National Retail PLC
(Jeweller, Pawn Broker and Cash advances)

Case Study

For the past four years Bliss IT has provided a comprehensive and growing technical support service to one of the largest (£116 million market cap) in the general financial sector.  We first started work with the customer by upgrading the IT systems what was then a 45 branch retail network located throughout the UK.  This involved providing new computers and servers to branches, installing and configuring bespoke trading software with printers and communication systems.

Today the branch network has expanded to over 82 locations across the UK, we continue to provide daily technical support and IT maintenance cover to all branches (9.00-5.30, Mon-Sat) and now use our IT Managed software to assist in logging and controlling all support tickets raised, this also allows us to provide detailed reports on SLA targets and helps us pro-actively assess technical problem issues or problem branches. 

Now handling all the company's IT requirements, Bliss IT effectively acts as the customers own IT department, from purchasing and installing new computer equipment for the branch network and head office to completing a nationwide broadband upgrade of all the branches moving them over from ISDN to ADSL and installing a new VoIP communications system that aims to substantially reduce the cost of telecommunications for the customer.

Over the past four years we have installed new mission critical network servers and installed a state of the art disaster recovery system that automatically mirrors data over the WAN to different locations.  Bliss is soon to project manage and install all the IT and communications systems for the customer as they move to a new Head Office location, this involves configuring new servers and a commissioning a new VoIP telephone system.

For this customer Bliss IT is viewed as a one stop  solution for their IT requirements, handling hardware, installation, maintenance and direct technical support to branch staff, plus closely liaising with the bespoke software providers, as there is main trading software as well as third party finance product software involved, in addition to BT for communications.

Our customer has found that this model of outsourcing their entire IT requirements can work and does work very well, they have a first class IT support operation which simply grows with their business, we hold regular meetings with the customer and look to advise them on the latest technologies so they can plan ahead when viewing their future IT requirements.

Manufacturing case study

Manufacturer to the auto industry, having over 100 users several servers and heavy demands on IT. 

A staff of 5 IT professionals, who dealt with MRP production planning, software development, system integration, software and hardware rollouts. 

The department was becoming increasingly more expensive to operate.  Skill sets were constantly in need of updating, training was constantly in demand.  Add this to the fact that 2 staff were on long time sick and recruitment was a constant concern, more was being spent on staff than technology.  

Staff left, morale was low, the technology struggled, Bliss convinced them to outsource.  They'd never done this before, they did need some convincing! 

3 years on and what have they achieved?

We go onsite 2 -3 days per week, whenever there is a need, although we provide a full telephone support service Monday - Friday.  The users phone the internal IT support number, it's answered as their own in house support function.  Except now there's always somebody on the other end of the phone, no more voicemails, a result in itself! 

We upgraded the tired old servers, took over the management of the VPN from Cable and Wireless saved them £4000 a year simply on that! 

We wrote software for them saving them a further 25K, they could now invest in newer technologies, they no longer had all those staffing overheads and headaches. 

We take part in production planning meetings, help with the MRP systems, as we have specialists at the ready.  We have set up IT user groups within the company to be proactive rather than reactive, advising on best practices.  Bliss have also implemented and drawn up disaster recover proposals, and get involved with the external audits. In other words we do all that the old IT department used to do, but we believe better! 

More resources at your deposal when your busy and less when your not!k back, outsourcing using Bliss IT is the way I would encourage any business" to quote from the MD. 

"It's a mindset I am glad we changed too, we simply have more skills now, but only when we need them" to quote from the FD.