Case Study – Gascoigne Halman
“axon IT has worked with us to deploy an IT system specific to our business needs. The upgraded technology the team has put in place has resulted in increased stability, higher levels of security and better productivity and efficiency across all our business applications.”
Tim Halman, IT Manager, Gascoigne Halman
The Challenge
Gascoigne Halman is a leading independent estate agent chain based in the North-West. With some 17 sites across the region, the company had invested in approximately 100 PCs in a bid to lever the power of technology in their business arena. With technology moving forward at an alarming rate, the investment quickly became out of date. Windows 98 was being utilised on unbranded OEM PCs along with a Line of Business (LoB) application that matched the age and stability of the Operating System. This resulted in inefficiencies that were costly to the business in terms of downtime and system crashes. The internet and the use, and misuse, of email had moved on since Windows 98 was developed meaning it was vulnerable to viruses and spyware. These issues contributed to the overall fragility of the systems in use and all of this was reflected in the number of support calls that were logged by users as the systems faltered.
“An out of date and inefficient IT system was costing the business both time and money. Something needed to change in order for productivity to return to the appropriate levels, but we required some guidance on how and when to upgrade. With almost 100 PCs to co-ordinate, and a slow and ageing Line of Business application that was crucial to the running of our business, we needed an IT partner that could handle the entire process from start to finish.”
Tim Halman, IT Manager, Gascoigne Halman
The Solution
axon IT proposed a phased approach to upgrading and replacing all software and hardware within Gascoigne Halman. This process involved taking each office on its merits and observing individual working practices before introducing new technology appropriate to user’s understandings and needs. Dell desktop PCs were procured with three year on-site warranties, supplied with Microsoft Windows XP Professional for enhanced security and stability in the workplace.
axon also addressed the company’s Line of Business application. This was somewhat inflexible and not as technologically advanced as the world around it. Being central to the day to day running of the business it was therefore decided that the application should be replaced completely. axon IT provided advice and guidance from an IT perspective to assist Gascoigne Halman in selecting the new application. By sitting in on product demonstrations and asking suppliers the questions that the estate agent’s management staff were not technically able to ask, axon was able to guide Gascoigne Halman in the decision, ensuring that the application chosen would best support the business needs. In effect, axon acted as Gascoigne Halman’s IT department during this phase.
The deployment and upgrade was spread over a period of a year to help reduce capital costs for the estate agent and also to allow for a similar phased approach to take place in 3-5 years time when the PCs would reach end of life. By staggering the installation process in this way, axon IT avoided the prospect of all Gascoigne Halman’s PCs becoming out of warranty and date at the same time in the future.
The Result
By implementing a company-wide upgrade with axon IT, Gascoigne Halman has benefited from stability and security across the board, resulting in better business control and higher levels of productivity.
The company has profited through the upgraded Windows XP system and next business day hardware support from Dell for all PCs while the new Line of Business application scales well to modern demands by sharing data across all sites. axon IT also provides Gascoigne Halman with managed service support, standing by to handle any technical issues that may arise.
The improved system has resulted in a reduction in technical faults and user frustrations and by implementing a more efficient and up to date computer network, axon has brought Gascoigne Halman forward within the IT arena to help the company lever technology to its advantage.
“axon IT has succeeded in bringing our entire IT network up to date. The upgrade to Windows XP combined with the new and improved LoB application has enabled our staff to work more efficiently to drive the business forward, providing better overall business control for the management team.
“By working as an IT partner, rather than just a supplier, axon has become a real part of the Gascoigne Halman team and has proven successful in providing consistent and on-going technical support to our branches across the North West.”
Tim Halman, IT Manager, Gascoigne Halman