Ascot Timber Building
Technology refresh in a manageable approach

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THIS CASE STUDY AS A PDF

At a glance

Challenge

To recommend and deliver I.T. Support and a technology refresh programme to replace/upgrade 10 workstations.

Solution

Provide a FREE network discovery audit and design a replacement timetable prioritising the most important areas. To provide a cost effective IT monthly support program with on-site, help desk and remote managed services provided by a dedicated support team.

Results Replacement of aged hardware and software platforms in a controlled and managed strategy whilst providing regular on-site engineering, help desk support and remote managed services.

Business challenge

Ascot Timber are a successful family run business that make beautiful Oak and Timber buildings for the equestrian market as well as general private buildings such as garages, gazebos, storerooms, home offices etc. They are based in Fernhurst Surrey and offer both design, manufacturing and installation nationally form their local base.

Sallie Parker, Director explained “Reliability, an ever slowing network and aged PC’s was becoming a challenge on a daily basis. Internet access speeds were also a big issue and we know that email was being lost or just not arriving into our server. This was becoming a substantial issue, and whilst the system had successfully been in place for eight years, its features had naturally become slow and limited, most notably our email delivery which was costing our business money”.

The network over haul and replacement PC program had to be user friendly, quick to implement and offer quick results within budgetary objectives and offer at least 3 years computing. The system also needed to integrate seamlessly with an existing database, a particular concern because the designer of the database has not been seen since ’89.

LAN Support Solution

After a selection process, Sallie Parker, Director chose LAN Support to implement its new network solution.

With a clear focus and instruction from the client LAN Support completed a detailed network discovery free of charge.

• A dedicated engineer was assigned to the account who completed the network audit
• Just one day was required to collate the information and make our recommendations
• One day was spent making configuration changes to the Microsoft Small Business Server making it run smother and quicker.
• It was recommended that on each monthly visit that 1 of the 10 PC’s would be upgraded or replaced.
• An ongoing bespoke support package incorporating a half day onsite by one of LANs Microsoft Certified Systems Engineers once a month to offer desk-side support and administration of the new system along with help desk support and remote managed services was advised.

Results

• Quicker performing Network and Server
• Replacement PC program fixed all the normal issues which aged equipment brings
• The users on the network were happy and could get on with their jobs
• All staff had access to calendar information so they could plan and view employee movements for the first time, even though they had the facility on the software for years
• Within budgetary limitations
• Any staff are able to call LAN Support’s Help Desk and they receive regular on-site monthly visits

  
Testimonial

“We had been busy developing the business, both is sales and operations, and had given the IT network little thought or investment for years.” explained Sallie Parker. “It was a visitor to our offices that commented on the poor performance of the system, and recommended LAN’s free audit service, that prompted us to try them out- after all, it costs us nothing”.

Sallie concluded, “Following the audit and review we accepted LAN’s recommendations and particularly like their “no contract” clause-leaving us the flexibility to move supplier if we ever needed to. What also appealed was their creative way of prioritising the upgrades so we gained significant improvements in performance in key areas, whilst spreading the investment over a 10 month period.

I would genuinely recommend any business to take up their free audit service as it highlights areas where small businesses like ours, who have little knowledge of IT, can significantly improve their operation with some basic changes with modest investment.”