Customer Experiences
Meridian
Regional Imaging : Village
of Vernon Hills : Dougal,
McClellan & Sullivan Eye Associates
Five Star Distributors : Benham,
Ichen & Knox
Village of Vernon Hills
Vernon Hills, Illinois
The Challenge
Replace unreliable, disorganized, compartmentalized information architecture
in Village Hall and Public Works Department with unified communication infrastructure.
The Solution
Over the past six years, ABN/ABG experts worked with village officials to move
Vernon Hills from the technological Dark Ages into a position of leadership
in today's Information Age - without any full-time information technology
staff employed by the village. "We became a technologically advanced
municipality without sinking a lot of money into developing an IT department," said
Larry Nakrin, director of finance for the Village of Vernon Hills.
ABN/ABG utilized their expertise and the latest technology to improve
the municipality's operating efficiency and responsiveness to village
residents in a number of ways:
- Compatible hardware and software enables the use of a unified
messaging system and the ability to instantaneously and securely
share files electronically.
- Permits, licenses, land use requests, and other village
business can be processed electronically.
- A Geographic Information System (GIS) integrates Village
Hall, Public Works, and the Police Department. Currently, the
village is installing computers in police squad cars so that
when residents call 911, the information goes directly from
the dispatchers to the squad car.
- A new finance system provides centralized, secure accessibility.
- ABG provides dependable Internet service and secure network
management capability.
- When a new phone system was installed, ABN coordinated with
the telephone company to make sure data and voice links were
shared.
- ABN has been working closely with the architect designing
the new village hall to provide requirements for electricity,
data, and other communications-related facilities.
- A remote monitoring system enables ABN to anticipate and
respond quickly to potential problems.
Larry Nakrin has been working with ABN/ABG consultants and technicians
since 1996, and appreciates their dedication to finding effective solutions. "They're
diligent in getting to the root of the problem and solving it. There's
no 'blame-the-user' mentality," he said. "A lot of what they
get involved in is working with software and hardware companies to
get through institutional barriers. They have a real problem-solving
ethic versus the ego-based ethic you find so often in this industry."
Their commitment to personalized customer service also impresses him. "I
like their willingness to make their clients' priorities their priorities.
They're big enough to have a lot of technical expertise, yet small
enough that all their employees are aware of and understand client
needs," he said. "They work together as a team. I have complete
faith in them."
"I like their willingness to make their
clients' priorities their priorities. They're big enough to have
a lot of technical expertise, yet small enough that all their employees
are aware of and understand client needs."
Larry Nakrin, Director of Finance
Village of Vernon Hills |
