engelbert strauss, a leading brand manufacturer of workwear, is growing rapidly. Regional distribution and employee figures are on the rise, and as a result, so are the number of IT assets in the company. What was the logical next step for Christan Albrecht and Mareike Fuchs in First-Level Support? To implement a tailor-made solution that can be used to manage the various IT aspects centrally and that can be customized to their specific needs.
engelbert strauss not only wanted to map their entire IT infrastructure and benefit from inventory management, comprehensive license management, automated software deployment and patch management. It was also necessary to implement a helpdesk with integrated ticket system. This included integrating various processes across multiple locations.
Deskcenter Management Suite helps engelbert strauss to manage approximately 1,400 systems and approximately 1,600 components across multiple locations.
“At some point we noticed that we could no longer meet the needs of our employees and offer professional support using the tools we had in place. We needed to provide our IT department with a single, central platform so they could perform their work. This platform was the only way to facilitate structured IT workflows and ensure that documentation is useful and traceable. The platform also ensures that users can carry out specific activities independently. Deskcenter combines comprehensive IT asset management with a user helpdesk in one solution. And that is just what we need,” explains Christian Albrecht.
The amount of time we save is not only a huge benefit for our employees and users, but it also positively affects our company’s bottom line.
Christian Albrecht
First-Level-Support
Challenge
- Constantly increasing number of assets in multiple locations
- Central and efficient administration of inventory and helpdesk
Solution
- Fast implementation of the DCMS after a test phase
- Optimization of help desk processes through cross-site workflow management
- Direct control over software and patch levels
- Constant extension of the report function by individual scripts
Helpdesk offers added value and helps businesses increase efficiency and user satisfaction.
Along with implementing several larger optimizations, numerous sub-tasks were automated so that various workflow steps could be simplified, increasing employee efficiency. For example, automated ticket generation for recurring tasks, automated email creation for forwarding issues to service providers (including component master data), and follow-ups for tickets so that deadlines are not missed.
Thanks to the software cart in Deskcenter.Web, users can perform certain software updates autonomously. The application or package is automatically installed on the user’s PC. The helpdesk employee then sees in the installation overview which applications have been requested, and can grant permissions as needed.
Asset management is expanded and enhanced via interfaces at engelbert strauss
Deskcenter provides useful data for almost all assets and components in many areas. For example, asset management functions identify and display all monitors connected to the system, including information about manufacturer, products and connections to the monitor and system. This makes it possible for IT employees to immediately find the right cables and spare parts if equipment is defective.
Integrated software and license management facilitate automation and compliance
Providing software and patches quickly and in a standardized way for all users at the various locations was top priority for the IT department at engelbert strauss. The suite uses assignments or rules to carry out central OS deployment and software deployment. With a system count of four figures, this massively reduces the amount of work involved. When setting up a computer, pre-defined rules are used to install automatically selected programs and activate their licenses. Manual processes, for example those needed for new installation and also when rolling out patches or feature updates, can be significantly reduced. Provisioning occurs in the background and the software is kept in sync at all sites.
Furthermore, thanks to the Deskcenter Management Suite, license management can be integrated in such a way that requirements can be identified easily and with transparency. This makes it possible to react quickly to license violations and identify isolated applications.
Intelligent scripting simplifies planning and saves time
Furthermore, for a variety of functions, many different Deskcenter Management Suite modules used at engelbert strauss are enhanced through the use of individual scripts and interface integrations. This has created, for example, a clear visualization of racks in the company’s various server rooms. Data from inventory with a few additional details, such as quantity, height units and locations of server cabinets are combined to calculate and depict an accurate picture of the distribution, including free space. This intelligent automation is used to determine location. This way employees do not have to search for long periods of time. And planning the installation and removal of the server cabinets is easier.
Thanks to these types of scripts, the history of printer meter readings can be read and exported as a report if needed. Data from the Deskcenter database can then be immediately displayed in the CRM system. Users see, for example, how conference rooms are equipped (projector, TV, computer, etc.).
Central IT management ensures flexibility and consistency in a company like engelbert strauss
Thanks to the Deskcenter Management Suite with integrated customizations, many processes and workflows at engelbert strauss have been optimized, standardized, automated and simplified. This makes it possible to respond quickly and consistently to changes in the corporate environment. The Deskcenter Management Suite offers the flexibility and customizations many businesses need to ensure software reliability.
The implementation of the Deskcenter Management Suite itself was smooth and easy too. After a sufficient test phase, during which Deskcenter Support provided professional support, employees were up and running productively in no time. The modular design and the intuitive interface facilitated a step-by-step implementation of the suite, with no need for special technical knowledge. “Deskcenter is a comprehensive, easy-to-use IT management system that links various components in a meaningful way. Specific needs are addressed by customizations. It’s been an all-around success for us,” says Mareike Fuchs happily.