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Case Studies from Small Businesses

ABI Building Data

ABI Building Data Limited gathers, processes and publishes detailed information on property and construction projects. Their 170 staff work to tight deadlines. When a hardware fault occurred on the disk supporting the main database it left ABI’s research and marketing staff unable to work. Although the disk had been physically replaced there was no one available to help get the system operational. SunGard was able to offer support under their Technology Recovery service.

ABI Building Data Case Study (PDF)

 

British Medical Journal

On 7 July 2005, the British Medical Journal (BMJ), based at the British Medical Association’s headquarters in Tavistock Square, London, found itself at the centre of the terrorist attacks on the city. The London bus bomb exploded directly outside the offices of the BMJ, resulting in denial of access to the premises in the wake of the bombing. In the hours, days and weeks that followed the bombings, the BMJ worked with SunGard to ensure that the business was able to continue to function and to keep up its proud 160-year tradition of never failing to produce the weekly journal, despite having endured two world wars and various other difficulties associated with being located in central London.

British Medical Journal Case Study (PDF)

 

Food & Drink Federation

The Food and Drink Federation is a lobbying organisation representing about 95% of what is the UK’s largest manufacturing industry, food and drink. Based in London, the 70 employees are supported by 2 IT staff.

A key function of FDF is to communicate with a range of domestic and international audiences, including Government, regulators, FDF members and the media. It is through this communication that FDF helps to ensure that the UK food and drink industry is kept informed about UK or EU regulatory matters, and that the industry’s position on food issues can be communicated. For this reason, FDF decided that it needed to prepare for the rapid resumption of business in the event of a disaster, to ensure that this vital communication could take place. As a relatively small organisation sustained by limited funding and membership fees, clearly FDF’s strategy to protect its data needed to be cost effective and not too time-consuming.

The day-to-day activities of FDF are largely taken up by the distribution of documents, research and email as a means of communicating to its various stakeholders. With this in mind, Nik Ollek, senior IT executive for FDF decided that steps needed to be taken to focus on safeguarding these valuable documents. With just 2 members of IT staff, Ollek realised that the solution implemented needed to not only be effective, but also could not drain the limited resources of the department. Taking these factors into account, Ollek decided that it made sense to introduce managed vaulting services. After assessing the solutions available in the marketplace, FDF selected SunGard’s Data Assured solution, which provides automatic, failsafe daily backups for PC server users.

Food & Drink Federation Case Study (PDF)

 

Gerling UK Ltd

With a compliment of 150 staff in London and Birmingham, Gerling has operated in the UK for over fifty years. They are an important player in the London Insurance Market in the property, casualty and engineering markets. Like many organisations, Gerling UK had an in-house data backup regime, which served them well for many years. However, when the company underwent a period of considerable growth, it became clear that an alternative approach was required and they decided to contract to SunGard’s vaulting service.

Gerling UK Ltd Case Study (PDF)

 

James Galt & Company Ltd

James Galt produces and sells quality toys, which meet the needs of all stages of child development from 0-10 years. Based in Cheadle, Cheshire, the company has been in business for 150 years. During that time James Galt has developed products that are designed to be fun and which encourage learning through play. Traditionally the company is associated with art, craft and activity products. Rigorous quality control is applied at all stages of development, production and distribution of James Galt toys (all products comply with or exceed current toy safety regulations - primarily BS EN71 and HD271/BS EN50088 - and all carry the CE mark and the BS5665 Lion Mark). And this attitude extends itself into the business continuity arena, with James Galt also being committed to ensuring the continuation of its business should interruption affect their critical systems. To this effect, James Galt has put in place a comprehensive business continuity plan (BCP) comprising Workplace Recovery and Technology Recovery for AS/400 and Communications systems with SunGard. This was tested for real one Sunday in August 2003, when James Galt’s premises were destroyed in a suspected arson attack.

James Galt & Company Ltd Case Study (PDF)