Story · Family business · ERP
The ERP was running on a desktop PC. The vendor said that was fine.
The system the whole company ran on, orders, inventory, invoicing, payroll exports, lived on a desktop PC under a desk in the office. The software vendor had installed it that way and, when asked, said it was fine.
The situation
It was not fine. The PC was a standard office machine, several years old, with a single consumer hard drive and no backup the vendor could describe when we asked. If it died on a Friday, the company would not ship on Monday.
The owner knew something was off but did not have the vocabulary to push back. The vendor was the expert, the vendor said it was fine, and every conversation ended there.
What we did
We wrote it down. A one-page assessment of what the business depended on, what it was running on, and what would happen the day it failed. Then we sent it to the vendor, copied to the owner, and asked them to put their recommendation in writing too.
The vendor's answer changed once it had to be written. We moved the ERP to a proper server with redundant storage, put it under monitored backup with tested restores, and gave the owner a recovery plan with a time on it. We stayed on the vendor through the migration so the owner never had to referee.
"Our job is not to be the expert on their software. It is to make sure the expert on their software answers the question."
How the account manager puts itWhat changed
ResolvedThe company runs on a server with a backup that has been restored on purpose, more than once. The owner has a document that says what happens if it fails and how long it takes to come back. The vendor still supports the software. They just do it on hardware that can carry the business.
The guide behind this story
GuideBackup and disaster recovery for a small business: what to actually test
The difference between a backup and a recovery, the three questions that expose a broken one, and a testing schedule that fits a small company.
Read the guideOrder the internet circuit the week the lease is signed. Carriers take six to twelve weeks. Nothing else on a move fails as often.
The relocation checklist Did you knowA backup that has never been restored is a hope, not a plan. Ask for the date of the last tested restore.
What to actually testQuestions people ask about this
Is it ever fine to run business software on a desktop PC?
For one person's spreadsheet, sure. For the system your orders and payroll depend on, no. The question to ask is what happens on the day it dies, and if the answer takes more than a sentence, it needs to move.
The full answerWhat does holding a vendor accountable actually involve?
Putting the question in writing, copying the client, and asking for the answer in writing too. Most vendors are reasonable once the conversation is on the record.
The full answer
"It was great to have a conference call between Midwest IT and our software vendor to resolve this issue. Draven was persistent, resourceful and patient to solve the problem, and he did! I felt confident this issue would be resolved so I could have a successful event."
Ann, Geneva Lakes YMCAMeet Draven- A technician who knows your setup takes every request. Not a dispatcher, not a queue.
- Every closed ticket is surveyed and a partner reads every response.
- 99.5% of surveys come back positive.
- Family-owned since 2005. 21 years in the same corner of Wisconsin, not going anywhere.
"Thanks for the hard work. I was kept informed with regular updates until the concern was resolved."
Jeff, insurance brokerageNot sure what your software is running on?
A partner will look, in plain English, and tell you what is at risk.
Talk to a partnerTalk to a partner, not a sales script.
Tell us what is going on. A partner will call you back the same business day, look at what you have, and tell you honestly whether we are the right fit. No pricing pressure, no pitch deck.