Outsouring IT to allow you to focus on your business

The Client
Macro Art, established in 1991 is a specialist digital print company. Based in Cambridgeshire it has grown steadily to become established as one of the largest and most respected huge format print centres in Europe.

The Challenge
Over the years the computing infrastructure had grown bit by bit and had become a burden to the staff who as well as doing their own jobs were tasked with looking after it. The company owners realised that it was more valuable to keep their staff focused on the business roles and so they sought an IT partner to help them make more effective use of technology within their business as well as a fresh approach to IT management and support..

The Solution
Macro Art contacted ITSP to take complete control of all their IT systems and support to free up staff to concentrate on core business activities.

Initially we sent a business analyst to spend some time looking at the customer's business processes. We spoke to the management and the staff on the print room floor who had a strong knowledge of how the company worked and what parts of the business processes could be improved with changes in how IT is used.

Once we had established the business requirements our engineers performed a complete audit of the existing computer systems, application software, network equipment and printing systems. The data was analysed and organised to get a complete and documented picture of the existing IT infrastructure in terms of capability, investment and on-going cost.

With this information we came up with a strategic plan for the way forward. This included

• Identifying obsolete computers that were hindering productivity
• Removing duplicated systems
• Consolidating internet access into one broadband link
• Provision of support procedures including helpdesk access
• Documentation of the whole system
• Management of software licenses
• A planned schedule for system updates

ITSP now manages and supports all aspects IT for Macro Art. This includes user support, server management, email system, remote access, mobile devices, data security, system updates and backups.

As a futher complimentary benefit the client can get advice from our engineers on future projects and IT strategy. We are always willing to listen to our clients and we try to accomodate their business needs within the outsouring arrangement.

The Results
By working with ITSP, Macroart has been able to put its IT management in the hands of a trusted partner and this in turn has enabled the company gain control over its computing and concentrate on core business activities. By implementing this service we were able to reduce the client's IT spend by 30% in the first year. Users experienced a much higher level of support service and system reliability which translated into higher levels of productivity.