Case Study:
How Spero Expanded Their IT Capacity and Reduced Costs by 36%
Case Snapshot
- Client: Spero Financial — South Carolina credit union, founded 1935
- Partnership since: 2013
- Trigger: Multiple vendors with poor support, rising costs, and strategic misalignment
- Engagement type: Full managed services + complex project execution
Key Outcomes
- 36% reduction in IT costs through vendor and service consolidation
- Successful execution of SD-WAN conversion, datacenter redesign, and core switch replacement
- Phone system crisis resolved same day (previous vendor was unresponsive)
- Proactive IT management and maintenance replacing fragmented vendor model
- Fewer vendors, deeper relationships — strategic consolidation achieved
Client Testimonial
— Chris Libby, Director of IT, Spero Financial
“Rob [at Katalyst] found creative ways to consolidate multiple services into one package offering, reducing our expenses by 36%“
About Our Client
Spero Financial has been committed to supporting its members’ financial journey since 1935. A South Carolina credit union dedicated to enhancing member financial well-being, Spero focuses on providing authentic advice and personalized solutions through financial coaching, financial education, and a broad range of member services.
Business Challenge
Spero had been relying on numerous vendors offering similar products at different prices with limited support. Inefficiencies and misalignment with their strategic vision, combined with unreliable response times during critical issues, highlighted the urgent need for a comprehensive solution that reduced vendor count and deepened relationships.
Key challenges included:
- Multiple vendors offering the same products at different price points with little support
- Inefficiencies and misalignment with their strategic vision of fewer, deeper vendor relationships
- Inadequate and unreliable problem-solving support when critical issues occurred
Katalyst's
Solution
Katalyst consolidated Spero's Microsoft services and found creative ways to package multiple services into a single, cost-optimized offering. Katalyst provides external expertise and execution capacity for large infrastructure projects while maintaining proactive day-to-day IT management.
CONNECT — INFRASTRUCTURE AND CONNECTIVITY
- SD-WAN conversion across locations
- Datacenter redesign for servers and virtual machines
- Core switch replacement and dynamic routing implementation
- Cisco licensing management and equipment procurement
PROTECT — SECURITY AS AN OPERATING DISCIPLINE
- Security management as part of consolidated managed services stack
- Proactive identification and remediation of infrastructure risks
OPERATE — ONGOING ACCOUNTABILITY FOR OUTCOMES
- Microsoft services consolidation — 36% cost reduction
- Proactive IT management and maintenance
- On-demand expert resources for large-scale projects
- Help desk and ongoing support
SUPPORTS RECEIVED
Business
Results
Spero has experienced significant improvements in their overall IT strategy by partnering with Katalyst, achieving cost reduction, access to deep technical expertise, and a reliable partner for large-scale projects.
36% reduction in IT expenses through service consolidation
SD-WAN conversion, datacenter redesign, and network upgrades successfully completed
Phone system crisis resolved same day — previous vendor was unresponsive
Reduced vendor count, streamlined portfolio, and proactive ongoing management
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