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