[ SITUATION ] Ready Mixed Concrete was looking to centralize many of their internal systems and data to their head office. The remote office in Littleton needed real-time access to company data. A portable batch plant had been set up and telecommunication services could not be provided in a timely manner, leaving the team working there with no means of communication with the head office. Employees were frustrated. They found the operation of their existing computer system difficult. Technology support was only available from a remote consultant in California who could access the system via a dial connection, or could assist the 25 Ready Mixed employees with instruction over the phone. [ APPROACH ] Enterprise Systems met with the Ready Mixed team, evaluated the situation, listened to the company's future plans and took stock of their "wish list" in terms of what they hoped technology could do for them. A Cisco wireless LAN was installed to provide the portable batch plant with immediate communication. To improve usability, Enterprise Systems converted the dumb terminal network to a more user-friendly Windows-based PC network. Using a Citrix server, remote users in the Littleton office were connected to the main location with a Frame-Relay network, which replaced a dedicated data line. This allowed for fast, reliable access to the company network byreducing traffic on the data circuit. [ RESULTS ] Company-wide communication improved as now all employees have real-time access to company data and each other Employee frustration with technical support was greatly reduced as the system was easier to use and Enterprise Systems now provides full technical support Ready Mixed views Enterprise Systems as a resource to help with the operational challenges of company growth Currently the company is looking to expand to another city and is working with Enterprise Systems to plan the technological infrastructure for the new site "Enterprise Systems put a great deal of effort into staying up-to-date with technology. For us this is critical because we don't have the resources in house to do that…as we've grown,we have utilized many new technologies recommended by Enterprise Systems to meet our changing needs." —Don Yale, CFO Ready Mixed Concrete