Cloud Migration for Enhanced Business Continuity at Alliance Disposables

Alliance Disposables, a leading provider in the disposables and food service industry, faced significant challenges with their on-premises IT infrastructure. With 14 sites, 20 servers and over 500 users relying on their systems, the physical limitations and vulnerabilities of their current setup, including aging hardware and susceptibility to physical disruptions, were becoming increasingly apparent. The company recognised the need for a scalable, flexible, and reliable solution to support their growth and ensure uninterrupted service.

In response, Alliance Disposables engaged with Greystone, their technology partner of over 20 years to orchestrate a comprehensive migration of their server estate to the cloud, with the dual goals of enhancing system availability and achieving significant cost savings.

Project Goals

24/7 Availability
Ensure continuous access to applications and mitigate downtime risks at 14 sites.

Cost Savings
Move to a cloud model, cutting IT costs by 20% through a shift from Capex to Opex.

Disaster Recovery
Create a rapid response framework for business recovery, ensuring service continuity.

Faster Backup Recovery
Adopt backup solutions for swifter data restoration and minimal operational disruption.

Hybrid Working
Facilitate seamless remote access for over 500 users, ensuring business continuity, and flexibility in work locations.

Key Challenges

Constrained Timeline
An 8-week timescale necessitated rapid assessment, planning, and migration, accelerating typical processes to meet the critical need for enhanced system availability.

Technical and Physical Infrastructure Overhaul
Addressing any technical debt and rearchitecting network systems were key, especially given previous issues with physical servers that impacted business operations.

Migration Process

Assessment and Planning
Greystone conducted an in-depth analysis of Alliance Disposables’ existing infrastructure and outlined a migration plan prioritising availability, cost efficiency and remote access.

Cloud Migration and Azure Virtual Desktop Implementation
Utilising the Microsoft Cloud Adoption Framework for Azure and Azure Migration Services the smooth transition of over 20 servers to the Azure Cloud Platform. For enhanced user experience and scalability, Azure Virtual Desktop was deployed, allowing secure and efficient remote access for the company’s sizable workforce.

Outcomes

Enhanced Availability
The move to the cloud ensured 24/7 availability of business applications and services, crucial for Alliance Disposables’ operations and customer service standards.

Cost Savings and Operational Efficiency
Migrating to Azure enabled Alliance Disposables to reduce their IT overhead by 20%, shifting from a Capex to an Opex model and eliminating the need for physical server maintenance and upgrades.

Seamless Work-From-Home Capabilities
The implementation of Azure Virtual Desktop empowered over 500 employees with flexible, secure remote access, supporting work-from-home arrangements, and business continuity.

Realised Benefits

The transition to a cloud-based infrastructure with Greystone’s expertise has marked a pivotal transformation for Alliance Disposables. Achieving enhanced system availability, significant cost savings, and robust remote work capabilities, the project has positioned Alliance Disposables for future growth and operational resilience.