The building industry is in a growth phase & digital transformation is critical to enabling businesses to keep up

Foamex had already undertaken a digitalization process where they had attempted to migrate to digitize many of their paper-based administration tasks.  However, there were multiple clone servers that had begun to fail.  There were obsolete Windows 2003 and 2008 servers that required upgrading.

KMT’s solution was to simplify and stabilise the infrastructure.  We began with reducing to a single physical server and implemented O365, VMWare and Veeam providing a more secure platform.  A proper backup system was also implemented to enable recovery in the event of a disaster or cyber attack.

The simplification of the servers meant reduced ancillary costs such as power, and cooling costs and created room in the server room.

A strategy that made sense

Foamex wanted to implement a pipeline upgrade which provided scope to capitalise on some exciting new opportunities within the business, however, they needed to achieve administrative efficiencies.

KMT provided expert knowledge and advice, helping the leadership of Foamex with a robust IT strategy and solution that delivered efficiencies to the network.  This enabled their teams to be able to respond to changes quickly in the way that they work and interact around the office.  Additionally, the flexibility for workers and visibility for managers over their teams has increased the output and productivity overnight.  This has resulted in increased motivation and staff retention due to improved user experience.

Shifting to a professional managed IT service provider

In the last three decades, Foamex has established itself as a national leader in the polystyrene market. With customers in different parts of the country, it expanded operations to different sites in multiple states. At a point, it became obvious to the management that the company had outgrown their previous IT provided and needed to upgrade.

Before KMT became involved in Foamex’s IT support, the company had started experiencing difficulties. It was losing track of support requests. The windows of operation of customers were not aligned with theirs, and this created frustration.

With a sizeable clientele and operations in different states, a company like Foamex needed a strong IT managed service provider.

When KMT was contracted as the new IT managed service provider for Foamex, the team quickly noticed that Foamex was operating on multiple clone servers that were constantly failing. They also noticed that the company was running obsolete Microsoft Windows 2003 and 2008. The backup system was terribly inefficient and unsecured as well.

After identifying the major problems, KMT implemented the perfect solution to each problem. All infrastructure was reduced to a single physical server. This has saved the company power and cooling cost in the server room. KMT also upgraded the obsolete Windows 2003 and 2008 to 2019. The upgrade has enabled the company to implement the latest versions of JIWA, which has provided access to the latest features of the software required by the business.

KMT also migrated all email services to Office 365, which is a more secure platform. A true backup system was also implemented for the company. All data are securely backed up in the cloud; they will be easily recovered in the event of a disaster.

Summary of solutions provided:

• Managed IT Support Services
• Windows 2019 Upgrade
• Microsoft Office 365 software
• Veeam Software
• VMware Cloud Infrastructure
• A single physical server for all infrastructure

Increased productivity & zero downtime

The KMT solution and upgrade of Foamex IT infrastructure has been beneficial in many ways.  The company has been able to fully implement JIWA and enjoy all the advanced features it offers.

Foamex has noticed a reduction in IT support issues around their mail system thanks to the migration to Office 365.   The introduction of Sharepoint, Teams, and One Drive into the business has increased efficiency and productivity.  In addition, the changes have meant employees and management have been able to work seamlessly even from a remote location, improving overall user experience.

KMT’s IT Support service has delivered Foamex a stable, robust IT infrastructure that has reduced the downtime to zero.  The infrastructure is now optimised to meet the needs of the business.  The remote offices have been streamlined into the main JIWA, making it possible for all processes to move smoothly across all locations.

The solution implemented by KMT has meant Foamex has been able to grow and expand even in tough market conditions.

Benefits include

• Improved administrative efficiency
• Improved efficient IT Support with a dedicated Help Desk Team
• Increased flexibility for workers with remote working solutions
• Improved staff retention and user experience
• Business growth even in tough market conditions
• Power-saving and cost-efficient cloud solution
• A more secure platform