Significant Company Growth Causes Plastics Manufacturer to Turn to Bryley Systems

From its establishment over sixty years ago, the company has achieved solid growth based on experience and the flexibility to move with the times. This plastics manufacturer supports product development with state-of-the-art injection molding and thermoforming production equipment to ensure maximum efficiency and to meet the changing needs of customers.

The Challenge: Deploy an IT Infrastructure to Support a New Facility

Following years of steady growth delivering container products to large retailers and small hardware stores across the U.S, the plastics manufacturer determined the time had arrived to expand its operations. The Mass firm ships about one-third of its products beyond the Rocky Mountains, and considering how much volume that buckets, pails and trays take up, shipping costs were beginning to increase rapidly.

“Given the shape and construction of our containers, we pay a lot just to ship air,” said the manufacturer’s CFO. “So we decided to build a new manufacturing facility in Arizona from which we could provide products to our customers in the western part of the U.S.”

Finding a partner to design and coordinate the deployment of an IT infrastructure to support the Arizona facility and to connect it to the Massachusetts facility was a key decision for the CFO. Making the transition smooth between two locations, three time-zones away from each other, was a major step for the business.

“We knew there would be multiple partners involved, including telecommunications, our operational software systems, cabling, and the computer network infrastructure,” said the CFO. “In addition to bringing IT infrastructure expertise to the table, we needed a team-player that could work well within a group of service providers.”

The Solution: Bryley Systems Coordinates Design and Implementation from Afar

To design and coordinate the deployment of the new IT infrastructure in Arizona, the company turned to Bryley Systems. In addition to recommending and implementing new hardware and software technologies, Bryley provided both desktop and IT network support, serving as an outsourced IT department for the plastics operation.

“Bryley treats us like we are their most important customer, and even though Arizona is three-thousand miles away, we felt confident turning to them to design and coordinate the IT infrastructure,” the CFO said. “Bryley understands how our business functions and which technologies best map to our business needs.”

The solution Bryley designed for the Arizona facility included a rackmount server, three network switches with fiber interconnections, a controller-based wireless network for consolidated management & full wireless coverage, and endpoint computer systems. Bryley also consulted on the design of the network connection between the Massachusetts and Arizona facilities.

“We wanted our teams working in both facilities to feel like they are right next door to each other,” the CFO said. “With knowledge of today’s technologies, Bryley has the expertise to make it possible – both in the way they design IT infrastructure solutions as well as the way in which they sync their solutions with other technology systems.”

The Deployment: Collaborating with Other Service Providers Plays Key Role

For the onsite deployment of the IT infrastructure in Arizona, the plastics manufacturer hired a local solution provider. Bryley pre-configured all the gear and shipped the devices onsite, and then worked with the local solution provider to coordinate the installation. The infrastructure was set up exactly as the plastics manufacturer required.

“Bryley first gave us options and the costs of each option as to the different ways we could set up the Arizona facility and the connection back to our Massachusetts facility,” the CFO said. “Once we made our choice, Bryley stuck to the project plan and brought their part of the project in on-budget.”

Bryley also coordinated its activities with the telecommunications service provider who set up the phone systems in both locations. “Bryley is great at collaborating with other service companies to help keep projects moving forward and pitching in wherever they can to help everyone involved—even if it’s something that falls outside of their responsibility,” the CFO said. “When we ran into a surprise cost involving the installation of fiber cable—which fell under the purview of the telecommunications firm – Bryley suggested an alternative way to make the connection, which cut costs and helped us complete the project faster.”

Benefits: Facilities in Different Time Zones Feel Like They Are Just Next Door

Thanks to the efforts of Bryley and the other service providers on the project, the manufacturer now has a second fully-functional manufacturing and distribution facility. The 100+ employees in Massachusetts and the 30+ employees in Arizona can collaborate and communicate with each other as though they are in the same room.

“The technology also enables us to keep all the staff for admin and back-office functions here in Massachusetts,” the CFO said. “That makes it possible for our team in Arizona to just focus on manufacturing and shipping products. At the same time, we can now deliver products to our western customers faster while reducing our shipping fees.”

In describing his company’s relationship with Bryley Systems, the CFO emphasized how Bryley delivered on their promises: “Many IT solution providers tell you they can be just like an extension of your internal team but in the end they don’t deliver. Bryley is not like that. They proactively make sure our IT infrastructure stays up-and-running at peak levels, and if we ever need help, they always respond quickly.”

Bryley continues to provide managed desktop and network support (including system backups) to the Massachusetts facility and the Arizona facility. Most issues can be resolved remotely, but if Arizona needs an on-site visit, Bryley coordinates the resolution with the local service provider.

The CFO commented that the plastics business is now big enough to perhaps hire an internal IT team. But with Bryley taking care of both desktop and network support so efficiently and cost-effectively, the need to do so has not yet emerged.

“With our partnership, we know Bryley will keep our IT infrastructure running today while also preparing us for tomorrow, whether that’s utilizing new technologies, or adding another new facility if we should expand again. It’s great to have a partner who will be with us every step of the way.”

Side Bar

Major Benefits—IT Infrastructure for New Facility Deployed by Bryley Systems:

  • Helps company expand smoothly from one facility to a second facility across the country.
  • Delivers new facility IT infrastructure and connection to home office on-time and on-budget.
  • Coordinates IT infrastructure with other systems to keep overall project moving forward.
  • Enables end users at remote facility to function just like they’re in the home facility.
  • Meets today’s business needs with expertise to proactively plan for tomorrow.
  • Creates trusted partnership that serves as a true IT department extension to the company.