4-page Case Study - Posted 6/29/2007
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Food Delivery Company Improves Back-Office Processes with New IT Infrastructure
Based in Budapest, Hungary, Food Express is a market-leading food delivery service operator. As part of its preparations for national and international expansion, the company decided to renew its IT systems. Working with Microsoft® partner ABESSE IT Consulting, Food Express migrated from Linux and open source systems to the Windows® XP desktop operating system. It now has one of the most advanced intranet solutions in Hungary. Users benefit from the latest user-friendly applications, and IT staff use mobile and remote access for more efficient working. The centralised user management system helps lighten the administrative workload, making it easer for the IT team to deliver support to the expanding business. Food Express has also been able to host an enterprise resource planning solution on the new, standardised IT infrastructure. This has helped improve efficiency and prepare the company for further growth.
Situation
Established in 1995, Hungarian firm Food Express is a market leader in the provision of high-quality meal delivery services and operates a fleet of 200 vehicles. One of the company’s primary goals is to build a strong national network to prepare it for future international expansion.
Since 2000, the company’s core business activities have been supported by a Linux-based central IT infrastructure. Due to its limited IT budget, the company decided to keep costs to a minimum by building servers in-house and using a combination of various open source solutions. This system provided internal and external communications, Internet access, and e-mail, as well as file management.
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To minimise the effect of the deployment process on day-to-day business operations, we took a staggered approach. |
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Tamás Ferencz
IT Manager
Food Express |
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But, as the company expanded, the system’s limitations became more apparent. Due to a lack of centralisation, the management of desktop licences and user privileges was complicated and time-consuming for the IT team. Administrators could only identify users based on the workstations they used, preventing hot-desking and movement between sites. Different software packages were installed on various desktops, and the versions in use differed from unit to unit. This made it difficult for staff to collaborate effectively on projects. The company also lacked antivirus protection for its systems. To drive its expansion plans forward, Food Express had to address these problems.
Rather than investing in further development of its existing custom-built solutions, Food Express decided to introduce integrated systems that would make it possible to deploy applications on an even wider scale. It wanted to run the latest collaborative tools on an internationally recognised system that would be familiar to new managerial staff. It also wanted to make it possible for the small IT team, by creating a centralised user management system, to manage the infrastructure without having to acquire additional skills.
Solution
Food Express chose Microsoft® partner ABESSE IT Consulting because its proposal corresponded well with the company’s needs. Because of the company’s business model, the implementation process had to be carried out within certain constraints.
Tamás Ferencz, IT Manager, Food Express, says: “To minimise the effect of the deployment process on day-to-day business operations, we took a staggered approach, dividing the implementation into two phases and introducing the new system into each of the business units one by one.”
The first phase began during the second half of 2006 with the implementation of a system based on the Windows Server® 2003 R2 server operating system. Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 delivers online communications, and Microsoft Office SharePoint® Server 2007 provides content management and knowledge sharing capabilities.
Management personnel have also been equipped with mobile devices running Windows Mobile® version 5.0 and can take advantage of ActiveSync®, which synchronises the user’s computer and mobile phone, making it possible to access essential information such as files, business contacts, and calendars on the move.
A Distributed File System (DFS) was set up for file management services. This plays an important role in helping the IT team manage operations across several sites. DFS replication was used to integrate the company’s new production plant in Ercsi into the standardised file service system, optimising the volume and speed of data traffic between the two sites.
The second phase of the implementation took place in early 2007 and included the introduction of Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 services to boost knowledge-sharing capabilities. With this functionality in place, Food Express maximised existing efficiencies by deploying an integrated business management system, Microsoft Dynamics™ AX.
Food Express can now connect more easily with customers, suppliers, and partners. The company plans to enrol in the Microsoft Systems Center Essentials Early Adopter programme. This IT management system will increase the IT team’s ability to resolve problems and manage multiple systems and provide a solution for the automation of service level agreement reports and software upgrade services.
