Private White VC

Business challenge

As a high-end men’s outer-wear retailer and one of the last remaining clothing factories in Manchester.

The company prides itself on creating superior-quality clothing for men and has a rich history in doing so. Kings, presidents, prime ministers, rock stars and Hollywood icons have all worn their apparel. Nothing is outsourced and everything is handmade.

With quality being at the heart of everything they do, fantastic customer service is a huge priority.

However, prior to contacting the San-iT team, they lacked the necessary modern tech to ensure a smooth customer experience. For example, it was still relying on an analogue phone system which restricts the number of handsets available, making for sluggish response times during busy periods.

They were also struggling to sustain growth due to an outdated server. It was at full capacity and regularly crashing, causing business downtime and employee productivity to plummet.

The strategic solution

We focused on three major areas – internet connectivity, data storage and the phone system – to modernise the business’ technology and enable sustainable growth.

Internet connectivity: To ensure the clothing maker experienced 99.95% uptime, we arranged a wireless leased line through a trusted provider and installed a brand-new line. Owing to this upgrade, the business’ network is far more reliable and cost-effective. In the unlikely event of a fault, their leased line provider can guarantee a fix within four hours at no extra cost.
Data storage: We implemented Office 365 to give the business better storage capabilities, enhanced data security, seamless employee collaboration and supercharged productivity. This involved moving their email to Office 365 – without losing any existing data – giving the team access to shared mailboxes and shared calendars. They can also now sync their emails across multiple devices making working from anywhere much easier. Moreover, we moved all their data to SharePoint, a document management and collaboration Office 365 tool. SharePoint automatically stores everything in the cloud. So in the event of a disaster, the business will be able to continue working from anywhere.
Phone system: We replaced the client’s analogue phone system (since it could handle more than a single call at any given time) with a VOIP phone system. Using this new technology, the client can give departments individual lines, use multiple handsets per user, personalise their voicemail and integrate their inbox with handheld devices.
Hardware: For good measure, we also replaced their antiquated hardware (i.e. Desktops and Laptops) with the latest HP Hardware to minimise downtime and improve the team’s productivity.

The outcome

With a fully cloud-based infrastructure, the elite team of crafters can now securely run the business from anywhere with an internet connection. This has unlocked seamless remote working, driving productivity and giving employees flexible working options to improve their work-life balance.

Plus, by implementing a high-availability internet connection, employees can expedite task completion and customer communication without fear of sudden downtime.
Also, thanks to the implementation of Office 365, the clothing house can breathe easy knowing its emails and critical business data is completely secure. Plus, no longer is the business bogged down by sluggish back-end processes. The team can access and share files with speed, enabling superior collaboration and the ability to provide better customer service.
Finally, the client can now handle calls much more professionally thanks to a VOIP phone system. No more running up the stairs to transfer calls, putting customers on hold during busy periods or wasting time digging out information. With faster resolutions to problems and enhanced personalisation, callers get the VIP treatment they strive to provide.

I cannot speak highly enough of the team at San IT who are always patient, available, and capable. Nothing we ask is too much, and no question is belittled. If you need an IT department, use San IT.
James McKenna Rapid Recruit