FAIRFAX, Va. – June 10, 2020 – InfinityQS® International, Inc. (InfinityQS), the global authority on data-driven enterprise quality, announces Doug Fair, Chief Operating Officer (COO), has been named an IT Executive of the Year in the 18th Annual American Business Awards®. Earning a Bronze Stevie® award in his category, Fair was honored for spearheading a team, including InfinityQS’ Chief Technology Officer, Chris Kearsley, and IT lead, Omar Raoufi, to complete a major overhaul of the company’s IT infrastructure. The judges commended Fair specifically for his achievements in helping InfinityQS streamline system operations, realize significant cost savings, and build business continuity in the face of disruption.
The overhaul came in direct response to a series of power outages in 2018 that disrupted InfinityQS’ Fairfax, Virginia headquarters’ phone system, internet, and server network. While the outages fortunately did not impact customer service, the team resolved to take proactive action to combat future interruptions by instituting a top-to-bottom re-imagining of InfinityQS’ entire IT infrastructure, focusing on system modernization, consolidation, uptime, and security.
Namely, the InfinityQS team:
• Re-architected the company’s Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) product, ProFicient™ on Demand, consolidating multiple data centers and platforms to a more robust and secure Microsoft Azure environment. Upgrades to the software, servers, operating system, and database have improved the solution’s robustness and performance for clients worldwide.
• Streamlined three communication systems (phone, instant messaging, and web conferencing) into one with Microsoft Teams, which also enables staff to continue working during outages using their smartphones.
• Migrated all InfinityQS operating systems, back-office data, and software to the safety and security of the Microsoft Azure cloud.
• Eliminated all on-premises software and hardware systems, allowing the server room to be converted to a “storage room.”
• Removed duplicate vendors, standardizing on a single cloud platform for all corporate operating systems and SaaS client offerings. The team also simplified its internet technologies and standardized on a single antivirus vendor, reducing waste and inefficiency.
These efforts have generated more than $1 million in annual savings from hardware and software elimination, the migration to Microsoft Azure, and a reduced list of vendors. Since employees are equipped to work through external disruptions, InfinityQS has virtually eliminated downtime due to power outages. The company is also saving over 500 man-hours per year as the IT team no longer needs to perform troubleshooting or maintenance of on-premises systems. Notably, the changes enabled employees to seamlessly shift to remote, home-office work at the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, avoiding any interruptions in operations or client services.
Doug Fair, COO, InfinityQS, said, “What began as a response to an external crisis has inspired InfinityQS to overcome, adjust, and optimize our operations. While I’m proud of the millions of dollars saved and thousands of hours gained in productivity, I believe the greatest outcome of our IT revolution has been the re-invigoration of InfinityQS’ company culture. We now have an IT team of change agents, problem preventers, and modernization promoters, who have been more than ready to adapt to unseen disruptions—most recently again with the current pandemic. This award is as much theirs as it is mine.”
“Despite the toughest business conditions in memory, American organizations continue to demonstrate their commitment to innovation, creativity, and bottom-line results,” said Stevie Awards president Maggie Gallagher. “This year’s Stevie-winning nominations are full of inspiring stories of persistence, ingenuity, resourcefulness, and compassion. We celebrate all of their stories and look forward to showcasing them during our virtual awards ceremony on August 5.”
More than 230 professionals worldwide participated in the judging process to select this year’s Stevie Award winners. Full details about the American Business Awards, the 2020 Stevie winners, and the virtual awards ceremony are available at www.StevieAwards.com/ABA.
About The Stevie Awards
Stevie Awards are conferred in eight programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, the Middle East Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards®, The International Business Awards®, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 12,000 entries each year from organizations in more than 70 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at https://www.StevieAwards.com.
About InfinityQS International, Inc.
For over 30 years, InfinityQS has been the leading global provider of Manufacturing Quality Intelligence software and services. Powered by a robust Statistical Process Control (SPC) analytics engine, the company’s solutions—Enact® and ProFicient™—deliver unparalleled visibility and strategic insight across the enterprise, from the shop floor to the boardroom. This extensive deep-dive capability enables manufacturers to improve product quality; decrease cost and risk; improve compliance; and make strategic, data-driven business decisions. Headquartered near Washington, D.C. and with offices in Seattle, London, and Beijing, InfinityQS has thousands of customers around the world, including Ball Corporation, Boston Scientific, Graham Packaging, and Medtronic. For more information, visit www.infinityqs.com.
