From initially being asked to provide short-term tech support for just three months, Gloucester-based Optimising IT has gone on to help one of the UK's leading foodservice firms modernise and grow, after it felt the positive impact of working with the company immediately.
Creed Foodservice began working with Optimising IT in December 2021 to provide an interim technical support help desk for staff and third line support services.
'Optimising IT provided a transition to support service. This captured the status of the IT estate within Creed from a software, infrastructure and operational perspective. Optimising IT undertook this service which normally takes one to two weeks in a fraction of that time, just 48 hours, due to the operational requirements of Creed.
'The initial engagement was tactically focused on ensuring the network was controlled and managed with any immediate security enhancements implemented.'
Optimising IT worked closely with Creed to make these initial security enhancements and provide operational support as they were implemented and communicated throughout Creed's 400-strong staff team.
'Daily calls were implemented to review progress for the first weeks, moving to regular weekly operation review calls and monthly executive reviews.
'The immediate impact was improved security and application of a clear and consistent support process that provided insight and analysis on areas where further improvements and enhancements could be made.
'Optimising IT reviewed the outputs of the initial transition process with Creed's in-house IT lead and the executive team. The review took into account the infrastructure and software environments, cyber analysis and an IT-focused business risk analysis, combined with Creed's operational priorities and available budget.
'A short-term program to enhance the cyber security aspect of the network involved a mixture of configuration enhancements and infrastructure upgrades. Resiliency was improved through evolution and enhancement of system and user backup routines; and optimisation of Microsoft licensing was implemented, bringing an initial licensing cost reduction.
'For medium to long term, an IT roadmap with a two-year horizon was built. This was based on the discovery element of the transition process which identified opportunities for improvement with network infrastructure; back up processes and systems; user equipment configuration and issue; software integration, optimisation and licensing; reducing underutilised and end-of-life server infrastructure; implementation of a secure and fully resilient backup and disaster recovery solution; transition to a fully modern workplace; and integration of third party technologies, for example PV management, printing services, VOIP telephony and increased efficiency of warehouse picking devices.'
Implementing Optimising IT's two-year strategy has allowed Creed to improve efficiency and grow its business.
'Creed's business is increasing based on a technology backbone — at the heart of this are the core IT systems. The roadmap of improvements invested in by Creed and implemented by Optimising IT has enabled increased automation, improving efficiencies in areas such as data storage and access; connectivity for warehouse; greater access to key business systems; and management information.
'From the offset, the engagement was extremely cooperative, proactive and engaged by both parties — and is acknowledged by Creed as providing an immediate positive impact.'
