The Challenge

The client needed to increase the effectiveness and value of their core business product by developing new, customer-focused solutions that would help them better serve their client base. In addition, they were also seeking ways to optimize internal business processes. Meeting their needs with many diversely skilled consultants and their current IT skill set would have meant a large investment in resources and a fragmented project organization-something that the client wanted to avoid for many good reasons.

The Solution

Superior Enterprise Solutions (SES) > Professional Services

This leading freight forwarding company needed a highly experienced professional services partner to implement customer-specific applications in a timely and cost-effective manner. This need was critically important for the company, because offering unparalleled service to their customers had always been a key factor differentiating them from their competitors. Delivering world-class E-services and information technology (IT) solutions has become increasingly important to achieving a high level of customer service in the freight forwarding industry.

The client also had a strong desire to stay one step ahead of competitors by quickly and efficiently identifying, analyzing and capitalizing on emerging business opportunities. Having an expert IT partner available at all times, on an on demand basis, was a very attractive and valuable part of what Superior Technology Solutions provides.

Superior Technology's professional services engagement with this client started with a single customer-centric application. The client did not have an in-house IT staff capable of identifying and addressing the key business drivers, understanding the full scope of the optimum technology alternatives to achieve the best possible solution and did not have the skill base to ensure a timely and problem free implementation. In addition, they needed to quickly implement the desired solution in a very cost-effective manner in order to capitalize on a time-sensitive business opportunity.

Superior Technology Solutions was able to very quickly analyze the need and implement a powerful, web-based solution that enabled the client to offer a unique, customer-oriented application. The solution implemented was a web-based service that integrates smoothly with existing applications and familiar desktop software. This was completed in the fraction of the time and at a fraction of the cost us as compared to alternatives that would have required new software or infrastructure. The client also avoided the very large investment in IT staff that would have been necessary to take on this project in house.

Superior's relationship with this client has evolved and grown to also include professional and technology services and IT solutions for optimizing the client's internal business processes. In this regard, Superior has successfully helped the client improve productivity and achieve significant cost reductions in multiple areas of its operation.

The client has also partnered with Superior for several follow-on opportunities, including business analysis, application development and infrastructure engagements. As a result, Superior has become a valued partner, helping the client in many ways, including:

• Acting as a full-service IT organization providing a full range of services on an as-needed basis-thereby avoiding the continuous cost and infrastructure associated with having these services in house.
• Analyzing new opportunities to leverage IT solutions to provide new products and services to their clients.
• Providing an invaluable knowledge base and rich experience, with business process expertise that spans several industries and business areas.
• Delivering solutions via a reliable, web-based infrastructure that is hosted, monitored and maintained by Superior-eliminating overhead and enabling management to focus on providing outstanding service to existing customers, as well as seizing new business opportunities.
• Most importantly, being available whenever needed to provide Superior business and technology leadership, expertise, experience and knowledge to enable our client to achieve their business goals.