United Systems Computer Group Taking the Mystery Out of IT
United Systems Computer Group Taking the Mystery Out of IT
By CHRISTINE HAWES
BRADENTON — When David Spire seeks to fill a position at his 10-person information technology company, he first tries to ascertain their “people” skills.
“A lot of what I talk to them about is the relational aspect, how they handle themselves on the phone, what kind of answers they give,” says Spire, President & chief operating officer of United Systems Computer Group. “Once they pass that, we’ll get them over to the technical side and vet them there.”
Spire says ensuring that a technical field remains personal is one reason his company has maintained annual revenue of about $1 million over the past two years, during an economic recession when the first thing many companies sacrificed was IT investments. United Systems is also the winner of this year’s Manatee Small Business Award for a company with revenues of $500,000 to $2 million.
David Spire, seen with his staff, encourages his employees to understand profit and loss statements, and asks them to involve themselves in business decisions.
His philosophy of building relationships, rather than just satisfying customers, is reflected in his list of the “seven things we do better.” The third piece on that list is “no geek speak,” and the seventh is “no mystery billing.”
He searches hard, through long, numerous interviews and screenings, for potential employees who can communicate what the customer needs to know in plain English rather than technical language. Spires also looks for people who can document their work comprehensively and clearly.
United Systems has also enacted a business model Spires calls “open-book management.” Employees are trained to understand profit and loss statements, and are encouraged to involve themselves in business decisions.
“So now, when we look at bringing an additional employee on, everybody starts looking together and saying, ‘How’s that going to cut into our bonus? Do we really need to hire another person or can we each work an extra two hours a week?’ They look at everything from our light bills, to our copier,” Spires says.
These processes are part of why United Systems is on target to increase its profits about 30 percent this year over last. The company also is selective in the customers it accepts, seeking to serve businesses that regard IT as “a potential profit center” rather than “a necessary evil,” Spire says.
“It’s the old, ‘help me help you’ situation,” he says. “We’re more about finding clients that have the right frame of mind. Through our sales process, we try to get a good understanding of what it’s going to look like moving forward, to make sure both organizations are well-suited to doing business together.”
