Case Study by Eric Chang - IT Manager, Unified Incentives
The Background
Unified Incentives is based in Sydney, with additional offices in the UK and Taiwan. Our clients span multiple industries and are some of the world's best-known brands, including companies like MYOB, AFL, and EY Sweeney. We offer a digital gift card service called GiftPay, which is used for rewards redemptions, sales promotions, employee rewards and recognition.
Unified Incentives was established in 2012 and has grown organically over the past decade. With such a strong client portfolio, it's now more important than ever to have IT systems in place that streamline our workflow and maximise efficiencies.
With this in mind, last year we decided to invest in a refreshed infrastructure environment with new hardware, software and storage.
The Goal
Our goal was to create a secure and efficient IT environment that would enable our company to streamline current client interactions and upscale our services as we continue to grow into the future. Because of our workload, the set up needed to be completed quickly.
The Selection Process
The project required the installation and configuration of new Hardware and Software. Dell, our major hardware vendor, recommend The Missing Link. We have a good relationship with Dell, so I knew I could trust their recommendation, and I didn't feel the need to consider any other companies.
The Relationship
We started the project during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, which meant that we were unable to meet with The Missing Link face-to-face. Nevertheless, the infrastructure refresh went smoothly. They worked with me to understand our requirements, then presented a detailed proposal outlining their recommended hardware, software and infrastructure design. We spent a lot of time discussing the design to ensure it was what we wanted.
The final documentation they provided was clear, easy to follow and understand, right down to the templates they drew up to direct us when setting up cabling and monitors.
From our end, there was a learning curve required to become familiar with the new hardware, but it was reassuring to know that The Missing Link was always available on the phone to answer any questions. I have to say, I learnt a lot during that time, and probably more than I would have learnt if The Missing Link had been able to complete the project on-site.
Impressively under the circumstances, there were no surprises – the budget and timeline were all delivered on as proposed.
The Difference
The Missing Link has helped us set up a new infrastructure environment that is more reliable and efficient than the one we previously worked with. The system's overall performance is better, which means our performance as a company has improved as well.
From my perspective, I have been particularly impressed by the level of documentation The Missing Link has delivered, which shows, in great detail, how the infrastructure has been set up.
The Missing Link are great people; they're very easy to communicate with and very helpful. If I have any questions – even if they're not related to the project – I feel comfortable to call them, and I know they will always give me good advice.
I would happily recommend them and engage them again for other projects.
