Bourne Group

Client Profile

www.bournegroup.ltd

• Design and Manufacturing
• Approx £50M Turnover
• Approx 170 users
• UK, South

Beautiful Design, Sustainable Delivery

Founded in 1946, Bourne Group is a distinguished, privately-owned specialist in manufacturing and construction, with a focus on steel-based projects. The company boasts extensive expertise in rail, parking, nuclear, and critical infrastructure sectors, having contributed to numerous high-profile developments across the United Kingdom.

Bourne Group’s footprint is evident throughout the UK. In London alone, their projects outnumber the city’s tube stations. Their influence extends to major UK airports, the London Underground & Crossrail project, significant energy sites, and numerous commercial, retail, and residential projects in the city.

Bourne Group has garnered numerous awards, particularly for their exceptional design and unwavering commitment to sustainability. They are proactive advocates for the re-use of steel and decarbonisation of the steel industry through the #SteelZero initiative.

Today, Bourne Group generates an annual turnover of £50 million and employs 170 staff across three sites in the South of England. As part of their strategic growth ambitions, Bourne Group identified the need to enhance their technological capabilities. To achieve this, they needed a partner they could trust.

The Challenge

Bourne Group had partnered with a Managed Service Provider (MSP) that demonstrated strong potential, embarking on a big project to enhance IT security. However, the dynamics shifted when the MSP was acquired by a larger organisation.

“We quickly lost confidence in our new partner” recalls Howard Davis, Group Finance Director at Bourne. “Post-acquisition, the quality of service declined, and our interactions increasingly felt like sales pitches rather than genuine efforts to resolve our issues.”

Within a few months of the new partnership, Bourne Group’s board of directors identified significant concerns. Employees had lost confidence in the helpdesk’s ability to resolve IT issues, leading them to avoid seeking assistance altogether. Instead, staff opted to work around problems, which resulted in growing discontent. This dissatisfaction was not only affecting morale but also hampering overall productivity.

Bourne Group had embarked on a comprehensive cloud migration with their previous IT partner, aiming to eliminate all legacy on-premise servers and transition to the Microsoft Cloud using Microsoft 365, SharePoint, and Azure.

“We had already identified a selection of projects that would move the company forward,” continues Howard Davis. “Despite our best efforts, we couldn’t gain any momentum. Our IT consultants consistently found reasons to delay our projects, hindering our progress.”

The result was a series of loose ends which left Bourne frustrated. Parts of the business had migrated to the cloud, while others remained on local servers, creating a two-tier environment with inconsistent functionality across the organisation. Bourne’s leadership team struggled to secure proactive engagement from their IT partner. The focus seemed to be on addressing immediate problems rather than planning for the future. Bourne initiated the search for a new partner to drive their IT strategy forward.

The Solution

Bourne reached out to a handful of local MSPs for help. After a short selection process, they chose the entrust IT Group as their partner of choice. The team commented during the selection process that they were impressed by the personable approach of the entrust team, as well as the fact they were very transparent about their working methods and requirements.

Bourne Group entered into a managed service agreement with the entrust IT Group. Under this agreement, the entrust team would provide helpdesk services through their ITIL service team, along with consultancy and project management for Bourne’s outstanding projects. Following a brief onboarding process of just one month, the entrust IT Group began full-time support for Bourne. The positive impact was immediately evident.

“The noise of discontent we had begun to hear evaporated overnight,” continues Howard Davis. “The entrust team swiftly assessed our architecture, and the entire onboarding process was seamless and unobtrusive. I didn’t need to be involved—just handed over to entrust, and they made things happen. Moreover, our staff began getting their issues resolved promptly and regained trust in the helpdesk.”

Upon completing the onboarding process, the entrust IT Group’s project management team focused on resolving the outstanding issues with Bourne Group’s infrastructure. This included migrating on-premise servers to the cloud and decommissioning the outdated hardware, addressing problems within their Intune environment, and closing cybersecurity gaps. By finalising these projects, Bourne Group is positioned to pursue new ambitions, leveraging advanced technologies such as AI and PowerApps.

“We’re finding it easier to implement hybrid working,” notes Howard Davis. “Now that we’ve completed our transition to the cloud, our productivity has increased. In a competitive market, every small percentage gain makes a significant difference.”

As part of the agreement, the entrust IT Group supplies Bourne Group with real-time data on key metrics, including helpdesk performance, hardware lifecycles, project progress, and spending reports. Combined with scheduled quarterly business reviews, Bourne now has unprecedented access to critical information, enabling more informed decision-making.

“We have a strategy and a delivery plan for the next 12 months,” says Howard Davis. “Our team has access to the necessary data and can reach key entrust personnel at any time. The entrust team is completely transparent and informs us if a target is unachievable.”

The Benefits

When Bourne selected entrust IT Group, they had three primary objectives: enhancing user satisfaction, completing their cloud migration, and defending against new security threats. Within 12 months, all three goals were achieved. Customer satisfaction, measured using Smileback®, reached 95%. All on-premise servers were retired, and the company is now on track to achieve Cyber Essentials Plus certification.

Bourne staff report increased productivity on construction sites. The improvements in hybrid working have also opened up the possibility of expanding their workforce to other parts of the country.

Given Bourne Group’s prominent position in the steel industry and involvement with critical infrastructure, they are a prime target for malicious threat actors. The proactive measures taken by the entrust IT Group to eliminate vulnerabilities ensure that Bourne is well-protected against an increasingly challenging threat landscape.

“I used to have an underlying fear when I thought about our IT” expresses Howard Davis. “Were we really protected? Were we keeping pace with the industry? Was this really the best we could expect? Our previous partner couldn’t ever give us clear answers, so my concerns only grew. I don’t have those concerns anymore. You can’t put a price on a calm mind.”

With technology on an even keel and a clear plan for the future, Bourne can focus on what they do best: building incredible infrastructure.

The Future

Following several turbulent years in the global economy, Bourne Group aims to capitalise on newfound market optimism to drive growth. With a comprehensive five-year plan, the company is committed to streamlining operations to seize new opportunities.

This includes IT, where a concerted effort is being made to remove unused or inefficient services and clearly document all processes to eradicate single points of failure.

“We want to be in a position where every area of the business is as lean and efficient as possible. We’re excited to expand our use of PowerApps, and explore the use of AI and data to give us detailed insights on our company and our market.”

With a period of growth anticipated, Bourne now have a stable platform to take advantage of opportunities, safe in the knowledge that their technology can now meet any challenge.