The Situation
Looking to forge a deeper partnership with an IT service provider as sales growth boomed, Zeffert & Associates, a nationwide leader of affordable housing compliance and training for owners, managers, syndicators, and HFAs, decided to solicit proposals for a new partner. Seeking raw and unbiased responses, the team sent their RFP to a select group of companies that were mostly unfamiliar to them. “Our existing provider wasn’t doing a doing a bad job per se, and they were meeting our needs, but behaviorally speaking, I did not feel like our business was being treated as a priority,” said CEO, Jeffrey Promnitz.
The Challenge
Making a change was a big risk for Zeffert, and it ultimately took them about 24 months to decide to go out for RFP. Moving from their previous provider, a large data center with multiple power grids, to a cloud-based approach required a good deal of trust since failure would have meant consequential disruption in providing affordable housing services. At the end of the day, uptime is the most important thing for the company. “We need our team to be able to work … if they can’t work, we can’t get people into homes,” said Promnitz.
The Solution
The proposal we received from Anders left us feeling as though we would be treated as their most important client. There was just a sense of confidence that shined through that separated them from the others, including our current provider,” said Promnitz. As a next step, Zeffert set up interviews with three of the top companies who had responded to their RFP, and Anders once again proved to separate themselves from the others. This time by taking the time for discovery – listening to and understanding Zeffert’s needs – to ensure they didn’t just deliver what they had proposed, but that they had the best solution for Zeffert. Once the contract was signed, Anders continued to impress Zeffert. First, by providing a proof of concept outlining everything they planned to implement to ensure a smooth transition and then, by delivering a seamless move from Zeffert’s previous provider. “Leading up to the hard rollover, Anders did everything they could do to make the process seamless,” said Promnitz. “And I am happy to report, we unplugged and then plugged back in on a Sunday during our least active time, and on Monday, no one could tell the difference!”
The Results
Taking the time to get to know Zeffert and their needs, creating clear lines of communication, and not putting the cart before the horse has instilled a sense of confidence in the Zeffert team that reminds them that even if they don’t have all the answers, Anders will go to bat to find the solution for them. “So far, Anders has really hit the nail on the head. They may have bigger clients than Zeffert, but I feel as if we are their most important one,” said Promnitz. In addition to making Zeffert a priority, Anders is also helping them realize significant ongoing cost savings as they expect to recoup their initial investment in less than a year.
“Our relationship with Anders is strong. Zeffert is fast growing, and I see this partnership blossoming very nicely for both of us as our needs continue to increase.“
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