Case Study

Enhancing IT Infrastructure for a Petersfield Arboriculture Company

How we supported the expanding growth of a local arboriculture company in Petersfield with diverse remote solutions.

A Brief History of this Arboriculture Business in Petersfield

This leading arboriculture group is a Petersfield-based company providing specialist forestry services to major clients including Network Rail, the National Trust, Forestry England, and Crown Estates.

With a strong record of success over 20 years, they have been applying industry-leading expertise to implement innovative and efficient solutions that surpass expectations.

As a result, the company has grown and expanded its operations across more areas, including arboriculture, civil infrastructure management and environmental projects.

Highlighted Issues

Project Overview

When we first began our partnership, the business employed fewer than a dozen people, and Syn-Star handled all aspects of end-user IT support. However, as the company experienced significant growth and expanded its workforce across the UK, new demands emerged.

This rapid expansion placed additional strain on existing IT systems and created a heightened need for scalable tech support. As their operations grew, they encountered a number of challenges

Challenges

Scaling infrastructure to meet the needs of a larger, more distributed workforce

Maintaining reliable connectivity across multiple sites and remote locations.

Streamlining file management to ensure quick & secure access to shared resources.

Enabling seamless remote collaboration, particularly as hybrid work became more prominent.

Project Scope

As the client expanded their workforce, the demands on their IT systems and support services grew significantly. Syn-Star was brought in to strengthen and scale IT infrastructure to support this growth.

1. Infrastructure and Systems Scaling

Upgrade existing IT infrastructure to support a larger, distributed workforce by, deploying scalable server solutions and cloud platforms, enhancing system performance and storage capacity and ensuring secure user access for new locations and remote workers

2. Connectivity Optimisation

Improve network reliability and performance across multiple sites by, installing efficient routers, switches, and access points, implementing VPN solutions for secure remote access as well as monitoring and managing bandwidth to reduce any downtime.

3. File Management and Data Access Enhancements

Implement streamlined systems to enable seamless file sharing and collaboration by, setting up cloud-based document storage with granular permissions, automating data backup and recovery processes and lastly Introducing version control for better collaboration within projects

4. Remote Collaboration Enablement

We support with a more advanced hybrid work force by, integrating unified communication platforms (e.g., Microsoft Teams, Zoom), providing the correct hardware and software for remote conferencing and file sharing and offering cybersecurity testing and training to support the growing team with noticing these evolving threats.

Improvements Implemented

Specialist support for in-house IT manager
Implementation of cross sector best practices
Extra capacity for strategic IT consultancy
Introduced a centralise data storage platform
Cyber Essentials Accredited

The Syn-Star Team

This company made the decision to employ an in-house IT manager who works on the day-to-day support requirements of the business. As their new outsourced IT support company, we provide a broader and deeper level of expertise than any one individual can maintain.

This includes cyber security, telecommunications, connectivity, and IT consultancy.

Our team of incredible technicians are on hand to advise on best practices so that their technology preserves a competitive edge an support with the extra capacity for strategic thinking.

We advise on, and implement, projects to ensure that they have the systems and connectivity they need to support operations into the future.

Implementation Timeline

Discovery & Planning (Weeks 1-2):

Conduct a full audit of existing systems, hardware, and infrastructure
Identify key scalability challenges related to user growth, file management, and remote collaboration
Develop a phased implementation roadmap with priorities and risk assessments

Infrastructure Scaling & Deployment (Weeks 3-5):

Upgrade servers and deploy scalable cloud solutions (e.g., Microsoft 365, Azure)
Expand storage capacity and optimize systems for distributed access
Configure secure access controls and user provisioning for new team members

Connectivity Enhancements (Weeks 6-7)

Install high-performance network hardware to ensure reliable connectivity across locations
Set up VPN and remote access configurations
Implement network monitoring tools to flag and mitigate bottlenecks

Challenges & Solutions

Increased Operations = Better System Reliability

As operations scale, system reliability becomes critical. Unplanned downtime no matter the cause can disrupt your employees.

Maintain clarity and consistency

Using shared cloud-based platforms with version controls to avoid outdated or conflicting files.

Peace of Mind

By working tirelessly with this local business in Petersfield we were able to give them piece of mind that their IT not only works but is built to grow with them.

Sales: 0333 242 2441

Support: 0333 242 2447

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