Formal Investments
How a property investment firm discovered the value of proactive IT partnership

Formal Investments is a private investment and asset management company based in the South West, focused on property development with a portfolio across the UK.

Their limited experience with a previous IT company had ultimately been unsatisfactory, and they were on the lookout for a new provider. But in just 18 months they realised how much more strategic value they could benefit from by fully engaging with an IT consultancy like Inflection Point.

Chasing our tails

"Speaking personally, I have previously worked within very large companies which have their own IT department. So at Formal Investments I was not used to the world of outsourced IT."

"With our former supplier it wasn't working terribly well. Underlying problems were not addressed: so we would find ourselves in a loop of experiencing an issue, having it remedied, and then someone else experiencing it. And any project-based work like migrating to M365 left unanswered questions too."

Strategic value delivered

"Even before the pandemic struck, the work that Inflection Point was doing would come to stand us in good stead. They had flagged that our aging desktop machines were holding us back and helped us invest in new more powerful laptops."

"To have this already in place seemed like a godsend when suddenly home working was imposed across the country. This was then backed up with staff training to ensure they worked safely and efficiently."

"Looking ahead they are advising on new property management software; further cloud solutions; and helping us get more out of all the features of M365."

Reflections

"Obviously, the technical knowledge has to be there and the capacity to help. But for me it is not just what an IT company knows, but that they care for your business and understand how their service fits into the bigger picture."

"Over the last year and a half it has been so positive working with Inflection Point. There are times when I would have been really stuck if I did not have their input. And with technology changing so quickly, it is reassuring to have them as our own experts who can keep us updated on new developments and advise on the right strategy."