Ibstock Brick
Hardware and infrastructure upgrade, Storage, Backup & Flexible Working solutions were implemented in order to improve system efficiencies, security and productivity.
Due to Ibstock's continue growth both hardware and ICT infrastructure required an upgrade. This encompassed mobility, storage, protect, connect and manage solutions from Northgate which has improved customer service, efficiencies, security and productivity.
Business Challenge
Market leader Ibstock Ltd has 23 brick manufacturing plants with a total annual capacity in excess of 900 million bricks and employs a total of 1960 people across the UK. The company has experienced continued growth over the years with systems no longer working to their optimum level of efficiency and in addition availability had become an issue. Ibstock has its own internal IT department which has also grown with the business, however the company values the expert knowledge and support Northgate provides.
The Solution
Northgate upgraded the LAN hardware in order to provide additional network coverage in the main office building and improve availability of key systems. Northgate also maintain core switches with a 24x7 4 hour fix rate in order to improve productivity and reduce potential downtime and system problems.
Storage was another issue due to the growth of the company. The capacity of the main file store was increased in order to cope effectively with the increased volume of information. It also provides the flexibility for future expansion if required. The server was also replaced in order to take advantage of updated feature benefits for example, 'single instance storage' i.e. if the same file exists in 20 user directories, the system will store just a single instance of the file, improving manageability and efficiency.
Northgate also provided Ibstock with an email archiving solution which stores every company email. This improves the management of information, reduces time and costs searching for email content, optimises storage and complies with legal requirements to store all emails. An additional server was more recently added and storage increased on the server in line with company growth.
A data back up, replication and server recovery solution was also put in place. It is important that Ibstock have peace of mind and confidence in knowing that its systems are backed up. This can prevent costly downtime and disruption to productivity. Customers also have greater confidence in their business if they know provision has been made to offer ongoing services if something goes wrong.
Remote monitoring of systems is also provided by Northgate in order to establish and fix any problems as soon as they arise.
Mobile working is increasingly being adopted by staff due to the increasing use of laptops. A mobility solution was also introduced by Northgate to provide this flexibility to staff and also improve customer service due to improved communications.
Key Results
Ensuring the hardware and operating environment are kept up to date as the business grows, should maximise its effectiveness to the business in terms of increasing efficiencies, manageability and accountability. This continuous improvement approach is in line with Ibstock Brick's philosophy to strive to provide the best experience for their customers. Having a supportive IT infrastructure in place works towards this goal.
The systems have been consolidated to provide a more manageable and cost effective infrastructure which staff can easily use. Remote access can now be achieved with an increased number of laptops deployed resulting in staff having greater mobility which can lead to greater productivity.
An effective security solution is in place and back up provision which leads to greater customer confidence in Ibstock's ability to deliver and greater accountability of the business.
Technical expertise of Northgate provides confidence and trust in the ICT infrastructure. Colin Phillips, Information Systems Manager for Ibstock Brick Ltd, talks about his experience of Northgate Information Solutions:
"We have a myriad of in-house IT skills here at Ibstock - but they only go so far. Every organisation has a point where specialist skills are needed, and that's what Northgate provide. They've been giving us that expert overview for well over a decade - in fact it was they who helped set up our IT infrastructure in the first place.
"Having an IT partner who understands our systems inside-out makes a big difference. On the maintenance side we deal with one engineer who has grown and developed in parallel with our business. That kind of continuity has allowed us to build a relationship of trust with Northgate. That's what relationships are all about: people and trust. Although our in-house team does an excellent job of managing the day-to-day issues, it's good business sense to call in Northgate when we need to"
