High-Capacity Solution and Flexible Customer Service Critical to Success
Established in 1933 as a mining and manufacturing company, R.W. Sidley, Inc. has grown into a full-service manufacturer, supplier and service provider organization with 19 locations across eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania.
In 2014, newly appointed Director of Human Resources and Information Technology Brad Buescher assumed responsibility for R.W. Sidley’s IT function. Faced with a collection of carriers and inconsistent service that simply was not performing, he knew the organization needed to make a change.
“We were using business applications that required remote connections and the network connectivity that we had at the time was subpar,” Buescher explained. “The connections dropped frequently and needed to be fixed manually to restore the connection and get the applications back online. The IT department spent a lot of hours resolving these connectivity issues.”
Like many construction firms, R.W. Sidley realizes the value technology and innovation bring to the industry. According to EY, 98% of engineering and construction companies agree that digital solutions are critical to the future viability of their businesses.
However, wanting to introduce new technologies and not having a network backbone capable of supporting them can cause utter frustration.
To make the most of its existing applications and maximize the productivity of its IT team, R.W. Sidley switched to a single provider in 2016. While this new solution was an improvement in connectivity, the team ultimately realized their customer experience needs were not being met.
“We had a better understanding of what network connectivity product we needed, but realized we also needed a business partner for the product,” Buescher said.
| SERVICES PROVIDED | CHALLENGES | OUTCOMES |
| Dedicated Internet Access | Slow Connection | High Capacity |
| Wide Area Network | Vendor Management | Network Oversight |
Stable, Robust Network Solution
After an extensive RFP process, R.W. Sidley chose Everstream as its new fiber service provider in 2019. Everstream provides Dedicated Internet Access and a point-to-multipoint Wide Area Network solution to 14 sites across the company’s footprint.
“With Everstream’s product, we have a stable, robust network that can handle fluctuations and utilization — and it’s enabling us to be much more proactive with our technology initiatives,” Buescher said. “We could very easily switch to cloud-based applications, whereas it wasn’t even an option previously.”
Notably, R.W. Sidley has a legacy ERP system that it plans to upgrade in the coming years. The system’s new version offers a cloud-based interface that requires a minimum bandwidth requirement at each facility to ensure an ideal user experience.
“One of the biggest benefits of partnering with Everstream is that we now have the ability to consider all options for our ERP system instead of being limited to what the network can handle,” Buescher said. “The ERP system is integrated into numerous facets of the company. Once we upgrade, it will allow our employees to be significantly more efficient — with additional tools at their fingertips and a better user experience.”
In total, R.W. Sidley’s network supports business applications, routine business communications like video conferencing and Voice over IP phones along with a video/security system currently installed at two facilities, including R.W. Sidley’s largest plant.
In addition, drone technology has elevated R.W. Sidley’s inventory controls and mine mapping for its sand operation. The drone captures intermittent images of the sand quarry, which are then analyzed by a third party to determine the density, tonnage and several additional data points for a given pile of sand — resulting in very precise inventory levels for the business. Everstream’s network easily supports the upload, download, and transfer of large images and files necessary to utilize the drone technology.
“This network solution is catching us up to the market. We’ve gone from having very few, if any, IT initiatives to having a backbone that allows us to be much more on the leading edge of technology, which has resulted in many successful IT initiatives,” Buescher added.
Flexible Customer Service
In need of outstanding customer service to complement a high-capacity solution, R.W. Sidley looked at prospective quotes with a more critical eye this time around.
“Everstream’s proposed solution stood out against the competition because it was the only solution that was all fiber, and we were really excited about that,” Buescher said.
From day one, R.W. Sidley has had “a completely different experience” with Everstream compared to its previous provider.
“In particular, we were very concerned about the implementation process,” Buescher said. “But, when we switched to Everstream, everything went seamlessly.”
Whether reviewing utilization reports, having a conversation around strategy, or simply adding or moving service for a plant, Everstream proactively engages with R.W. Sidley and is committed to transparent, direct communication.
“With Everstream, the words that come to mind are flexibility and communication. I’ve received flexibility and communication at every turn, and I appreciate it,” Buescher said. “It makes my life easier.”