Clune Construction Builds Better with Micro-Tech U.S.A.

Clune Construction has crafted some of the most recognizable corporate interiors in Chicago and Los Angeles, including the Sears Tower, Aon Center, Hancock Building and many others. Together, a team of more than 100 designers, project managers and support staff come together to create unique interiors that make bold statements for Clune Construction’s Fortune 500 clients.

In addition to building great interiors, Clune Construction has also built a solid relationship with Micro-Tech U.S.A. as its sole technology provider. The relationship has provided Clune Construction with the technical expertise it needs at costs that provide real value.

“Technology is an expensive part of doing business, but there’s no question you need it,” said Emmett Glynn, senior vice president and CFO for Clune Construction. “I think controlling cost is the major issue with technology.”

Where Micro-Tech U.S.A. provides value, Glynn said, is in its consultation and support services. Clune Construction was part of a global property management firm until 1997, when it became an independent entity. As the need for responsive and timely support became clear, Clune Construction asked the parent company to recommend a local service provider, and Micro-Tech U.S.A. was suggested.

Micro-Tech U.S.A. was brought in to provide initial consultation and was contracted to build a new company network. The partnership has been building ever since. Micro-Tech U.S.A. brought Clune Construction through Y2K by replacing most hardware and totally re-designing the network, a project that went smoothly and worked out very well from a cost standpoint, Glynn said.

Today, Clune Construction’s employees depend on an extensive LAN/WAN for the exchange of messages, Internet research and access to Meridian’s Prolog, a job cost/project management software application. A Microsoft Exchange Server handles the messaging tasks while Citrix MetaFrame servers in both the Chicago and Los Angeles offices allow a permanent connection between the two sites and remote access for employees — whether they are at home or on a job site. Employees also have access to company information using handheld devices.

Unlike most businesses, Clune Construction must often set up temporary offices on a construction site. When a new project begins, Micro-Tech U.S.A. is brought in to set up the temporary networks, printers, fax machines and copiers needed to run a site. Training on Microsoft productivity applications like Word, Excel and FrontPage is also performed by Micro-Tech U.S.A. staff.

Maintenance and support are crucial to keeping IT assets up and running, Glynn said. When service is needed, Clune employees can send a trouble ticket to Micro-Tech U.S.A. for routing to the appropriate technician.

“We’ve set up a form e-mail that is sent to Micro-Tech’s dispatcher requesting service, giving a brief description, location and a priority level,” he said. “Micro-Tech responds very quickly. The system works very well.”

Outsourcing these tasks versus having an in-house staff provides Clune Construction with flexibility and value. The firm couldn’t hire a single person capable of handling everything from high-end network management to printer maintenance. And hiring a senior IT person and an assistant is an option Glynn has ultimately decided against.

“You might be able to pull off a break-even cost, but the reason we go with Micro-Tech U.S.A. is they have an unlimited technical capability — we will never find ourselves in a situation where they aren’t able to come in and advise us professionally and skillfully,” Glynn said.

And competitively. Always watching the bottom line, Glynn does check prices and he finds Micro-Tech U.S.A. is always competitive because the company is a business partner with the top IT vendors in the industry.

Today, Micro-Tech U.S.A. is Clune Construction’s sole IT provider and the Micro-Tech U.S.A. team is regularly called in to represent Clune on IT issues when meeting with technology vendors, an indication of the relationship the two companies have built.

“There is no tech issue that can present itself to us that we can’t turn to Micro-Tech U.S.A. and get very credible service and consultation,” Glynn said. “There’s a comfort level and a confidence we’ve built over the past four years, and I don’t know how you can put a price on that.”