiana since 1965.

Before working with the Gordon Flesch Company, Marshall Building was using an outdated DOS-based computer system and noisy, old printers that were loud and temperamental. The company hoped to modernize quickly but with a small office staff it was simply not possible to employ a dedicated IT person to manage this process.

Marshall Building’s Lisa Richey brought in GFC to upgrade the company’s hardware and to provide managed IT services for the office. Unfortunately, moving legacy systems into the 21st century can be painful. Richey says GFC’s representatives worked overtime to get data off old systems and integrate modern multi-function machines into Marshall’s network. With a little personal care, GFC’s Managed IT Services has allowed Marshall Building to quickly serve its customers, reduce downtime, and improve employee satisfaction.

THE CHALLENGE

Marshall Building wanted to move its existing databases, billing systems and office applications from an outdated, 1980s-style, local area network to a modern infrastructure. Marshall’s Lisa Richey says integrating the company’s old databases with new computers and multi-function devices took a lot of manual labor and attention.

THE SOLUTION

The solution involved a little personal touch. Lisa kept one GFC employee’s cell number written on her desk pad for quick, easy access (although she said she hasn’t had to use it lately because of how well the systems are performing). She says several GFC employees were her “rock stars,” working hard to get her systems running smoothly.

THE RESULT

GFC gave Marshall Building a complete office technology makeover. With her lease ending soon. Lisa says she is eager to continue modernizing the Marshall Building Company’s technology with even newer multi-function machines. They are better equipped and have the peace of mind that their computers and
printers will be up and running when they need them.

"Our office technology was stuck in the 1980s, but the Gordon Flesch Company was able to leap frog us all the way to 2017.”

— Lisa Richey
Marshall Building Supply