Background

Steel Testing Laboratory (STL), located
in Detroit, MI, is a small, three person organization accredited by
A2LA . Since 1996, Steel Testing Laboratory has served the needs of
a broad range of steel companies, distribution centers and tier 1
auto-suppliers. With customers in over 10 states, STL prides itself
on speed and accuracy of its results.

Challenge

Prior to the implementation of Lab
Portico, Steel Testing Lab used manual processing of orders. An order
from a customer would come in either by a phone call or through fax.
The lab would then handwrite the order form and manually generate a
Lab ID. This information was stored in a book for record keeping. The
elaborate paperwork to complete an order was time consuming. In
addition, retrieval of data from previous experiments was frequently
requested by the laboratory’s customers. As a result, handling
paperwork and answering order inquiries by phone put a tremendous
burden on staff’s productivity.

Due to its size, the company needed an
effective, inexpensive order entry and reporting system which would
reduce administrative costs and increase the laboratory’s overall
throughput.

Solution

As a result of Lab Portico’s offsite
hosting, STL was able to instantaneously retrieve archived data,
ensuring nothing is ever lost or misplaced. In addition, due to
automated order processing, the staff was free to focus on customer
needs, significantly improving the turn-around time. It was
estimated that, on the annual basis, the implementation of Lab
Portico by STL helped decrease administrative costs by 40% which in
turn contributed to STL achieving a 200% increase in revenue in just
two years.

Benefits of Offsite hosting

Very often, offsite hosting with a
trusted partner proves to be a critical element in the life of a
small to mid-size organization. Unexpected events such as fire,
burglary, even a lighting strike, can all lead to significant losses
and delays in the operation. At one point, the Steel Testing
Laboratory experienced an unfortunate incident of two consecutive
break-ins into the company’s facilities. Steel Testing Laboratory
was unable to operate due to the loss of their computers (essential
to the operation of the business).

It only took Spartacus Consulting two
business days to restore the STL’s hardware and software systems
and completely recover all the testing data, financial records, and
customer information. The business was fully functional within three
days of the incident. Offsite hosting of Lab Portico services and
immediate technical support provided by Spartacus Consulting allowed
STL to resume business immediately, avoiding significant losses and
maintaining the trust of their customers.