At Microbyte, we love helping our clients develop a new relationship with technology, bringing companies into the future without overwhelming them. Recently, we worked with agricultural pricing, analytics, and data conglomerate AgriBriefing and enjoyed helping transform their IT to serve their business better.
As the company grew from strength to strength, both acquiring and being acquired by other companies, the core company organically obtained a complex tangle of local IT systems, software, and applications.
As is often the case, the company’s IT became outdated and couldn’t keep up with the growth and demands of the business’s day-to-day operations. Working with Microbyte allowed AgriBriefing to continue its vital work while we were able to offer bespoke IT support for the business’s unique challenges.
The Situation
With roots stretching all the way back to the 1850s, AgriBriefing has come a long way. Important, time-sensitive information was initially disseminated using a traditional printing press and the old-fashioned circular format. Having grown beyond recognition into a global company, AgriBriefing was using a network of inherited local systems.
The resulting web made global communication, intra-company security, and efficiency increasingly complicated. As the provider of time-sensitive, critical analytics, the company needed to overhaul and streamline its IT.
They needed to improve internal and external communications and clean up and remove archaic systems while maintaining a high level of security. Since the business spanned many local offices worldwide, they needed to offer a personalised, local level of IT support while remaining consistent and preserving a centralised data bank.
That’s where Microbyte came in to help this historic company prepare for an even brighter future.
Our Support
Working with the AgriBriefing team, we isolated specific platforms and software which no longer served the business’s modern outlook. We worked to implement a new IT suite to enable them to operate more efficiently and realise cost savings.
We continue to provide ongoing support at both local and international levels. Our offices around the world mean we can be on hand whenever AgriBriefing needs help.
Here’s a more detailed breakdown of just a few ways in which we supported AgriBriefing.
Local Support
With a global reach and offices around the world, AgriBriefing still needed an IT support company that could provide support to their offices on an individual level. Each office and department have its own requirements, platforms, and applications.
Proper integration, connections, and communications mean that a problem in one area can affect operations worldwide. The Microbyte team worked to ensure that an issue in one area could be resolved quickly and efficiently with the same support and care of a small, local IT office while preserving the global outlook.
Streamlined user access and permission
As businesses joined the AgriBriefing group and internal roles changed, the company found that often unnecessary user access and permissions were causing problems. We were able to introduce new security protocols and remote access controls to ensure that everyone could securely access the appropriate platforms and data without compromising security.
The streamlined user processes created a more efficient digital environment allowing employees to focus on adding value without distraction.
Centralised data with a shared platform
Since data is a crucial part of the company’s business, AgriBriefing needed to consolidate multiple data sources in a centralised pool. We were able to reconfigure and store data safely while allowing multiple shared platforms to access data when needed.
Maintaining security was a top priority within a new framework that allowed each individual business and the larger parent company to operate independently and flexibly within set parameters.
Bespoke support for increased flexibility
AgriBriefing relies on its IT for its day-to-day operations, and its digital platforms are integral to the business’s assets. With multiple legacy platforms and a unique business structure, AgriBriefing required a bespoke IT support package, as standard support would not be sufficient.
We worked with the company to design a level of ongoing support that was flexible around their changing operations and fit their budget. From 24/7 helpdesks to regular security checks, network management, and updates, we remain on hand when they need us.
Consolidation of hardware and IT supply chain efficiency
Microbyte was also able to assist in the streamlining and consolidation of hardware ordering and configuration. Helping to create standardised processes that are applicable across multiple aspects of the business helped to improve the just-in-time delivery of stock and software while allowing for last-minute changes.
Improving the efficiency of the IT supply chain means that each business within the larger parent company can operate independently while realising cost savings on a larger scale. Collaboration and synchronisation of hardware across the business will continue to AgriBriefing as the company grows.
Global communication platform
Since real-time communications are so important within AgriBriefing, we work to combine multiple platforms into a single 3CX VoIP system in Azure, which is both secure and feature-rich. Across multiple global branches, each office has access to the same system, which makes intra-company communications more secure and seamless.
Our team was able to not only set up the new phone system but also to build it into the larger platform and provide support and user training for employees to make the switch easier.
Want to transform your IT?
Like many businesses, AgriBriefing’s rapid growth and development meant its technology was no longer keeping up with daily operations. Working together, we were able to refine and streamline the company’s global architecture and put in place measures to improve security and communication. The resulting digital network is an asset to the business that is easy to adapt and will grow with the company.
If your IT systems are holding your business back and are no longer working to support your business, consider working with a team of professionals like Microbyte to ensure you have the IT support you need.
Get in touch with our team to discuss your current situation and future goals.