Methodist Homes' 4,000 Staff Given the Tools to Sharpen Productivity
Overview
UK charity Methodist Homes now benefits from intuitive and secure IT services to empower 4,000 staff, thanks to a tech transformation guided by Bytes.
Methodist Homes (MHA) is the largest charity care provider in Britain. The organisation is dedicated to providing high-quality care, accommodation and support services. These positively impact the lives of thousands of older adults every year.
Founded in 1943 by members of the Methodist Church, MHA has a mission to enhance the quality of life for older people, especially those who are vulnerable, isolated or living with dementia.
MHA’s approach emphasises respect, compassion, and dignity – aligning with the values of the Methodist Church. MHA’s aim is to create caring and vibrant communities where older people can live fulfilled lives with access to physical, mental and spiritual support.
As one of the largest charities of its kind in the UK, MHA relies on donations, volunteer support, and its partnership with the Methodist Church to deliver services.
Challenge
Keeping pace with growing needs
The charity’s IT team recognised the need for a modern, scalable and secure cloud-based solution that could support its growing needs. The organisation also needed to stay compliant with data privacy regulations, given the sensitive and personal nature of information managed within care homes.
The IT team set out four key goals.
- Moving beyond its on-premises Exchange 2010 email system
- Securing email communications
- Onboarding and managing devices across care homes around the UK
- Virtualising desktops to replace legacy Citrix systems
Bytes’ willingness to get to know both MHA and the people has meant that we are confident whenever MHA reaches out for assistance and, therefore, they have been pivotal in our move from our end-of-life systems to a modern cloud-based infrastructure. Their ability to assign not only a knowledgeable technician but also one who integrated well with our IT Technical team ensured a smooth and quick transition. All of this meant that we are now ahead of our Digital Transformation project.
The Bytes Solution
Digital transformation at scale
MHA’s IT team worked with Bytes and used its know-how across the IT landscape to transform technology effectively.
Migrating 4,000 users from Exchange 2010 to Microsoft 365 was a major challenge. But the Quest On Demand Migration tool deployed by Bytes helped to bring everyone onto the new platform. Now teams benefit from the latest tools for email, collaboration and productivity.
Provisioning new devices for employees was streamlined. Configuration of Microsoft Autopilot by Bytes now enables MHA to simplify and automate device setup and deployment.
Deployment and configuration of Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) replaced the Citrix legacy tech with a flexible, cloud-based desktop environment that delivers flexibility and enhanced security.
MHA ramped up security in other areas too.
Reconfiguration of its Mimecast solution ensures that email security is now fully integrated with Microsoft 365. Meanwhile, Microsoft Intune for mobile device management allows MHA to manage and secure user devices across its care homes.
Migration from on-premises file servers to SharePoint Online enables centralised and secure data storage.
Benefits
Immediate productivity gains
The partnership with Bytes has made it possible for MHA to unlock efficiency gains, increase productivity and centralise security and control – as its needs evolve.
Major advantages have been felt immediately. Onboarding and setting up devices is now faster and easier for the IT team – and provides improved onboarding experiences. Migrating data to SharePoint Online allows for better data classification, retention and governance capabilities, simplifying compliance.
Meanwhile, Microsoft 365 and Azure services provide built-in disaster recovery options, improving overall resilience and minimising downtime risks.
Change has been great news for employees too. New tools (Microsoft 365, SharePoint Online, Intune, AVD) create a modern digital workplace where they can thrive, enhancing satisfaction, collaboration and productivity.
MHA is also on course for a host of longer-term benefits:
- Transitioning to cloud-based services (Microsoft 365, SharePoint Online and Azure Virtual Desktop) eliminates the need for costly on-premises hardware upgrades and reduces maintenance expenses over time.
- With Microsoft 365 and Intune’s built-in security and compliance tools, MHA can uphold data protection standards, supporting compliance with industry regulations.
- With Autopilot and Intune, MHA can automate device provisioning, updates, and decommissions, simplifying device management and reducing the IT team’s workload.
- Implementing AVD as a replacement for Citrix offers a more cost-effective, integrated virtual desktop solution, providing flexibility to scale easily.