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Client Profiles

Medical Billing And Consulting Services Dramatically Improves Efficiency And Data Security

Cheryl Wilkinson and Ann Swartout started Medical Billing and Consulting Services Inc. (MBCSI) in 1988 with a single client. Now, the company provides specialized billing services for hundreds of clients as far away as Illinois, Florida and Wyoming.

MBCSI is a leader in its field, providing critical billing services for physicians and other medical specialists, and relies heavily on it’s network of eleven workstations and several servers.

“We use our computers to bill medical claims to insurances through clearinghouses and also generate hard copy claims for insurances that don’t have electronic capabilities,” explained Cheryl. “We also do patient statements for our clients.”

Unfortunately, MBCSI recently suffered a hard drive failure on one of their older servers, presenting them with a significant work stoppage situation.

“We contacted several other companies in the area,” explained Ann. “Tech Experts was the only one that immediately responded and put our minds at ease.”

MBCSI implemented a new Lenovo Think Server, running Windows Server 2008. The server also employs several extra measures of data protection, including RAID storage.

“They were able to recover all of our old files and install them on our new server, within a short period of time,” Cheryl said.

MBCSI took advantage of Experts Total Support, which provides complete technical support, anti-virus and monitoring services for a single low, monthly service fee.

“Once we signed on with them, they came into the office and went thru each computer and cleaned up the unnecessary files and malware on them,” Ann said. “This helps them run faster and more efficiently.”

Medical Billing also signed up for Experts Total Backup, which protects their critical business data with secure, encrypted off site storage.

“We have offsite backup now,” commented Ann. “That gives us tremendous peace of mind.”

Cheryl concluded, “If a terminal goes down or there is a glitch, they’re here immediately and we suffer much less down time. The fast service and friendly staff are quick to solve any problem.”

Dual Monitors Helps Insurance Agency Boost Productivity

When Robert Leski and Timothy Wittman, owners of the Leski Insurance Agency, decided to upgrade their computer systems last year, they were looking for ways to improve staff productivity and enhance their customer service functions.

After evaluating their workflow, Tech Experts recommended they employ a dual monitor solution as part of the agency’s technology upgrade.

Leski Agency uses an ACT! contact management system to keep track of all of their client’s policies and information.

When customer service representatives (CSRs) are quoting new business, or changes to customer’s existing policies, they will frequently need to refer to the information in ACT! in order to complete the quoting or change forms.

Before the dual monitor solution, the CSRs would have to toggle back and forth between screens. Now, ACT! remains active on one screen while the quote or policy change form is active on the other screen.

“We needed a way to streamline our customer service practices,” commented Tim, one of the agency’s co-owners. “Tech Experts showed us a dual monitor system that lets our employees look up information faster.”

The dual monitor solution was part of a larger technology refresh project the agency undertook last year. As part of the upgrade, Leski invested in a new, faster IBM eServer to store their customer data, documents and accounting information.

The agency also upgraded the staff computers to new Lenovo compact workstation computers. The compact workstation computers are about the size of a box of cereal.

“We really like working with Tech Experts,” Tim continued. “Technology changes every day, and it has become increasingly harder or small business owners to manage their computer systems. With the Tech Experts team taking care of our technology, I can focus on what our agency does best – taking great care of our clients.”

Leski Insurance Agency was founded in 1980 by Robert Leski, a now retired Monroe County Community College professor. The agency writes general lines property and casualty insurance, and specializes in the insurance needs of educators through the MEEMIC insurance company.

Hassett Title Counts On Tech Experts To Keep Their Network Problem-Free

For  Bill, Dan and Doug Hassett, the principals of Hassett Title Company Inc., downtime is a “killer.” Their title and real estate closing company relies on their computer network to be up and running.

“Every aspect of our business is computerized,” explained Doug Hassett. “We use our network to examine the register of deeds records online. Our computers are vital in preparing title and closing documents, and let us complete every transaction with ease and confidence.”

Hassett Title Company is a family-owned and operated full service title and escrow agent, founded by Bill Hassett in 1988. The company has offices in the heart of downtown Monroe at 33 East Front Street. Hassett Title is an agent for Stewart Title Guaranty Company.

“We have a responsibility to provide not only the fastest, but the most accurate and complete title and closing service to our clients,” said Doug. “Our clients deserve the best.”

Tech Experts recently upgraded the computers at Hassett Title to include several new Lenovo workstation computers, and assisted in the integration of a new multi-function copier/printer/scanner into the company’s network. Hassett Title also hosts it’s e-mail and web site services with Tech Experts.

“One of the biggest business benefits we’ve realized in working with Tech Experts is near constant uptime,” Doug continued. “Any time we have a repair or upgrade, the technicians make sure we stay up and running. Tech Experts understands we can’t have downtime.”

