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What we achieved

  • One-click
    solution for patching

  • Ability
    to customize IT patches

  • Increase
    in time efficiency

To who

  • Industry Supply chain, Logistics

  • Products HCL BigFix

  • Region Global

Overview

  • Part 1

    Challenge

    Reynolds has a complex, distributed IT infrastructure with various servers with diverse operating systems. The applications team sought a more efficient IT patching solution to help restore computing confidence.
  • Part 2

    Solution

    A single solution in HCL BigFix provided a streamlined patching process that was customizable to Reynolds’ needs.
  • Part 3

    Results

    Restored confidence in patching procedures with increased productivity and time efficiency for Reynolds’ IT team.

The Challenge

Reynolds has been a leader in supply chain logistics since 1960s, with a growing operations and goods portfolio. As they grew, their IT landscape did too. Supporting multiple types of servers for daily operations, the environment was mixed, resulting in a challenging network infrastructure. Justin Lamb, who has worked for Reynolds for 15 years, ten of which in IT starting in the trenches of the HelpDesk, faced patching challenges that would hinder his confidence in the process.

Lamb told the history of their first patching solution that couldn’t reach devices when they were powered off or off the network, thus requiring reapplication to those devices. The team had to run reports to find out which machines were out of date and constantly had to update versions of the report. “It was very long-winded, not streamlined, and it took forever,” Lamb explained.

Writing his own application to do patching worked, but Lamb wasn’t happy with the security because the ports needed to be open and access to Windows Remote Management certificates was required. “It was very difficult to use and wasn’t scalable,” Lamb lamented. It was at a conference that HCL BigFix caught his eye, because “it was going to solve all of (our) problems”. Other patch management solutions in the past with bad reputations in the market had caused Reynolds to stray away from seeking a solution they could trust.

BigFix is a one-click solution. I don’t have to log on to every server, pick an update, then check. It’s like BigFix has done (its process), I feel confident with that.

Justin Lamb

IT expert for Reynolds

The Solution

There was HCL BigFix, front and center for Reynolds’ single solution platform. Lamb stated, “I saw BigFix at a conference and thought, ‘This will solve my problems.’ We tried it out and had a very, very good experience. The initial team installed it for us and got it licensed for us... The support was brilliant. We were on a call until the server was up and running, hands-on support to ensure everything was configured correctly. Using the product itself was absolutely amazing. What I liked most about BigFix was its relevance check. There’s no other product that I’d seen that actually checks the machine before it sends something to it or does any patch. BigFix does the relevance check first and that is one of my favorite things. That sold it for me, to be honest.”

The total timeframe to get HCL BigFix rolled out was only two weeks. “Very speedy,” Lamb commended. He remembers his first time using it how reassured he felt, “I checked the Saturday patches, Monday morning, everything was fine. No issues at all. BigFix did its job.” Peace of mind in the patching process was finally restored.

The initial team installed it for us and got it licensed for us where I couldn’t fault them at all. The support was brilliant. We were on a call until the server was up and running, hands-on support to ensure everything was configured correctly.

Justin Lamb

Reynolds IT Team Member

The Results

Reynolds saw the benefits of HCL BigFix right away with the restoration of confidence in the patching process. They also noted the third-party products updates were “very, very easy”. They continue, “the main benefit is the way it categorizes your patching per vendor. To give an example, I would go to a vulnerability scanner, work out everything that needed to be updated for that day, and either do it manually, push it out to the machines or go around to each machine and install it where it was needed. BigFix lays it out for me instantly. I see there’s a Chrome update, a Firefox update, a Notepad++ update, and I can do that all-in-one place. One console and it’s done.”

Lamb also said that he would want others in his position to know, “What became obvious to me was that it’s not just a patching solution. You can create your own fixlets, your own tasks, and add them in to create custom content. If there’s something you need to push out and you’ve got a bunch of machines, you can do that with BigFix.” This removes the manual process of having to go machine-by-machine, which improved time efficiency and productivity for the entire IT team.

 

When searching for a solution that ensures the security and reliability of your IT infrastructure, reputation matters. Strong tech support is priceless. Tested, tried and true results are beyond valuable. All-in-one, single solution, HCL BigFix provides it all.

About the company

Reynolds is the only national family-run greengrocer in the UK. As one of the leading fresh fruit and vegetable suppliers to the UK foodservice industry, family business Reynolds Catering Supplies provides more than 3,000 different types of fresh produce and chilled foods from around the world to businesses across the UK. Some of the biggest names in the eating-out market trust Reynolds to supply their fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, dairy and cheese the next day, right across the country. Reynolds is known for its product quality, reliability, flexibility and exceptional customer service, sourcing seasonal, British produce wherever possible.

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