How would a $25,000 “Extreme Office Technology Makeover” accelerate your business results?

Most small businesses can only dream about current, efficient, integrated business systems. The staff at Camp Roger is now living this reality every day. “We are set up for future growth with a uniform starting point. Everything is great, we are not waiting for the next thing to die,” said Matt Zwiep, the defacto Camp Roger IT guy.

Camp Roger was the lucky winner in the 2007 “Extreme Office Technology Makeover” sponsored by i3 Business Solutions and the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce sponsored the makeover. Entries were judged on current business pains and how new technology would increase productivity. Camp Roger’s application said in part “As a non-profit organization, we have been forced to walk a fine line. We struggle with finding the balance of buying equipment that will allow us to get by, while at the same time be good stewards of donated funds. This is why we find ourselves using a system that is pieced together, often unreliable, and much slower than what we need.”

Installation was completed and Camp Roger’s new business systems are up and running in time for the 2008 summer camp season. The IT facelift included: an IBM server, four workstations with LCD monitors, two notebook computers, a color printer Microsoft Office 2007 licenses, a firewall, installation services and 3 months of ReliabiliTy. The hardware and software was implemented by i3’s own Doug Worden and Camp Roger couldn’t have had nicer things to say about how helpful Doug was and is!

Camp Roger has seen immediate productivity results in faster response times, less spam, and the 7 less steps it takes Bonnie Muller, Program Director, to access her e-mail. Wireless internet lets the camp’s counselors and other staff communicate with the outside world during their free time. The color printer is being used for small quality mailings that were farmed out to an outside vendor previously. Tape backup on a daily basis reduces business risk.

According to Doug Vanderwell, Director, the biggest benefit he has seen so far is the system reliability. “In the past, the system would come crashing down and we might spend 8 to 10 hours just getting the system back up at a time when urgent “real work” would need to be done. It was embarrassing not to be able to quickly answer an parent’s email.” Camp Roger is just learning the benefits of some of the new office software – sharing calendars and task lists is next! But for now, new technology is off the large “Wall of Dreams” located in the camp offices and the camp can concentrate on getting a fun, safe rope swing down by the lake or a pioneer log cabin for experiential learning.

Since 1941, Camp Roger has been providing overnight summer camp experiences for young people. Today, the woods of Camp Roger are active year-round. Through its Discovery Nature Center, Adventure Course, and facility rentals, thousands of young people and adults visit Camp Roger each year. Camp Roger's mission is to reveal and celebrate God's love for God's children through experiences in God's world.

To learn more about Camp Roger, visit www.camproger.org.