Steadfast Solutions Helped MGS Architects Get Ready For Lockdown In Under A Week

“Steadfast Solutions managed to get everyone up and running, We worked at night sometimes, as did Steadfast Solutions. There were calls at various times of the day, and we managed to get everyone up and running.”Get Your Free Instant Service Quote

Steadfast Solutions Helped MGS Architects Get Ready For Lockdown In Under A Week

MGS Architects is a large and active Melbourne-based architecture firm. They focus on community initiatives, including affordable and social housing, managing projects worth anywhere from 5 to 350 million.

One of the most cost-prohibitive parts of running an architecture firm like this is the technology required for architects to do their work. AutoCAD, Revit, and other modeling software are extremely resource-intensive, and getting them to integrate with hardware like on-premise server storage from remote locations isn’t easy

Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, firms like MGS didn’t have to worry about remote access. The norm was for architects to work out of the studio — but when the Australian government announced an impending shut down in March of this year, all of that changed.

“Mid March, we got the call from the government, that everyone would be locking down,” says Chris Jones, Director, MGS Architects.

Fortunately for MGS, they had Steadfast Solutions on their side. 

“We had about a week where we had to organise ourselves, and Steadfast Solutions was miraculously helpful during that period,” says Chris.

Steadfast Solutions Worked Around The Clock To Help MGS Architects Go Remote

Due to how quickly the pandemic developed, many businesses were unable to prepare for the shift to a remote work setting. Doing so would have required careful planning, methodical execution of new processes, and expert implementation of new technologies

“We were working mostly in the office,” says Chris. “We didn’t have anybody working from home. We were all coming into the studio, of course, some of us had laptops, some of us didn’t. We had a VPN for some of us, but others just came into the office to work.”

Remote access is a necessary part of the business world today, even for architecture firms utilising massive files and complex BIM software applications. Revit, AutoCAD, and other robust line of business software for architects can be unwieldy even when working out of the office.

“When this lockdown was announced, we said to Steadfast Solutions, ‘How do we do this?’,” says Chris.

The Steadfast Solutions team assessed MGS’ current environment and remote work necessities and came up with a plan. Their staff members would be remotely accessing their desktops to use modeling software. Steadfast Solutions helped MGS procure all the necessary hardware to set up home offices, and migrated their business phones to a mobile system that would work outside the office.

Steadfast Solutions Guided MGS Architects Through The Transition To Remote Work

“Steadfast Solutions managed to get everyone up and running,” says Chris. “We worked at night sometimes, as did Steadfast Solutions. There were calls at various times of the day, and we managed to get everyone up and running.”

Over the course of this year, Steadfast Solutions has been available to MGS’ staff to solve remote access issues, and provide quick and effective support.

“We log tickets with Steadfast Solutions and they get back to us very quickly,” says Chris. “I think everyone has been very complimentary over the past few months. They talked us through some very tricky problems we’ve had. I don’t think we’ve had any long term problems that haven’t been sorted.”

This is why MGS values Steadfast Solutions’ services — no matter what challenges they have to overcome, they know they’ll get all the help they need. They can trust that the Steadfast Solutions team is committed to helping in any way they can.

“[Steadfast Solutions’ CEO and General Manager] Ian and Craig strike me as really genuine characters,” says Chris. “I find that they’re trustworthy. If they say they’re going to do something, it happens.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has proven to MGS that they have an undeniably reliable IT support partner in Steadfast Solutions.

“They were going through this whole COVID thing at the same time as helping us, and obviously, all their other clients were too,” says Chris. “So, kudos to them. If they were servicing other clients as they were servicing us, my god, they didn’t get any sleep.”