CASE STUDY

CIO Solutions

CIO Solutions Consolidates Tool Sprawl for Increased IT Efficiency and Faster Client Resolutions with ControlUp

Headquarters: Santa Barbara, California
Founded: 1986
Employees: 95
Industry: Managed IT Services
The Challenge

  • Complex IT Management: CIO Solutions had to effectively manage diverse client IT environments, made even more complex by the diverse suite of software required for remote employees.
  • Real-Time Support and Monitoring: Legacy management tools lacked visibility into modern software and operating systems. A tool that could instantly provide data for quick troubleshooting and resolution was needed.
  • Streamlining Operations: Simplifying operations and both reducing the number of tools required for IT management and increasing capabilities was essential to enhance efficiency.
  • Enhancing User and Client Experience: Ensuring a seamless digital experience for both their technicians and clients was paramount for CIO Solutions to meet their Mission Statement of Productivity Enhanced.
The Tools

  • ControlUp ONE platform
The Result
  • Democratized Efficiency: ControlUp’s real-time monitoring streamlined problem resolution, eliminating the need for extensive script libraries and making advanced data insights accessible to all technicians, regardless of experience.
  • Improved Client Satisfaction: ControlUp’s advanced troubleshooting accelerated fixes, boosting client satisfaction and confidence. Technicians can now address current and historical data issues, transforming support interactions and demonstrating their expertise immediately.
  • Reduced Tool Sprawl: The ControlUp ONE platform consolidated functions from multiple tools, including Kaseya, LogicMonitor, and Qualsys, simplifying IT management and enhancing capabilities.
  • Increased Time to Value of New Employees: ControlUp’s intuitive interface simplified training, enabling new employees to become proficient and reducing their reliance on peer assistance quickly.

CIO Solutions is a Managed Service Provider (MSP) based in Santa Barbara, California, specializing in comprehensive IT support for small and medium-sized businesses throughout Central California, including San Luis Obispo, Bakersfield, Fresno, and Ventura. With a dedicated team, CIO Solutions is committed to providing tailored IT solutions, managing complex IT environments, and resolving high-stakes issues in real-time for a broad client base.

The Challenge

CIO Solutions faced significant challenges in managing diverse client IT environments, particularly with the shift to remote work setups that intensified the demand for robust Digital Employee Experience (DEX) technology. The need for a DEX solution that could provide instantaneous data to troubleshoot and resolve issues quickly was paramount to maintaining high productivity and employee satisfaction. Additionally, simplifying operations to reduce the number of tools required for effective IT management was essential to enhance efficiency and ensure a seamless user and client experience.

The complexity of providing consistent and reliable IT support across varied client systems often led to inefficient troubleshooting and delayed response times, directly impacting CIO Solutions’ commitment to service excellence. Ensuring a high-quality digital employee experience required a robust solution that could offer real-time insights and proactive management capabilities to keep systems running smoothly and users engaged.

Compounding the challenge, existing tools were cumbersome and did not integrate well, causing tool sprawl and operational inefficiencies. This fragmentation hindered the ability to deliver timely support and degraded the overall experience for clients and their employees.

“Tools like ControlUp are just insanely invaluable to any IT technician. The more data you can have, especially without bothering the user, the better our job and the users’ lives will be.”
Blake Abbott, Technical Support Specialist, Systems Administrator, CIO Solutions
CIO Solutions, Blake Abbott Testimony

The Solution

CIO Solutions implemented the ControlUp Platform to address these multifaceted challenges, equipping their team with advanced DEX tools for real-time endpoint monitoring and management. This strategic move empowered them to rapidly diagnose and resolve IT issues for customers—a capability that proved invaluable for remote troubleshooting where immediate response and resolution are crucial.

Quicheeta Lowen-Diaz, a Rapid Response Team Lead at CIO Solutions, highlighted the transformative impact of the platform: “ControlUp has been a game-changer for CIO Solutions. Our previous tool only gave us current data; it didn’t let us go back to historical information.” This feature allowed the managed IT service firm to not only address current customer issues more effectively but also analyze trends and anticipate potential problems before they affect users.

Using the ControlUp platform has also significantly enhanced the ability for CIO Solutions technicians to see real-time operational insights for each of their customers to deliver more proactive support, which is critical for maintaining their customers’ employee productivity and satisfaction in their digital workspaces. The platform’s advanced analytics and automated processes streamlined operations, reduced the need for manual intervention, and allowed the IT team to focus on strategic initiatives, thereby improving the overall efficiency and effectiveness of IT service delivery.

“The ControlUp ONE platform has not only improved our operational efficiency but has also enhanced our ability to provide high-quality support to our clients. It’s about providing a better service experience, which, in turn, helps us build stronger, more trusting relationships with our clients.”
Eric Egolf, CEO of CIO Solutions
CIO Solutions Eric Egolf

The Result

By adopting ControlUp ONE, CIO Solutions has significantly enhanced its IT management and client service capabilities. The platform’s real-time monitoring and management features streamlined operations, allowing for faster resolution of customer issues by providing instant data and insights that were previously inaccessible or obscured in legacy systems. This has not only improved operational efficiency but also democratized efficiency across the organization. The ability to manage without reliance on cumbersome scripts has made advanced data and insights available to all technicians, regardless of their experience.

Additionally, the consolidation of multiple legacy tools into a single ControlUp platform has simplified IT management and reduced tool sprawl. Functions previously provided by tools like Kaseya, Logicmonitor, and Qualsys have been enhanced, reducing clutter and saving time. This integration has also increased the time to value for new employees, who can now quickly become proficient with CIO Solutions’ tools and processes, using a broader set of features with less reliance on peer assistance.

These changes have dramatically improved client satisfaction. Enhanced troubleshooting tools allow CIO Solutions’ technicians to see exactly what is happening on a device—both currently and historically—improving all aspects of the support experience. The dreaded question from an end user, “Can you help me understand why my computer was slow yesterday?” now opens opportunities for technicians to demonstrate their competency rather than deferring resolution. Together, these improvements have strengthened CIO Solutions’ infrastructure and reinforced its commitment to delivering excellent service, ensuring a more productive and satisfying experience for all its clients.