A support model built for hypergrowth precision
Redesign of Proterra's IT support and service model during a run from 120 to over 550 employees in under two years — scaling service without scaling cost, and building the process discipline an IPO would demand.
Growth that would break any support model built for the old company.
Proterra was in hypergrowth — heading from 120 to over 550 employees in under two years — and racing toward an IPO. The requirement was to move fast, build the process to support that growth, and execute with precision, all at once.
A support model sized for 120 people doesn't stretch to 550; it snaps. Adding technicians at the same ratio would have meant piling on cost the business couldn't justify, while ad-hoc process would never survive the audit scrutiny an IPO brings. The service model had to be re-engineered, not just staffed up.
What the work actually was.
Re-engineered support model
Redesigned IT support so the technician-to-employee ratio improved from 1:40 to 1:125 — supporting the growth from 120 to 550+ without linear headcount.
Cost discipline
Streamlined the support model to cut IT support cost 44%, and optimized software spend for a further 44% reduction in 12 months.
High-availability infrastructure
Rebuilt infrastructure for high availability, holding 99.99% uptime — about 53 minutes of downtime a year — through the growth, backed by a disaster recovery program with a 15-minute RPO and sub-2-hour RTO.
IPO & audit readiness
Led a cross-functional third-party ITGC systems audit, building the InfoSec processes and controls Proterra would need as a public company.
What it delivered.
“Scaling support isn't about hiring faster than the company grows. It's about building a model where each person you add covers three times as many people as before.”
Four ways it mattered.
Service that stretched from 120 to 550+ without linear cost.
Process built to execute cleanly under audit and growth.
Support and software cost each cut 44%.
ITGC and InfoSec controls in place ahead of the IPO.