Hassett Title takes advantage of Tech Experts’ monthly systems check service. Every month, a Tech Experts engineer visits Hassett Title’s offices to make sure the computers, server and network are functioning properly, that all antivirus software is updated, all Windows updates are current, and handle any issues any of the staff are having with their computers

“Freeing us from the worry and maintenance of our network lets us focus on the needs of our clients,” explained Doug. “Tom Fox and Bob Saylors have been working with us for years. They know what we need and understand our needs when we express ourselves in a non-tech savvy way.”

For more information about Hassett Title’s services, contact them at (734) 242-9393, or visit their website: www.HassettTitle.com.

Powerhouse Gym Keeps Their Computers in Tip Top Shape With Tech Experts’ Monitoring & Off-site Backup Service

Richard and Sharon Orndorf opened Powerhouse Gym in the Monroe Shopping Center in 1997. Since then, the business has steadily grown, now occupying the former Baisley grocery store.

The Orndorf’s purchased and renovated the building to provide their members with more than 15,000 square feet of state of the art muscle building, cardio equipment and free weights. The gym offers personal trainers for circuit training, weight lifting, and counseling.  A fruit and juice bar offers quick, healthy treats for gym clients.

Tech Experts recently worked with Powerhouse to upgrade their company’s network, servers and workstations, and we asked Sharon to talk about the experience.

“Our business is totally reliant on computer technology,” explained Sharon. “We utilize our computer system for point of sale and complete client profiles for billing and history purposes.  If our system is down we are at a total shutdown of operations.”

Powerhouse upgraded their server to an IBM xSeries 3200 machine, running Microsoft Windows Small Business Server. Their proprietary member management software relies on Microsoft SQL server for it’s database. The new workstations are Lenovo ThinkCentre desktop computers, all optimized for speed and reliability.

Sharon continued: “One of the advantages to working with Tech Experts is that the company is available 24/7. Their remote monitoring and off-site backup service helps eliminate computer problems before they escalate into something major.”

Tech Experts monitors Powerhouse’s server 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, and is immediately notified if there is a problem with the Gym’s server or network. Tickets are automatically generated and problems resolved, many times before Powerhouse’s staff is even aware there was an issue. This let’s Richard and Sharon concentrate on running their business, instead of worrying about their computers and network.

“Working with Technology Experts definitely has contributed to the success of our business,” Sharon explained. “We rely on the expertise of Tech Experts to keep us in the forefront of our business in this competitive market.”

Tech Experts Keeps The Sun Shining For Electrik Beach

If the winter weather has you missing your tan, chances are you’d love visiting Electrik Beach, Monroe and Toledo’s premier chain of tanning salons.

Since we last profiled Electrik Beach, the company has added two new locations in Toledo, and updated their computers at all four of their stores. Company president Dennis Asmar keeps his fingers on the pulse of the company’s operations by using state of the art computer and network technology from Tech Experts.

“You can go into any of our four locations and tan,” explained Dennis, “ and our staff is able to review your account to make sure you receive the best service possible.”

Being able to use any of Electrik Beach’s facilities is accomplished through the company’s proprietary tanning management software. Using secure Internet connections, each store communicates with the central server, keeping each customer’s account information up to date.

The company recently upgraded all of their servers and workstations to the latest high speed equipment available from IBM. The company’s servers have super fast and highly redundant RAID 5 arrays, using drives that operate at 10,000 rpms. The speed difference between the old system and the new is remarkable.

“Fifteen or twenty seconds doesn’t sound like a lot of time to wait,” continued Dennis, “but when you have several clients waiting, it can seem like an eternity. With our new systems from Tech Experts, our client wait time has gone way down, while our customer service has gone way up.”

Downtime just isn’t an option for Electrik Beach, so Dennis opted for Tech Experts’ “Experts Total Support” service for the salons. With Experts Total Support, all of the servers, workstations and connectivity equipment are monitored for problems 24 hours a day, seven days a week. As soon as a problem is detected, a ticket is raised, and it is immediately checked.

“Before hiring Tech Experts, our network would sometimes go down, run slow, and we’d sometimes run into just weird problems we couldn’t figure out,” said Dennis. “Since signing up on their support plan, we haven’t had any network problems. I’m VERY glad we hired these guys to support our systems.”

Visit Electrik Beach on the web at www.ElectrikBeach.com.

“It’s Amazing! These Computers Are So Much Faster!”

United Way Upgrades Their Network With Help From Tech Experts

With some computers that were going on nine years old, the United Way of Monroe County knew it was time for an upgrade to their network. After a careful review of their requirements and several proposals, the organization chose Tech Experts as their trusted network service company.

“The United Way is an incredible organization, and accomplished amazing things with their technology,” said Thomas Fox, president of Tech Experts. “But it was clearly time for a technology refresh. We were very excited to work with them on the project.”