Benefits
Food Express now benefits from one of Hungary’s most advanced enterprise IT systems. In addition to the increased efficiency provided by new applications, the company has also been able to
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The benefits were evident immediately—even during the deployment, people made positive comments about the new system and the opportunities it has brought. |
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Tamás Ferencz
IT Manager
Food Express |
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increase server capacity and streamline network administration using centralised user management.
IT Capacity Increased by 50 Per Cent
By replacing its custom-built servers with HP servers, Food Express has been able to increase the memory capacity of its IT infrastructure at a low cost. Ferencz says: “The new system not only replaced the old one—it also expanded and improved on it.” This gives the company the scope it needs for rapid expansion in the future.
Food Express has also been able to integrate all its sites onto the platform. This has improved the way employees work together between different locations and makes it easier to integrate new acquisitions. Ferencz says: “Without this development project, we would have been unable to integrate our site in Ercsi into our IT system.”
Despite this growth, Food Express has not had to expand its IT team. Using a centralised user management system, IT staff can update desktops, privileges, and user details remotely, reducing the time and effort involved. By joining the Microsoft Systems Center Essentials Early Adopter programme, Food Express now has access to additional automation and system management tools that make it even easier for the team to manage multiple systems across several sites.
Simultaneous Operation, Seamless Migration
During migration, the old and new system environments operated simultaneously. Users were able to acclimatise themselves to the new infrastructure while still carrying out tasks in the older, more familiar system.
User feedback on the new system has been overwhelmingly positive, even during the implementation period. Ferencz says: “The benefits were evident immediately—even during the deployment, people made positive comments about the new system and the opportunities it has brought.”
Simplified Task Management
Employees can now plan their workflow more effectively, taking advantage of centralised contacts and documents to organise meetings and collaborate in real-time. They can also use Microsoft Office Outlook® Web Access to access their accounts while working outside the office.
Users also have centralised access to forms, documents, and templates through SharePoint Portal Server, making it easier to manage individual instructions, contracts, and projects. Community sites were also established to help employees find the information they need as quickly as possible. The sites are split on an organisational, project, and individual level to ensure users only access the information they need. A contract database and a policy and document approval workflow were also implemented.
Employees can also update Web content quickly using wikis, create and publish Microsoft Office Excel® spreadsheets online with Excel Services, and find the information they need using Enterprise Search. Holiday, expense, and resource request forms can be completed online, helping to reduce the time spent on everyday administrative tasks and improving process efficiency. Food Express has also deployed Internet Security and Acceleration Server 2006 Web Services to help employees publish content online and give them remote access to the network.
IT staff have also benefited. The centralised user management system has led to significantly faster IT workflow and a noticeable increase in efficiency. The introduction of XP systems has also increased the efficiency of licence policies. Because all applications are run on a single operating system, it’s easier for systems administrators to manage individual requirements and licence usage.
Solution Paves Way for Business Management System
Efficiency has been maximised through the deployment of a new business management system. Employees now benefit from automated processes that help with tasks relating to the supply chain, project management, and customer service. They can also communicate more efficiently with a wide network of customers and suppliers for a faster, more efficient service.
One of the highlights of the deployment process was that staff did not notice any stoppages or difficulties during working hours, and it took only a couple of minutes for privileges to be set on their desktops.
Microsoft Server Product Portfolio
For more information about the Microsoft server product portfolio, go to: www.microsoft.com/servers/default.mspx
For more information about Microsoft Exchange Server, go to: www.microsoft.com/exchange
For More Information
For more information about Microsoft products and services, call the Microsoft Sales Information Center at (800) 426-9400. In Canada, call the Microsoft Canada Information Centre at (877) 568-2495. Customers who are deaf or hard-of-hearing can reach Microsoft text telephone (TTY/TDD) services at (800) 892-5234 in the United States or (905) 568-9641 in Canada. Outside the 50 United States and Canada, please contact your local Microsoft subsidiary. To access information using the World Wide Web, go to: http://www.microsoft.com/
For more information about ABESSE IT Consulting products and services, visit the Web site at: http://www.abesse.hu/
For more information about Food Express products and services, visit the Web site at: http://www.foodexpress.hu/
© 2007 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY.
Document published June 2007
