Client: Christ Lutheran Church and School, based in Lincoln, NE. A team of over 150 administrative users, two campuses, and a crew of volunteers.
Industry: Education

The Challenges

Since in 1949, Christ Lutheran Church & School has been making an impact within the community. By 2018, they had grown to providing Elementary School & childcare along with adding a second campus. They are quickly growing beyond their technology’s capabilities. Using outdated computers plus the burden of unreliable internet was a daily struggle for this hardworking team and volunteers.

Mike, the Operations Officer states, “We were using antiquated technology and old laptops… We were cannibalizing these old devices just to squeak out a few more months use.

Ineffective internet was up, and then down. This was a challenge in an environment where we're trying to encourage online giving on Sunday morning service, but people can’t get on the internet.

…That was something we had no solution for; how to keep technology upgraded over time. That’s something else that DataVizion brought a We were looking for a partner who could see things we couldn’t.”

In 2018, Christ Lutheran Church & School bought on DataVizion to be a managed service partner: outsourcing their IT for the first time. Being a smaller team, a reliable partner to support their team and efforts was essential. “I don’t look at partners we have as vendors at all. I want to find partners that we’re going to march forward together with in the future,” adds Mike.

Over-stressed staff, volunteers unable to perform their tasks, constant issues requiring precious time to be spent troubleshooting instead of working, had everyone on edge.

Matt, Project Manager of Operations chuckles as he looked back at what his daily routine used to look like, “Instead of being able to perform a quick walk around once a week with everyone to see how everything is it, I would do that, and spend a half-hour with each person because other was always something to fix,”

The Solution

Once taking the leap to outsource their IT, it became clear that DataVizion was the ideal partner. Christ Lutheran Church knew they needed solutions for unreliable internet, outdated equipment, and a plan to stay current going forward. Early Nov 2018 was the first kick-off meeting between organizations, and before the end of Dec 2018, there was Complete Network Refresh across all of Christ Lutheran Church & School. DataVizion’s Project Engineers got to work; setting up new servers, firewalls, access points, plus 70 new workstations.

Once all the technology was upgraded and running seamlessly, DataVizion’s Managed Service Team has maintained a positive relationship in keeping all equipment functioning, updated, and running smoothly.

Matt states the shift, “In general, it is (DataVizion) really just providing people the capabilities to focus on their job, instead of the tools. We are able to give them the right tools, and tools that work so that their concern is what they are being paid for. I actually spoke with Rebecca, who’s the director family Ministries, just a couple of days ago. You can hear the joy in her voice over the technology. She’s very happy where they’re at right now.”

Monthly meetings between the organizations help build strategic relationships and develop proactive solutions for the future.

The Result

Less that one month after signing the agreement to do business with DataVizion, Christ Lutheran Church & School was fully operational in their new corporate offices with a fully reliable, scalable, manageable, and financially responsible solution.

Matt adds, “I know we’ve probably overkilled this word; we are able to be proactive. It’s just, you guys have provided a relief.”

As Christ Lutheran Church plans for their continued growth, they see DataVizion as a key partnership. Mike says, “One of the things I am glad to have you as a partner… we may double the size of the school, bring childcare out of the portable, and move all of our administrative… And I know DataVizion has the capability to help us with that.

As we look to the future and what we may do from a capital expenditure endpoint, we know, with DataVizion, you have worked with clients bigger than us. So you have the capabilities to help us with this.

We are set up better than we were a year ago.”

The Challenge

“... We may double the size of the school, bring childcare out of the portable and move all of out administrative… and I know DataVizion has the capability to help with that.”

DataVizion is Christ Lutheran Church’s first external IT partnership - completes network refresh in just 30 days.

Nov 2018: Project Kick-Off

Dec 2018: Finished complete network refresh and work station upgrade

Present day: Outsourced IT with managed services