Resultant and The Villages: A partnership focused on families and children
In early 2020, when it was quickly becoming evident that COVID-19 quarantine was imminent, The Villages IT Director Raymond Manley remembers well a conversation with his supervisor Amy Sanderson.
Amy, The Villages Director of Quality Assurance, asked: is it realistic to close down offices and move our nearly 275 statewide staff members home to work remotely? Raymond recalls saying, “I need a day to assess with managed services partner Resultant.” He called Amy back with a nod to move forward and says, “We haven’t missed a beat since.”
The Villages and Resultant partnership is not only well-timed and a bit serendipitous, it’s also well-aligned in terms of community and culture. The Resultant team has become a valued corporate partner supporting The Villages children and families while providing critical cloud-based managed services for staff to be able to fulfill their work supporting families and children.
In fall 2017, The Villages hired Resultant (then KSM Consulting) to conduct a systems and infrastructure assessment. The holistic evaluation included interviews with The Villages staff about how they use computers, phones, and other tools. “These conversations lead to what’s the best approach to phase in a modern infrastructure,” says Raymond.
Resultant’s analysis and action plan included engaging leadership and a prioritized step-by-step approach to move systems to current and modern cloud-based IT systems. Staff were also asked for input on key decisions. Amy says, before deciding which computers to purchase for upgrades, four options were presented for staff to test and try. In 2018 and 2019, The Villages staff moved to Office 365, shifted to working on Surface Books, updated workstations and began using SharePoint.
The partnership has proven to be invaluable to be able to work at home while keeping a balance. “The new infrastructure not only keeps critical client information confidential aligning with Indiana Department of Child Services, but also gives our team work life balance because their work systems and personal devices are now separate,” says Amy.
“We’re now on the cutting edge of where we should be,” says Raymond, who gives credit to the Resultant team’s expertise and support. Working with non-profits is among Resultant’s specialties, so often a question or need has already been addressed. Having a partnership with a team of experts also keeps The Villages IT staff budget smart and lean.
Resultant Director of IT Managed Services, AJ Watson, says his team has become an extension of The Villages, and they are committed to continued success. “Because we were set up for remote work, the team and organization were able to transition their work successful in early 2020. Our team is continuing to look for ways to improve. That’s something we take pride in,” says AJ. Yet the partnership does not stop here.
Resultant is also one of The Villages’ corporate partners. Vice President of Brand and Communications, Mary Catharine Grau, says the Heroes for Children sponsorship makes sense based on mission alignment. Resultant, with a people-first focus, works with the State of Indiana and several nonprofits with an emphasis on childhood needs. The Villages’ mission is to champion every child’s right to a safe, permanent, and nurturing home.
“Our people-first philosophy isn’t only for our clients—it defines and drives our company culture and is also evident in the community through partnerships and involvement opportunities,” says Mary Catharine. “We weren’t looking for partnership that stopped at a check and a logo. The Villages has a lot of different opportunities for our teams to engage. Our team is getting involved at the holidays, partnering at corporate events and giving back to children. There are so many things The Villages does, it’s easy to volunteer,” says Mary Catherine.
Resultant is the 2021 title sponsor of the 24th Annual Villages Golf Classic, which is The Villages’ largest fundraiser. Resultant employees will volunteer to help unpack and sort gifts for children as part of The Villages’ holiday Spirit of Giving campaign. Resultant staff also will help spread cheer by volunteering at the second annual foster family drive through holiday celebration in December. Both organizations have offices in Ft. Wayne, so discussions are happening now to get the two groups together to support foster youth in Allen County.
If your business is interested in becoming one of The Villages’ corporate partners learn more here or contact The Villages’ Community Engagement Manager Krista Hays. Visit the Resultant website to learn more about the company’s full range of data, technology, and digital transformation services.