|
AK-WA Connection 2009: Service firms make inroads in region Information technology and staffing companies fill niches in Alaska,
Washington State in ways that fuel expansion in the Northwest
By Rose Ragsdale Alaska-Washington Connection
Providers of information technology and human resources services are making the Alaska-Washington connection work for them in increasingly innovative ways. These firms vary in target markets, size and business strategies, but they all enjoy one commonality – serving clients either located in Alaska or that do business in Alaska.
A quarter-century of service Wostmann & Associates, Inc., for example, has provided information technology services to government and private sector customers since its inception in 1984. Managers of the Juneau-based firm say they are united by the belief that the right solution for the client’s environment is more important than following the latest trends.
The company prides itself on creating practical results for customers through the informed use of information technology and based on a solid understanding of the client’s business needs, business culture, and technical environment.
In an effort to offer the State of Alaska the most comprehensive information technology services Wostmann is a member of a joint venture partnership, the Alaska IT Group, and maintains alliances with renowned international application system vendors.
Wostmann is actively engaged in an average of 30 projects at any one time and its consultants average 15 years of industry experience in their respective fields.
President and CEO Karen Morgan managed IT projects for the State of Alaska for 20 years at the deputy director and director levels and now heads Wostmann.
“I bring some understanding of the state’s needs, requirements and IT infrastructure, and we’ve been able to maintain longstanding contracts with the State of Alaska as well as entities of the federal government and in Washington State. On average we have sustained 10-year longstanding relationships with each of our clients, of which more than 90 percent have re-engaged.”
In addition to government contracts, Wostmann provides IT support and service to customers in transportation, fisheries and data security, including a records security project for a pipeline services company.
“Doing system assessment for security work is sort of a new area for us,” said Sander Schijvens, vice president professional services at Wostmann. “We assessed packaged solutions and how they can be customized to meet our customer’s needs. We worked with them to develop a classification system for their documentation systems.”
Schijvens said the firm has found that long-term partnerships with clients “involve really getting to know them and them knowing us and really adapting to their needs.”
“Because we’re a small firm, we can customize how we go about doing it,” he said.
In addition to expansion of the Anchorage office in 2007 and 2008, Wostmann has responded to increasing demand for more cost-effective IT solutions by launching operations in Texas, California and most recently Fairbanks.
“We’ve positioned ourselves to be ready to jump when the clients need us to,” said Schijvens.
Morgan and Schijvens say the firm’s professional analysts and programmers are the key to its success.
“They are intrinsic to our growth. They are extremely dedicated people, always interested in updating skills and abilities through classroom instruction, current IT technical journals and publications and on-the-job training,” Morgan added.
Communication works for IT providers Allied GIS Inc. specializes in geographic information systems, imagery, and Internet and database applications. Founded in 2002 by Gail Morrison, the Anchorage-based firm provides GIS services for a variety of clients – military, federal, state, Native and private. Projects, both local and national, range from environmental, cultural, land status, oil and gas, geotechnical to full facility mapping.
Morrison has more than 20 years of experience working with federal, state, municipal, and private agencies. Her expertise includes: GIS database design and implementation, project feasibility analysis, project management, map production and design, data collection and analysis, document management, research, programming, training and consulting.
Allied GIS also has a pool of highly qualified part-time resources. Personnel have a minimum of eight years experience each with such skills as SDE administration, GIT support, spatial and 3-D analysis, cartography, remote sensing analysis, programming, and more.
“Even though AGI is a small firm, we are able to provide our customers will full GIT capabilities,” said Morrison. “By teaming with highly qualified companies which compliment the client’s needs, AGI can fulfill the most complex contractual requirements.”
Morrison also said Allied GIS is currently priming several contracts with multiple subcontractors.
“We find that communication is the key to successful subcontracting,” she said.
Morrison said she takes the time to listen to the client’s requirements and wraps the requirements into a well-organized GIS final product.
“AGI keeps abreast of the latest GIS technology and methodologies to ensure the client is getting the most current GIS products,” she added.
Standing out in a crowd As Opti Staffing Group approaches its 10th anniversary, the firm’s candidate-centric approach to employee placement is attracting a growing and loyal following. Opti was established in 1999 by three young professionals who had worked for years in the staffing industry in the Pacific Northwest and decided to look for a better way to do business. Drawing from their combined experience, Avonly Lokan, Ron Hansen and Mike Houston, determined that the key to success for Opti Staffing was placing a concentrated effort on developing great relationships with both clients and candidates.
Through this relationship-driven strategy, the firm has grown into one of the most successful independently owned and operated staffing and recruiting firms in the Pacific Northwest. It now operates six offices in four states, including Alaska, Washington, and Oregon, and works with some of the region’s top employers.
“By taking the time to get to know the people behind the company — and the person behind the resume — we make better matches between clients and candidates, which enables Opti Staffing to find a fit for both client and candidate that offers strong potential of long-term success,” the firm says on its Web site.
Unlike its efficiency-driven competitors who rely on a high volume of placements to succeed, Opti Staffing places only 10-15 percent of the job candidates who come through its doors.
The reason: The firm values its effectiveness more than large numbers of placements.
“We’re looking for people who can play to the bottom line, retool a product or improve the team that the client has in place. We look for candidates who bring quantifiable attributes to their new jobs, whether management or line positions,” said Houston in a recent interview. “A lot of companies assess their existing staff and look for opportunities to improve their team. If they are looking to add staff, they need to make sure the new hire will perform, not just fill a desk.”
Opti also works with companies reducing their work force by helping to place the individuals that they lay off in new positions.
The firm also charges no fee to job candidates for its services. Instead, the firm draws its revenue from a growing numbers of satisfied customers.
“We are geared, driven and ultimately paid by our clientele,” said Houston.
Making a positive difference Also offering services in the staffing field, but with a big difference, is IT Network, a Seattle-based contract services firm that specializes in bringing engineers and software professionals together with the right projects.
“Recruiting has always separated us from our competition. We view it as the most important aspect of our business. Our clients and consultants are our most valuable resource and the reason for our success,” says IT’s Sally Kernan.
Kernan said service with a goal of making a “positive difference in the lives we impact” is the key element that sets IT Network apart from other so-called “temp” agencies.
“We work with our clients to match their staffing needs with the consultants needed to move the project forward,” she said. “Our business model is simple: Take care of our consultants and our clients, and the rest will follow.”
| 