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Growing IT firm keeps the focus on business strategy
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Published with the October 1, 2013 Baton Rouge Business Report. Copyright © 2013 Louisiana Business Inc. Special Advertising Section.
When your business hires Sparkhound, you get more than a typical IT company—you get a team of smart, approachable people dedicated to helping you succeed.
Sparkhound is an IT services company that can support a client’s entire project spectrum, from business goals and envisioning to implementation and post-implementation support. The company’s mission is to make a meaningful impact in its clients’ businesses by solving their business problems with technology and leadership.
President and CEO Shawn Usher says the only way to have such a genuine impact is by delivering an unparalleled customer experience—something he says is not possible without the right people.
“We only hire ‘go to’ people who are smart, strategic and passionate, and this is noticeable to clients,” Usher says. “Sparkhound employees sincerely want to make an impact and make our clients successful.” This is increasingly valuable as the role of IT evolves.
“IT is changing,” Usher says. “It’s becoming much more about business strategy and competitive edge. More and more of IT, such as email, has become commoditized, and as such is being handed over to cloud-based vendors.
Making an impact requires understanding our client’s business, knowing the technology and best practices surrounding that and knowing where the industry is going.”
Sparkhound approaches each engagement from the client’s perspective. “Some companies say, ‘This is what we do,’ and try to fit client needs into that,” Usher says. “At Sparkhound, we look at the business outcome a client wants and we make that outcome happen by being flexible and agile.”
Established in 1998, Sparkhound has 160+ employees in three locations—Baton Rouge, Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston— and a 10-year plan for additional locations. Each Sparkhound office is run autonomously, giving employees the freedom to focus on the specific needs of local businesses.
This focus on customer experience has not gone unnoticed. Microsoft—one of Sparkhound’s industry partners— awarded Sparkhound its “Customer Loyalty and Satisfaction” award in 2012. And, earlier this year, Business Report recognized Sparkhound as “Company of the Year” in the 100-plus-employee category in its annual business awards.
Despite its success, Sparkhound does not rest on its laurels. Instead, Sparkhound constantly looks for ways to improve. For example, twice a year clients complete a “Perfect 10” scorecard on which they rate Sparkhound on five characteristics, such as communication and leadership. “This allows clients to provide candid feedback on our performance and guidance on how we can improve their overall experience,” Usher says.
Ultimately, Usher says, “Our greatest asset is the incredible people we’ve been able to attract. Without them, Sparkhound couldn’t make a genuine, meaningful impact in our clients’ businesses."
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