Working with state-of-the-art technology

Fischer Weilheim logo

Working with state-of-the-art technology

Working with state-of-the-art technology

Since FISCHER Weilheim GmbH was founded in 1927, it has been hard to picture the construction and transport industries in the greater Stuttgart area without also seeing the company’s distinctive fleet of orange vehicles. FISCHER Weilheim GmbH now has offices at ten locations and over 300 employees employed across three companies, as well as various investments in the transport, earthworks, demolition, waste disposal and recycling, landfill, construction materials and stone breaking works sectors. The portfolio also includes a service centre for the maintenance of commercial vehicles and construction machinery. This is where muscle meets machinery, a huge vehicle fleet that gets the adrenaline flowing. A truly gigantic company, today working with state-of-the-art technology – thanks to the right IT advice combined with a tailor-made, integrated IT solution.


About FISCHER Weilheim GmbH

Founded in 1927 in Weilheim an der Teck, this family-run company operates across a large number of business sectors. FISCHER Weilheim specialises in completing demanding projects in the transport, earthworks, demolition and waste disposal and recycling sectors, moving an average of 10,000 tonnes of bulk material and soils of every kind every single day. Represented at ten locations across the region,
the company provides numerous skilled occupations as well as opportunities for dual study, making them an important employer.


IT as an obstacle

The IT infrastructure looked somewhat different even just a few years ago: Communication across the various locations was guaranteed to bring staff out in a sweat, while manageability and licence verification posed even greater challenges. For years, software had only been acquired on the basis of need, and the many different versions within the company made using the software, which accesses Office, difficult.


In short: IT was a bit like one of the company’s own construction sites. And much like every construction site needs a foreman who can plan a sound structure, keep their eye on the objective at all times and coordinate every process, staff at FISCHER Weilheim GmbH wanted a reliable partner who would provide the necessary oversight and modernise the IT environment in a cost-effective manner.


quotation marks

We create space for innovation – and Office 365 is helping us to do that.

Kay Ernst

Head of IT, FISCHER Weilheim GmbH

Smart design with Microsoft

Ultimately, Konica Minolta IT Solutions GmbH was able to find the right, hands-on IT architect. A wrecking ball was taken to the work: Virtual servers were installed first in order to drag the rusty software and hardware into the present. Building on that foundation, the next step was the implementation of Microsoft Exchange Online and Office 365 Plan E3. All staff now have a uniform user interface, allowing them to switch workspaces as required, provide mutual support to each other and, thanks to the cloud solution, access their data regardless of location.


“After renovating and consolidating the data centres using a high-availability solution, migration to Microsoft Office 365 is another important component of the new IT concept,” says Matthias Brändle, IT Manager at Konica Minolta IT Solutions, explaining the approach he took.
Whether excavators, cranes or flatbed trucks, everything is consistently organised under the supervision of the new foreman: Office 365. It also proved possible to optimise and increase the efficiency of data flows between the individual business units. Given how crucial protection for the shared data is, discussions about security meant calls for powerful virtual bodyguards. Software that accesses Office applications now
only has to be tested on a single device before being put to immediate use across the entire company – a huge time saving.


The IT department now only has to manage one portal instead of digging through mountains of data, making it far easier to provide support to users. Konica Minolta IT Solutions is also continuing to supervise the technical side, meaning that IT staff within the company can devote all of their energies to managing users and licences.


With a cloud-based solution, the sky's the limit

The new, comprehensive solution allows for reliable budgeting while remaining grounded in its cost-effectiveness. The latest
software version is automatically available to staff at all times, making licence management child's play. New workplaces can be set up quickly and easily – always a strong argument in a fast-growing company. The next option under discussion is Skype for Business. Conclusion: FISCHER Weilheim GmbH does the heavy lifting and deploys enterprising cloud solutions to help build the future.

Advantages

Advantages
  • Unified user interface for all employees
  • Location-independent access to data
  • Optimised and more efficient data flow among various business units
  • IT administration via a single portal; streamlined user support
  • Budgetary planning reliability
  • Foolproof administration of licenses
  • Fast and easy setup of new workplaces

Challenge

Challenge
  • Simplify the communication across various locations
  • Streamline administration and licensing
  • Harmonisation of various software versions

Solution

Solution
  • Installation of virtual servers
  • Microsoft Exchange Online Office 365 Plan E3
  • Restructuring and consolidation of the data centres