G’s Fresh – Office 365, Managed Desktop, DR, and Hybrid Cloud

Sector

Private sector | Fresh produce

Location

Barway (Ely), United Kingdom

Revenues

£500 million

About

Office 365, Managed Desktop, DR, and Hybrid Cloud

G’s Fresh is a prominent grower of high-quality vegetables and salads, serving major UK and European retailers. With a commitment to excellence in produce and service, G’s Fresh operates across Europe and the USA with our co-operative of Growers. Our offices and factories require efficient collaboration and robust IT infrastructure to support our operations.

Outcome

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Implementation of Office 365 and Microsoft Teams has revolutionized collaboration across G's Fresh, reducing manual processes and improving productivity.

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Office 365 integration with Azure AD and implementation of Hyper-Converged Infrastructure have significantly bolstered cybersecurity measures, reducing reactive IT issues by 70%.

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Migration to new infrastructure and cloud solutions has resulted in a massive reduction in the time taken to perform daily operations, ensuring resiliency and reliability.

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Deployment of Microsoft Endpoint Manager and Windows Autopilot has simplified device management and provided streamlined access to common applications, enhancing user experience.

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The introduction of SharePoint Intranet with video content sharing has increased employee engagement by 50%, fostering a culture of collaboration and communication.

Executive Summary

G’s Fresh faced numerous challenges in collaboration, desktop management, infrastructure performance, and cybersecurity. With the implementation of Office 365, managed desktop solutions, disaster recovery, and hybrid cloud, G’s Fresh has achieved remarkable success in transforming its IT landscape. Improved collaboration, strengthened cybersecurity, enhanced application performance, simplified access to applications, and increased employee engagement are among the key outcomes of this comprehensive IT transformation.

The Challange

Overcoming the hurdles

G’s Fresh, a prominent player in the agriculture industry, found itself entangled in a web of IT challenges that significantly impeded its operational efficiency and threatened its security posture. The absence of streamlined collaboration processes posed an obstacle, as employees resorted to manual methods and relied heavily on email for sharing documents, resulting in multiple versions and a lack of centralised control.

Moreover, poor VPN access compounded the problem, making remote collaboration and data access inefficient. Without a dedicated intranet, bridging the gap between the board and staff became increasingly challenging, hindering communication and cohesion within the organization.

Furthermore, the organisation battled with inadequate desktop management practices, leaving critical security measures outdated and leaving vulnerabilities ripe for exploitation.

Additionally, the aging infrastructure aggravated the situation, as in-house ERP and payroll systems struggled to deliver optimal performance, posing a threat to operational continuity. These challenges not only hampered productivity but also exposed G’s Fresh to heightened cybersecurity risks, necessitating urgent intervention and strategic solutions.

The Solution

Reimagining their IT Infrastructure

In response to these hurdles, a comprehensive IT transformation plan was put into action. This encompassed the deployment of Office 365, integration of Azure AD, Hybrid exchange implementation, and adoption of Microsoft Teams to bolster collaboration. Furthermore, the incorporation of Microsoft Endpoint Manager and Windows Autopilot streamlined device management, simplified the starter and leaver process and fortified cybersecurity measures.

Migration to Hyper-Converged Infrastructure with Azure Cloud failover ensured heightened application performance and disaster recovery capabilities. The introduction of a new SharePoint Intranet simplified information access and fostered standardised processes, resulting in elevated engagement rates.

The Success

Transforming from the impossible to the possible

The implementation of Office 365, managed desktop solutions, disaster recovery, and hybrid cloud has ushered in significant enhancements across various facets of G’s Fresh’s IT framework. Augmented collaboration, fortified cybersecurity, enhanced application performance, simplified application access, and heightened employee engagement have collectively forged a more efficient and resilient IT ecosystem.

By confronting pivotal IT obstacles head-on, G’s Fresh has positioned itself for sustainable growth and enduring triumph in the competitive market landscape.