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Audit & Documentation Case Study
Background
Policy Studies (PSI) provides outsourcing, technology and consulting
services that assist health, human services and justice organizations
enhance performance and improve the social and economic well-being of the
children and families these programs serve. Founded in 1984, PSI employs
more than 1,700 employees across 70 United States locations with
headquarters in Denver, Colorado.
The Challenge
PSI acquired a new company called Dental Health Administrative and
Consulting Services (DHACS), which managed government-provided health
services at the state level. DHACS, located in Chicago, employed 100 onsite
customer service representatives and an additional 170 contractor
representatives in Texas.
The new business was responsible for managing Government Health Services
(GHS) member account information for three state government customers:
Florida, Georgia and Indiana. In addition to its state customers, DHACS had
several business partners that connected to its network, which required
secure, real-time access to the data.
Formal system documentation did not exist, making system management
difficult for PSI�€™s technical staff. Additionally, the company was concerned
about network security and stability, as well as employee retention. As a
result of PSI�€™s acquisition, many GHS staff were uncooperative. PSI was
considering moving the facility to another state and did not want employees
knowing its intention. The company wanted a senior network engineer who had
extensive technical knowledge to perform a full network system audit and
could be sensitive to the situation.
The Result
Mile High Networks, Inc. performed a detailed audit of DHACS network in
Chicago, which included:
- Analysis of data circuit usage and stability,
- Review of software and hardware components used,
- Assessment of software configurations for centralized services and
equipment,
- Detailed inspection of all system event logs,
- Technical interviews with key staff, and,
- In-depth discussion with management regarding operating procedures
including security, disaster recovery, support and maintenance.
Once the analysis was complete, Mile High Networks developed detailed
documentation to allow for increased performance in system management,
including:
- Detailed network diagram reflecting all data connections, data
warehouses and service locations,
- Documentation of key applications used for data sharing,
- Information for all server hardware and major network components
including warranty status and any current hardware issues, and,
- Current configuration of network components including hubs, switches,
routers and firewalls.
Derived from the audit, technical recommendations included:
- Key issues of the current networks that should be addressed as quickly
as possible,
- Findings of issues and concerns with the current network system.
- Suggestions for eliminating security and stability risks, and,
- Recommendations for building redundancy for critical services and
connections.
By implementing recommendations from the documented audit, PSI was able to
increase network performance, stabilize vulnerable areas, and identify
network security risks.
Company Testimonial
"Our company of ~1,500 users has benefited from the
exceptional service and quick response we receive from Mile High
Networks. We have hundreds of technical vendors to choose from, but what
sets them apart is their dedication, flexibility, and technical
expertise. They have contributed to long-term strategy planning, as well
as assisting us with disaster recovery in a crisis. The Mile High
Networks team identified the best solution and worked alongside PSI�€™s IT
department to implement the system solutions�€”as well as providing
configuration and troubleshooting services. As a result, PSI can rely on
the technical systems Mile High Networks has provided, which is vital to
its daily business needs. We are exceptionally pleased with the support
and services we have received from Mile High Networks!"
Catherine Watterson
VP of Corporate Technologies
Policy Studies Inc. (aka PSI)
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