Introduction

Hewland Engineering are a long standing, well-known, high-performance automotive gearbox design and manufacturing company, particularly famous in motor racing. Based in White Waltham, Maidenhead the company was founded in 1957 and has been at the forefront of their field since then. Hewland operates a state-of-the-art, precision manufacturing facility handling all its production, inspection, assembly, design and commercial operations.

Website: www.hewland.com
Industry: Automotive
Company size: 100+ employees

The Challenge

At the beginning of 2022 Hewland approached Fruition after liking the client-oriented focus & direction that we have become well known for. Hewland were coming to the end of their then IT support arrangements and were looking for a dynamic service-provider who would offer a more focussed customer service and strategically concentrated support service. Initial calls between Hewland and Fruition suggested that both companies shared a common client centric focus with both keen to move Hewland into a more future proofed IT Infrastructure, with a stronger focus on Cloud & IT security, with real-world help and general IT assistance for all staff.

One of the main points that Hewland were looking for was an IT support helpdesk with a single point of contact for issues. Fruition was able to offer this, with a dedicated helpdesk email address and a primary technician who manages their account with all IT issues specifically routed through them primarily, as the first point of contact. There were also initial concerns about the long-term integrity of data stored on the on-premises servers, so Fruition have initiated a robust data backup regime that takes snapshots repeatedly every day to ensure that all information held is updated and safely backed up at all times. These back up’s live securely in the Microsoft Cloud.

Approach

When Fruition came onboard, Hewland’s IT back-office infrastructure was based entirely on virtualised on-premises file servers, and the majority of their IT systems were running outdated, operating systems all of which were approaching obsolescence. The first project that Fruition undertook was migrating Hewland’s e-mail resources to Microsoft 365 and The Cloud. Hewland were using an on-premises email server that was out of vendor support due to its age, it was proving more & more unreliable and potential, significant security implications were becoming apparent. This project moved all staff that needed IT access to a more secure, reliable standardised platform, accessible anywhere in the world with a Wi-Fi connection, with enhanced security, anti-virus and spam filers bundled in the Microsoft suite. The introduction and deployment of Microsoft Teams was a game-changer. Alongside this project, Fruition began delivering a long-term programme to replace outdated, low-spec desktop & laptop devises from unsupported older machinery to faster, more reliable kit that would benefit Hewland’s staff with modern Windows operating systems & business applications.

Solutions provided

• General Migration of IT infrastructure to the Microsoft cloud
• Multiple Microsoft Azure instance migrations from on-prem servers
• Cloud-based apps accessible away from the office
• Secure file management set-up in Microsoft SharePoint
• Managed IT Services throughout
• IT Helpdesk support
• Desktop & Laptop Hardware refresh
• Windows 10 & 11 migrations
• Microsoft 365 & Microsoft Project extensively
• Security (MFA) of the overall IT infrastructure

Results

As a precision engineering company Hewland rely heavily on using cutting edge technology for both design and manufacture. Fruition advised that the most efficient way to develop Hewland’s manufacturing-technology footprint would be to move as many of the back-office systems as possible to The Cloud. Using Microsoft Azure Cloud-based resources, Fruition have begun the process of moving relevant systems away from the expensive, aging onsite servers – this also means that storage for data is no longer a constraining factor.

As the relationship between Hewland and Fruition continues to develop, we are constantly looking at technology that will allow Hewland to adapt to new technologies, remain at the cutting edge of their market and ultimately bolster their bottom-line. Our latest project, bringing Hewland’s document library to SharePoint, will bring many advantages including file structure, access rights management and calendar management, all of which will promote in-house communication levels and create better efficiencies.

Testimonial

Leah Lewis, Head of Purchasing for Hewland Engineering has this to say on the Hewland/Fruition IT Partnership.

“Our relationship with Fruition started at the beginning of 2022 when we recognized the need for a new IT Partner that aligned with our long-term strategic objectives. It was a pivotal decision, and the last 18 months have demonstrated the wisdom of that choice.

The partnership with Fruition is not just transactional; it is deeply rooted in our shared vision. They have consistently demonstrated their commitment to understanding our long-term goals and tailoring their support accordingly.

Fruition have provided Hewland with Reliability and Consistency, they have consistently delivered on their promises, ensuring a seamless supply chain. This reliability has minimized disruptions and contributed to our operational efficiency. They have actively engaged in collaborative discussions, offering innovative solutions that have improved our products and processes.

In conclusion, our partnership with Fruition has been an exemplary strategic relationship that has provided numerous benefits, from enhanced product quality to strategic guidance. Their commitment to our long-term goals, adaptability, and innovation has made them an indispensable part of our success story. We look forward to nurturing this partnership further and exploring new opportunities for mutual growth.”