The agency had a mix of computers running Windows 2000 and Windows XP, and a file server running Windows NT Server 4.0. The workstation computers all needed upgrades, and were running various versions of Microsoft Office.

Like any small business, the United Way uses their computers for everyday business tasks, such as communicating with donors and volunteers, word processing, desktop publishing and book keeping.

“I knew we needed new computers badly and had been searching for ways to accomplish purchasing them,” said Connie Carroll, United Way’s executive director. “We were able to secure a grant and with that and the help of Tech Experts, we were able to upgrade our technology.”

The new network at United Way is fast – consisting of an IBM eServer running the latest Microsoft Windows 2003 Small Business Server operating system. The workstation computers all feature 17” LCD screens and lightning-fast IBM/Lenovo computers with Windows XP Professional and Microsoft Office 2007. It is a tremendous upgrade from their old technology.

Connie continued: “It’s amazing! These computers are so much faster! It has been a bit of a learning curve getting used to the new Office software, but I know we will be more efficient going forward.”

“We like that Tech Experts is a locally owned company with a track record of providing service in the community,” continued Rusty Davis, the United Way of Monroe County’s Program Manager. “We like the personal service we receive from Tech Experts.”

Local Community Action Agency Says “Our Network Is Running Better Than Ever Now!”

MCOP Counts on Tech Experts For A Problem-Free Network

Monroe County Opportunity Program (MCOP) is one of Monroe County’s most successful community action agencies, serving thousands of residents every year. The agency relies on Tech Experts to keep their computers and network problem-free.

Founded in 1965, MCOP’s mission is “To enhance the quality of life and reduce the effects of poverty by providing opportunities, services, and collaborating with community agencies to foster self-sufficiency.”

They do this by administering programs such as Homeless Prevention, Homebuyer Rehab, Weatherization, Specialized Transportation, Utility Assistance, Food Programs and assistance for Seniors with lawn mowing, home making, unmet needs and resource advocacy.The agency uses computers and technology extensively on a day to day basis.

“We use Microsoft Office applications for spreadsheets, presentations and word processing,” explained Larry Hansen, MCOP’s fiscal director. “MCOP also uses a specialized software package, designed just for non-profit agencies, for general ledger, payroll accounts payable, etc.”

“Also as a nonprofit serving the low income population, MCOP uses an in-house Client Tracking software program,” Larry continued. “We also access web based systems that are utilized by various agencies within the community. These are communication tools that are required by the government agencies that provide MCOP’s funding.”

When it came time to upgrade MCOP’s network, Technology Experts installed a Microsoft Windows 2003 Server system along with Windows Terminal Services. Terminal Services allows users to connect to the server using thin client terminals, decreasing the need for individual computers on each employee’ desk.

Another advantage of employing a Terminal Services environment is that older computers can be used as clients without slowing down the computing performance of the user, since the applications run on the server instead of on the client stations. “Even though there were many changes that took time to get used to,” Larry said, “the entire process was a success and our network is running better than ever now.”

When asked what MCOP liked most about Tech Experts service, Larry was quick to answer: “The timeliness in responding to our calls for assistance. Help is usually on site the same day and many times within minutes.”

Monroe County Opportunity Program:  1140 South Telegraph Road Monroe, Michigan 48161 (734) 241-2775 www.monroecountyop.org

Lights Out?

Not For Local Manufacturing Company Who Turned On Tech Experts’ Disaster Recovery Planning Services

When spring storms rolled through the area and took out power to her company’s offices and plant, Sue Brey, Complete Packaging’s controller, knew she had to make two phone calls right away.

“My first call was to the power company,” she explained, “and my second call was to Tech Experts. I knew they’d have our computer systems handled.”

Complete Packaging is one of the industry’s leading suppliers of just in time inventory and specialized “total-solution” packaging products, working primarily in the automotive and glass industries. Because of the unique nature of their businesses, Complete Packaging’s clients require accurate and on-time deliveries of their packaging materials.

Sue’s first call, to the power company, didn’t go well. “Our power went out on Monday, and they told us it wouldn’t be restored until Friday,” Sue said. “We were in crisis mode.”

The Tech Experts support team sprang into action immediately, calling Complete’s telephone service provider to have the company’s main phone numbers transferred to staff member’s cell phones.

“Things were touch and go for a few hours,” Sue continued, “but when it became clear our power wasn’t coming back on, we had to get our office systems up and operational.”

Tech Experts relocated Complete Packaging’s server and several office workstations to spare office space in it’s building, and set up Complete’s phones to ring at the temporary desks.

“We moved right into the Tech Experts office,” Sue explained. “And they had our systems up and printing on their printers in less than an hour. We were able to print out orders, send and receive e-mail, and get production documents completed for the factory.”

