Truform Laser Dies

Truform Laser Dies is a die manufacturing company in Ireland that operates across a wide variety of markets.

To the Carton industry, Truform supply dies used for the packaging of Pharmaceutical, Food, IT, cosmetics, and a range of other manufacturing sectors.

To the Corrugated packaging industry, Truform dies are used to manufacture boxes for food packaging, IT, pharmaceutical, engineering and electronics.

Truform can adapt beyond these main product lines and provide die manufacturing for gaskets, membrane panels and decals, for self-adhesive labels, form packaging and more technical foam products.

Sync IT engaged with Truform in October 2013.

With over 50 years in business, Truform have become adept at responding to market trends and leading innovations within this sector.  However, in an industry that is constantly changing, Truform experienced increased pressure on their business.  Like any small to medium size business, IT and the lack of ownership of this service was not there.  While the business had invested in lots of technology from a hardware and software perspective based on advice from particular vendors, there was no centralised budget, no converged thought process or bigger picture view of how IT was able to support the operation.  There was a lack of IT strategy and how IT fits as an integrated element of the business operations.

Unfortunately, there were some IT outages which caused systems to breakdown and not perform properly that led to Brendan reaching out to the local business community seeking help.

In October 2013, Sync IT engaged with Truform and we carried out our “Technical Assessment” a professional service-based engagement that was spread over a 2 week period.

The focus of the assessment was to:

• Initially understand the business, its objectives, and the various departmental operational requirements.
• Review the current ICT infrastructure to ensure it was configured and implemented in line with industry best practices and standards, who were the 3^rd parties (if any) responsible for supporting this.
• Assess the quality of the security controls in place including the review the business continuity capabilities of the company.
• Identify areas of improvement to enable the IT infrastructure better to support the needs of the users and overall organization.

We documented and presented a 24-month plan which had short, medium and long term recommendations with budgets that would both stabilise the business and to help drive it forward.

Like any initial engagement, it took several meetings for the key stakeholders within the business to understand and take stock of this report.  They had to feel and understand that this would make a difference.  They had lots of questions!

Stemming from the output of the Technical Assessment report, Truform engaged with Sync IT to do the following over a 2-year period linked to a predefined and monitored budget:

• Managed Support Agreement:
  • Provision of service desk support to all their end users (not them running upstairs to the MD or Ops Director).
  • Proactive monitoring of all the servers, network kit, ensuring it was healthy, stable and secure, avoiding downtime.
  • Acting as the central point for all 3^rd party contractors who needed remote or centralised access to their systems, keeping security to its highest level.
• Server & Email System Refresh:
  • Design, procurement and deployment of a ‘Hybrid Server’ solution that migrated the business from a single server on premise solution which stored and controlled all the key data and applications to spreading the load across multiple ‘virtual’ servers and the Microsoft cloud.

This gave the business more stability, more uptime with better performance from an end user experience.

Like any migration project we undertake, proper planning, in depth investigation and 3^rd party participation is key.  Truform’s key business application provider, based in the USA was a challenge due to the difference in time zones, but our ability to be flexible and adaptable, allowed us to deliver the project on time and within budget.

• Microsoft Windows Server 2016, running Hyper V.
• Dell server with built in hardware components linked to managed proactive monitored APC Smart UPS.
• Microsoft Office 365, utilising Exchange Online, SharePoint Online.
• Sync IT Professional & Managed Support Services.

Stemming from the above project, Sync IT continue to assist Truform to meet it’s ‘Business Outcomes’ on an ongoing basis through the development of IT.

1. Tighter Margins

The business needed to expand, an investment in technology was needed, overall profitability was always being challenged. By having a structured, planned, and constant IT budget but with an up lift in the service was exactly what Truform were looking for. There were no hidden costs.

2. Greater Client Demands

Communication and collaboration are key for a small to medium size company. In the Die industry, quick turnaround of client orders is normal. By having the peace of mind that the system is stable, easy to use, allowing staff members to easily transverse on jobs, client orders can be placed, manufactured, and delivered out within hours /days as required.

3. Increase Productivity

Linked to the above point, the business was struggling in terms of getting orders out the door promptly. Poorly designed IT network, with outdated systems and no ‘internal owner’ led to a disjointed IT setup which kept failing at the most vital times.

4. Technology

Having a design team internally to allow them to collaborate with customers, reviewing requirements, considering alternative design options is a key requirement in the success of the Die Industry. Constant investment and support of CAD & design platforms is crucial to the business.

5. Automation & AI

As the business expands, intellectual property and protection of this data is key. Working with an IT service provider who can assist us develop and grow is key for the success of our business.