Global specialist engineering company IMI plc came to HAYNE Solutions with the requirement of updating their ageing IT infrastructure to improve performance, saving money and ultimately boosting business.
Key outcomes
- Trusted, experienced managed host partner
“HAYNE opened our eyes to cloud technology. The information we were given was clear and easy to understand, nothing was hidden, and we really felt like we could work with them.” - Above and beyond support
“HAYNE’s support has been exceptional, they were very hands-on in terms of making sure that our staff understood the new system. They have gone above and beyond what was expected.” - 25% reduction in IT issues
IMI achieved a 25% reduction in IT support tickets raised over a month-long sample period in 2018 compared to previous years. - Efficient and user friendly
IMI users around the world are now able to use a local point of access to connect to Citrix to remove network latency, improving usability and efficiency. - Stable system = Reaping rewards
IMI is now able to budget around more predictable operating costs, increase focus on projects, reduce firefighting system errors thanks to the stability of its new system.
The company
IMI’s purpose is to deliver great solutions that tackle the most demanding engineering challenges.
IMI help some of the world’s biggest industrial companies operate their processes safely, cleanly, efficiently and cost-effectively. We operate through three divisions – IMI Critical Engineering, IMI Precision Engineering and IMI Hydronic Engineering – and employ approximately 11,000 people in over 50 countries around the world.
As a global organisation, it is crucial that IMI’s IT infrastructure is at the cutting edge, giving staff and clients the chance to carry out their work efficiently.
The challenge
At the outset of this project, IMI had a number of historic limitations with their existing IT infrastructure relating to disaster recovery, hardware and licensing costs and user experience, which was a bigger issue in more remote international locations. With the company weighing up its options in terms of updating to an improved hardware system or moving to the cloud, the Finance team began seeking advice on what moves to make but found that clear, concise information was hard to come by; with the reluctance to discuss pricing for a switch to cloud services from a lot of providers a major issue. Mark Stanton, Group Finances Systems Manager, said:
“When seeking advice we found that HAYNE Solutions were the only company who were willing to talk about the cost of this project with us. It had always been an elephant in the room but when you are working in Finance that really can’t be the case. They also opened our eyes to cloud technology, so we couldn’t have asked for a better introduction. The information we were given was clear and easy to understand and nothing was hidden, we really felt like we could work with them.”
The solution
A project plan was agreed whereby HAYNE Solutions would replace IMI’s ageing infrastructure, improving performance by moving to the Microsoft Azure Network and replacing the server operating systems. HAYNE’s unique mix of IT and accountancy expertise made them the perfect company to take on this challenge. Head of Cloud Infrastructure, Steven Sainsbury, said:
“A lot of companies can help with the server side of things but not the application, we have a unique skill set which means we can do both. What this does for our clients is make the whole process easier, especially if there are issues along the way. Being able to take care of everything means there is one port of call for the client at every step, which really does make things easier and gives total peace of mind. HAYNE is unique as we are solution-focused so can support and maintain the entire solution rather than just focusing on specific areas. The fact that our software and IT expertise is matched by our accountancy experience puts us in the perfect position to advise clients in what their business requires and then ensure the application runs smoothly.”
After initial discussions were conducted and a plan was put in place, HAYNE Solutions welcomed the IMI team to a workshop, where they could see how their new infrastructure would work and discuss any issues face to face.
HAYNE worked quickly to implement the changes, consulting with IMI along the way to get their first impressions on the performance of the new system. The support offer continued throughout the transition process and beyond; a key component of any project that HAYNE undertakes. Issues were dealt with as they came up during the implementation process and staff were on hand to answer questions at any time after the job was done. Mark Stanton said:
“The support offered by HAYNE Solutions throughout the whole process has been exceptional, they were very hands-on in terms of making sure that our staff understood the new system. They have gone above and beyond what is expected in terms of support after the changes have been made, even taking time out to run through everything with new staff who joined us after their initial work was complete.”
The results
The improvements at IMI have been tangible, with a 25 per cent reduction in tickets raised regarding IT issues over a month-long sample period in 2018 compared to the year previous. Users around the world are now able to use a local point of access to connect to Citrix to remove network latency, helping for a more efficient and user-friendly system. The company is now able to financially budget around more predictable operating costs thanks to the stability of its new system, as well as increase its focus on projects rather than firefighting system errors.