Hundreds of millions of miles of the American infrastructure is connected by wire and cable. Without this material, commerce and life as we know it would not be possible. But what happens when the infrastructure of the company who provides much of the raw material of the American infrastructure fails? Things can get pretty challenging…

Growing Pains

Keystone Wire and Cable, an Ivyland, PA based provider of wire, cable, and related electronic products has been in business for almost forty years. During that time, Keystone has seen and has been part of a rapidly changing technological environment. But while Keystone has been busy keeping the rest of the country up to the speed of technology, it found itself falling behind in that category.

“We simply outgrew everything,” explained Michael Rosen, President of Keystone Wire and Cable. “Our server was constantly crashing, communications between our locations were poor, and it seemed nothing was working efficiently.”

In addition to its Ivyland, PA home office, Keystone also has satellite locations in Bristol, Pennsylvania, Pompano Beach, Florida, and Addison, Illinois. Communication between the offices was limited and hampered by outdated equipment and technology.

Worst of all, Keystone began to experience problems in providing the quality customer service upon which the business was built.

“We had so many technological problems and inefficiencies that we found ourselves in many cases unable to respond to our customers, check inventory, or process orders,” lamented Rosen.

Time and technology wait for no one.

Keystone’s situation was not unusual. As companies grow, or strive for growth, the need to keep up with the advancement of commerce becomes crucial. Keystone recognized that need and called CompuData for help.

CompuData launched a thorough analysis, which included researching Keystone and its existing business processes. By learning about the companies it services, CompuData is able match businesses with tailored comprehensive solutions.

Though Keystone’s needs were once sufficiently met at an earlier stage of its growth cycle, CompuData discovered a number of items that was keeping company restrained. Keystone’s hardware was outdated. Its operating system and wide area network were incompatible with the company’s needs. No voice integration was in place. Plus numerous other items were failing the wire and cable provider.

Like many advancing companies, Keystone reached a stage where it needed a complete overhaul of its technology tools.

Comprehensive Solutions

“We dealt with another technology firm prior to CompuData, but they suggested piecemeal upgrades that did little in solving our entire problems,” revealed Rosen. “CompuData looked at the complete picture and offered a total solution, not a partial Band-Aid.”

After replacing Keystone’s hardware with new, robust computers, CompuData linked the company’s four locations together through a Virtual Private Network (VPN), integrating voice and data through the Internet. Each office is able to communicate quickly and efficiently, as if they were in the same building. Keystone now runs its business without fear of crashing and is able to analyze each of its customers with real-time information using its MAS 200 accounting system.

A tremendous amount of customization was needed to keep the provider of wire and cable in top shape. But there is no “off the shelf” solution for an organization that deals with large clients such as government, telephone companies, and major contractors. CompuData has been customizing solutions for various types of clients for over 30 years.

Thanks to that qualified experience, and one-stop-shop servicing, Keystone Wire and Cable operates flawlessly around the clock, seven days a week.

“CompuData looked at the complete picture and offered a total solution, not a partial Band-Aid.”
Michael Rosen
President