Case Study: Building a Better IT Foundation — MSP Success in Construction & Engineering

Client: Anderson Westbrook Construction Group
Industry: Construction & Engineering
Location: Greater Portland Metro, Oregon
Employees: 85+ across 3 regional offices and multiple field teams

Client Overview

Anderson Westbrook Construction Group (AWCG), a mid-size commercial construction and engineering firm, faced persistent technology roadblocks that were limiting productivity across their offices and job sites. Their IT infrastructure was a patchwork of outdated systems, unmanaged field devices, and disconnected workflows.

Recognizing the growing need for a smarter, more secure and scalable IT foundation, AWCG turned to SMB Technologies — a provider known for blending enterprise-class solutions with boots-on-the-ground support tailored for small and medium-sized businesses.

Challenges

AWCG’s existing IT environment was the digital equivalent of a job site before framing—disorganized, exposed, and holding back the build:

• Poor Field Connectivity: Field engineers and project managers struggled with VPN dropouts and slow access to drawings and plans on shared drives.
• Lack of Device Standardization: Mixed Windows and Mac laptops, rugged tablets, and personal smartphones made management and security nearly impossible.
• Disaster Recovery Gaps: Project files stored locally or on-site left the company vulnerable to data loss.
• Siloed Communication Tools: Teams juggled email, texts, and third-party apps with no central platform for scheduling or documentation.

SMB Technologies’ Solution

1. Strategic IT Roadmap + Project Kickoff

A full vCIO-led audit revealed critical weak points. SMB proposed a phased rollout with zero downtime, starting with endpoint unification and field connectivity.

2. Cloud Enablement & Microsoft 365 Migration

Plans, drawings, and schedules were moved to SharePoint and Teams — offering field teams real-time, secure access to everything they needed, from anywhere.

3. Device Management & Security Stack

• Rolled out a unified device management platform (Intune + JAMF for Mac).
• Enforced MFA, encrypted all devices, and added endpoint threat detection.
• Standardized procurement: rugged tablets and laptops deployed pre-configured.

4. Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity

• Automated cloud backups of all job files and email.
• Created a recovery plan that could restore operations in under 2 hours in case of hardware failure or disaster.

5. Support With a Field-First Mindset

• 24/7 helpdesk with priority routing for field incidents.
• Monthly site visits from SMB's Client Success Manager to field offices for in-person feedback, training, and hardware checkups.

Results

Client Feedback

"We build buildings. We don’t want to be in the IT business. SMB Technologies gave us a system that just works — in the office, in the field, on the fly. That’s made a huge difference in how fast we can turn around projects and keep clients happy."
— Tony Ramirez, Director of Operations, Anderson Westbrook Construction Group