Complete Packaging’s maintenance crew was able to get much of the factory running on generators, so the company was able to ship orders. “We have performance clauses in a lot of our contracts,” explained Sue. “If we didn’t ship our orders on time, we could have lost tens of thousands of dollars in business. Thanks to Tech Experts, we were able to fulfill our commitments to our customers.”

The Tech Experts Disaster Recovery service is part of the comprehensive management and maintenance program offered to every Tech Experts client who is a service agreement subscriber.

Tech Experts Keeps Complete Packaging’s Network Running Problem-Free

No one knows better than Sue Brey, Complete Packaging Inc.’s controller, how important it is to have a problem-free computer network. Complete Packaging specializes in just in time inventory and production of specialized, “total-solution” packaging products, primarily for the automotive industry.

Complete Packaging is an ISO-9001 and Q9001-2000 certified supplier. “We manufacture wood pallets, crates, boxes, and coil cradles,” said Sue, “and we are a distributor for corrugated shipping containers and set up boxes. Our customers rely on Complete Packaging to provide the right product, at the right price, on time.”

To handle their orders and customer service, Complete relies on a Windows Server 2003 network installed by Technology Experts, using an IBM server, and various IBM workstation computers.

The company has a high-speed T1 Internet connection, facilitating online order entry and email service for the company’s employees. A nearby warehouse facility is connected by a private, secure wireless network to the main office building, allowing computers at both locations access to the Internet service and data stored on the file server.

“We rely on our computers for accounting and manufacturing planning,” continued Sue. “Tech Experts also developed a specialized program we use to prepare the shipping paperwork we use to deliver our products to our customers.”

Complete uses Quickbooks for accounting, payroll and payables. “One of the recent projects Tech Experts did for us was upgrading our Quickbooks,” said Sue. “I was really happy the upgrade process went smoothly.”

Network downtime is costly for any business, but even more so for a company like Complete Packaging that relies so heavily on its computer systems.

That’s why Sue and Complete have invested in a support agreement with Tech Experts.

“One of the most strategic advantages we’ve found working with Tech Experts is that they’re a local company. The support agreement we have gives me peace of mind, knowing they’ll be here right away when I need them,” said Sue.

Sue summed it up best: “Wow! That is all I can say about the team at Tech Experts. It’s so nice  to know that my entire network is handled so I can focus on running the business. I’ve worked with other computer consultants in the past and no one can touch their level of service or expertise.”

Local Insurance Agency Trusts Tech Experts For Computer Support and Network Maintenance

Personal insurance is a fast-paced, competitive business, particularly when your agency caters to clients that require a great deal of expertise. Providing excellent customer service requires quick access to customer information, policy data, and billing records, with little tolerance for downtime.

That’s why the Leski Insurance Agency trusts Technology Experts with its IT maintenance and support needs.
Robert Leski, a long-time area educator, founded the agency in 1980, focusing on the special insurance needs of school employees with MEEMIC Insurance. As the business has grown, the agency acquired a number of insurance companies to provide insurance to all of Monroe County.

“Our target clients are those who seek quality coverage at reasonable premiums, instead of those who are willing to leave themselves open to inadequate coverage to ‘save a buck,’” commented Mr. Leski. “We need a fast and reliable computer system that keeps up with our need to properly service clients.”

The company relies heavily on its computer systems. “We use our computers for all of our quoting of insurance premiums,” continued Mr. Leski. “We store all of our client information on our server, and having instant access to policy information is critical to providing prompt and efficient service to our clients.”

Leski Insurance relies on Microsoft Small Business Server technologies, implemented by Tech Experts. The networked system, configured with Microsoft Windows SBS 2003, provides agents and customer service representatives (“CSRs”) with access to local database information on client accounts, as well as e-mail communication with Leski’s main office.

All of the agency’s full time CSRs are licensed agents. They access the network and Internet services through local workstations, each configured with high-end APC battery backup units, both to protect client data, and allow employees to continue to service clients in the event of a power outage. The server and telephones are also on battery backup power systems installed by Tech Experts.

Client quoting is done through a combination of locally-installed, networked quoting software and specialized access to insurer’s secure agent web sites.

“Because we rely heavily on our computer systems,” commented agency assistant manager Melissa Cady, “we just can’t have any downtime. One of the things we like most about working with Tech Experts is their quick response.”

Mr. Leski does a great deal of agency management and accounting work at his home office, so it is important that his home systems run as efficiently as the systems installed at the agency’s office. Tech Experts implemented high-speed, firewalled Internet access, allowing Mr. Leski access to email and to perform web research.

“Our previous provider was too far away, which led to delays,” said Mr. Leski. “Tech Experts is always aware of where we are in our tech requirements. We’re very happy with their services and performance.”