The hard reality is there’s often enough IT work for a hundred engineers, but only one or two to handle it all. Small IT budgets and a lack of available talent make it hard for manufacturing companies to find skilled, affordable professionals to tackle everything from infrastructure to security.
One of our clients, the sole IT pro at a midsize manufacturing company, was feeling the burn of too many to dos and not enough hands to cross them off with. Not only were they struggling to keep up with the demands of their role, but they were also spending nights and weekends trying to make it work.
No matter how small your team is, we think IT emergencies shouldn’t be your weekend plans. Through a combination of automation and security enhancements, we helped this IT manager streamline operations and reclaim their weekends.
Here’s how we helped.
What Caused This IT Manager to Be Overwhelmed?
This IT manager faced a common but frustrating situation for IT managers across the globe:
- Overwhelming Workload: Supporting 600 users across four sites as a one-person IT department.
- Manual Processes: Routine tasks, such as patching and onboarding, consumed hours every day.
- Security Gaps: A Microsoft Defender security score of 30%, well below the industry average in manufacturing.
- No Time for Growth: Day-to-day demands left no opportunity for infrastructure upgrades or strategic improvements.
The result was an IT environment that needed automation, efficiency, improved security, and an IT pro that seriously needed a Friday night not spent at his computer.
Transforming An IT Environment with Automation and Expertise
Our approach focused on creating sustainable improvements that addressed the root causes of the inefficiency. Here’s how we helped:
- Automation to Streamline Operations:
- Implemented Intune Autopilot for efficient device management.
- Automated repetitive tasks like patching and reporting with PowerShell scripts.
- Leveraged dynamic security groups to simplify workflows and reduce manual oversight.
- Security Enhancements:
- Migrated group policies to Intune for a modern, flexible setup.
- Smarter Reporting:
- Developed automated Power Automate reports with clear visualizations and detailed logs.
- Ensured both IT and executive teams had access to actionable insights.
- Standardization for Consistency:
- Unified policies and streamlined processes across the environment.
- Automated onboarding for new users and devices, significantly reducing setup times.
Better Than Reacting to IT Fires: Enhancing Security, Streamlining Operations, & Reducing Workload
This transformation delivered measurable results that supported the IT manager and improved the organization’s overall IT environment:
- Improved Security: The Microsoft Defender score rose from 30% to 68%, surpassing the industry average.
- Time Savings: Tasks that previously took 6–8 hours were reduced to just minutes.
- Reduced Workload: Automation eliminated repetitive tasks, allowing the IT manager to focus on strategic priorities.
- Enhanced Visibility: Automated reports provided clarity and ensured no detail was overlooked.
One of the most significant outcomes was the IT manager’s ability to shift focus from merely keeping the lights on to making long-overdue upgrades to the company’s servers and infrastructure.
With their IT environment now optimized and secure, this manufacturing client is positioned for growth and improvement. We continue to partner with them, providing support as they explore additional opportunities to strengthen their infrastructure and enhance security.
Running Your IT Shouldn’t Require 7 Days a Week
At Model Technology Solutions, we specialize in creating IT environments for manufacturing clients that are efficient, compliant, and secure. For this manufacturing client, that meant improved security and—most importantly—reclaiming time for what matters most: work-life balance and making meaningful improvements.
Does your manufacturing team need an extra hand or twelve? Here’s how we help manufacturing clients improve their infrastructure:
If your department needs specialized, affordable support in the form of fractional engineers and strategists, we’re here to help. Learn how our Co-Managed IT Services can help you go from struggling to keep up to getting ahead—and even enabling new revenue—for less than the cost of a single full-time employee.
