An accomplished business leader with two decades of combined project management, business management, leadership, and technical experience in multiple industries, Mark A. Ceely, CEO of BECK Strategies, has culminated into a true leader. With his proven strong technical ability, and flawless communication skills, Ceely has become a ServiceNow ecosystem leader. In the past two decades, he worked with HP, IBM, and Columbus Communications. Joining Columbus in 2008, Ceely was responsible for the Network Management Systems that included Columbus Networks, Cable Bahamas, and the Flow entities in the Caribbean. In 2011 Ceely moved on in his career to consulting directly for IBM. As of 2015, Ceely joined Infosys Limited as a Principal - Enterprise Applications. He has been responsible for anchoring the engagement effort for assignments, all the way from business process consulting and problem definition to solution design, development, and deployment. He has also been responsible for shaping consulting solutions that enable clients to meet the changing needs of the global landscape.
It can be stated that Ceely was on the constant lookout for new opportunities to further his career, and then in 2018, Ceely decided to launch his venture in BECK Strategies Inc. as Co-Founder & CEO. He took BECK from a Registered ServiceNow Partner to Premier status in three short months with his leadership. “I never deliver only what was promised; I always over-deliver more than what was expected! That’s it, it’s that simple!” says Ceely. “We lend our services as managed service providers, sales partners, public sector partners, next gen trainers, and technology specialists.” Having worked in the IT industry for over two decades, Ceely observed that many ServiceNow partners did not cater to their consumers’ specific needs. “They would win the bid and proceed with their work just as they would with any general IT project. And this is not in line with the ideology of ServiceNow,” he adds.
Tackling Challenges
As per the steadfast leader, most clients who seek out new partners to implement ServiceNow solutions are mostly dissatisfied with their previous partners and not with the platform’s functionalities. The reason being the overall quality provided by ServiceNow partners seemed to be lacking for the expense. Tackling this issue head-on, BECK Strategies’ first step in a client engagement is understanding their requisites and charting a plan where ServiceNow can be utilized to fulfill them. Communication is maintained as a priority right from discussing requirements, to building the solution, to its testing and deployment. “The chances for a failed product launch are much higher when there is a lack of interaction with the client,” adds Ceely. Thus, BECK Strategies ensures that clients are always up to date with every change made to the solution during development and that it always stays in line with their vision.
The company is now a 100% dedicated ServiceNow® Partner, committed to helping drive businesses into the future. BECK Strategies focuses on assisting customers in driving change with People, Process, and Technologies on ServiceNow. A veteran-owned company primarily focused on bridging gaps within IT Operations Management (ITOM) and AIOps; BECK Strategies also leverages ServiceNow to help clients surmount challenges within IT Service Management (ITSM), Integrated Risk, and other security processes.
BECK Strategies sets itself apart from the crowd by using ServiceNow technology to create a complete, functional workflow for its clients. The organization develops solutions that boost IT productivity with meticulous coding and streamline work for consumers who value automation and user-intuitiveness. BECK Strategies has earned its spot as a Premier ServiceNow partner with perfect CSAT scores as a customer-centric company. “Our clients have the opportunity to work directly with platform engineers and avoid the red tape and tedious middle management that usually dissuade healthy customer interactions,” adds Ceely. “We are 100% dedicated to ServiceNow and building apps on the platform the extend it further such as our BECK Easy Map which help developers, and admins save precious time making adjustments to,and creating on their instances.”
An engagement highlighting this ideology is when the company was hired to revitalize a client’s legacy IT tools that were more than 15 years old. BECK formulated a package of ITSM, ITOM, and ITBM services to help clients manage their major projects. However, a few people within the client organization were against the proposed changes. This would have been extremely detrimental to both parties if the plans were finalized without consistent communication. “We held daily meetings with the client to understand their mission and why certain members opposed it,” continues Ceely. Eventually, the company replaced those employees and followed a successful and quick 12-week implementation of the three proposed modules. Had the project been completed without proper client interactions, the adoption would be poor, and the company would incur tremendous losses.
“Our company is founded on the principle that businesses require honesty, integrity, and personalization to be successful,” says Ceely. Both the BECK team and its clients are considered part of a family, forging strong bonds that take precedence over sales and profit. BECK Strategies, at its core, is an organization that functions with the sole goal of assisting its clientele effortlessly accomplish their objectives with the proper utilization of ServiceNow.
Towards the Future
Ceely made an entry into the world of IT during his service in the US Army as a multi-channel communications specialist. As a veteran himself, he founded BECK Strategies and has partnered with the Department of Defense (DOD) to transition military personnel into the commercial workforce over the last six months of their enlisting period. The SkillBridge program, designed by the DOD and used by BECK to train
military service members, offers complete internships and pre- apprenticeships with approved civilian employers. “Although the vocabulary and the type of work may differ from that within the military, employees’ experience working in a structured organization is greatly beneficial in a commercial setting,” adds Ceely. During the internship program, veterans are trained in ServiceNow and can earn more than sixteen certifications while also learning how to communicate effectively with customers. Upon completing SkillBridge, veterans are well equipped to either work for BECK Strategies or any other ServiceNow partner. “Another benefit of hiring ex-military personnel is that customers are more likely to trust employees who have a history of diligence and a structured work regimen,” says Ceely.
When working with clients in the local or federal government, attaining security clearance may sometimes prove to be a challenging task. However, since BECK is partnered with the DOD, the firm can have clearances sorted pre-emptively and onboard clients much sooner than its competitors. This is especially useful within the current market, wherein government organizations, from the military to treasury and administration services, have opted to move their processes into cloud-based platforms akin to ServiceNow.
BECK Strategies’ adaptability to its clients’ needs has shone through in this age of the pandemic when remote workplaces have become the norm. Where previously, companies would only purchase and use one service—such as ITSM—for a whole business year before expanding further, customers today are looking for all-encompassing workflows. This means that organizations are now on the lookout for partners who can provide ITSM, ITBM, ITOM, and more via a cloud platform, such that their remote operations are streamlined.
BECK Strategies is poised to attain the rank of an Elite or Global Elite ServiceNow partner shortly. The organization aims to lend its expertise in ServiceNow to the growing federal and higher education markets within the country and across Central and South America. BECK Strategies will also be launching several applications and integrations in the ServiceNow app store to kick off 2021 and expedite customer deployments.