Learn How LV Swiss Achieves Enhanced Security and Productivity by Upgrading Dynamics GP and Migrating to the Microsoft Azure Cloud

Customer
LV Swiss, Inc

Industry
Computer Numerical Control (CNC) Machining

Organization Size
Small (1 – 50 employees)

Country
United States

Who is LV Swiss?

Since 2019 LV Swiss has been a contract manufacturer in the Computer Numerical Control (CNC) Machining industry, providing customers with high-quality precision CNC Machine parts. Their advanced in-house software technology gives their customers real-time, up-to-date information on the progress of their production, therefore smooth operation of daily activities is critical.  

In 2021, LV Swiss unexpectedly experienced a ransomware attack through one of their computers within their network. While the attack was ultimately unsuccessful, the incident raised concerns about the potential impact of future attacks and the need for a more robust and secure system. With operational disruption and downtime posing a significant risk to legal liabilities and financial operations, the LV Swiss team knew they needed to act quickly to address the issue and ensure their network is fully secured. That’s when Darren, their CFO and CIO, initiated the search for different options to address this concern. 

“One of the workers in our quoting department got hit with ransomware. It was fairly innocuous. We took out that computer and replaced the hard drive and went on, but it raised some questions of…’What happens if…?’ And so I started looking into different options and opted for the cloud because it’s more secure than any on-premise equipment can be. It’s not 100%, but it’s 90%–  whereas on-premise is probably 50%.”

-Darren H. | CFO & CIO of LV Swiss

How TMC Addressed LV Swiss’s Concerns and Enabled a Smooth Cloud Migration 

Before LV Swiss partnered with Technology Management Concepts, they faced arduous daily tasks with Microsoft Dynamics GP 15.1. Maintaining their system’s security led to additional expenses and suboptimal productivity. In addition, employees were required to be present in the office to access the company’s network, resulting in added expenses for hardware and software maintenance. 

Upgrading their system was a daunting task, requiring significant downtime and IT resources. Year-end payroll was complex and tedious, with manual calculations and limited reporting capabilities causing delays and errors.  

While these tasks may seem manageable, they actually caused significant time and expense for LV Swiss.  

When LV Swiss approached TMC to initiate the conversation around migrating to the cloud, they were still hesitant to make the move, because they feared losing control of their system. This is not a surprise as it is a common concern among legacy users. TMC took the time to reassure LV Swiss about the many security benefits of migrating to TMC’s Azure Cloud (TAC) solution. 

“My biggest concern was loss of control. Letting somebody else manage the data. I mean when it was an on-premise server, I had complete control and I could control the backups. I could control everything and the biggest challenge for me was letting go. I was also a little bit cautious about the cloud. Not knowing what it would do, what it would mean. However TMC’s staff did really well giving feedback and making sure everything was covered.”

-Darren H. | CFO & CIO of LV Swiss

Recommendations for LV Swiss Dynamics Upgrade and Cloud Migration 

During the Business Process Review and proposed SOW, TMC recommended LV Swiss to upgrade their current software to the latest supported version and move their Dynamics installation to the TMC Azure Cloud. TMC recommended the following solutions:  

1. Upgrade Dynamics GP2015 to Dynamics GP 18.3 to be compatible with the Windows Server level in Microsoft Azure  
2. Upgrade SQL server for better support for cloud deployment and migrations
3. Upgrade all reports, and customizations (e.g. Management Reporter)  
4. Fully train staff on the new features introduced between Dynamics GP 2015 & Dynamics GP 18.3 

How TMC Ensured Business Continuity for LV Swiss 

It’s common for clients to be concerned about business continuity during cloud migrations. However, in LV Swiss’s case, this wasn’t a concern as TMC ensured a smooth implementation process that resulted in little to no disruption to their daily operations. LV Swiss was able to continue performing their daily activities without any significant downtime. TMC ensured that any necessary maintenance or updates were performed outside of LV Swiss’s business hours, allowing them to open new data the next day and continue their operations seamlessly. 

“TMC took three days each to upgrade to a new version. They ran it in a sandbox first and then brought in the live code. We could perform daily activities; they went online when we were offline and so we would open up a new data the next day.”

-Darren H. | CFO & CIO of LV Swiss

LV Swiss Improves Security, Reliability, and Productivity with TMC’s Azure Cloud Solution 

LV Swiss now benefits from a range of security measures since switching to TMC’s Azure Cloud (TAC) solution. This includes having a private virtual machine, hassle-free backup and disaster recovery, as well as built-in security services provided by Microsoft that can identify threats early on. With TAC in place, LV Swiss is also relieved of the worry around physical server security and can reduce compliance risk with Microsoft Azure’s controls in place. 

Furthermore, TAC runs on Microsoft Azure with a 99.9% uptime, which greatly reduces LV Swiss’s downtime and allows them to rely on their system around the clock. In addition, TAC provides self-service password reset, full and point-in-time backups, and disaster recovery to reduce stress on LV Swiss’s IT resources, freeing up their staff to concentrate on other important tasks. 

“The first benefit is there’s no maintenance that we have to worry about. It’s automatically upgraded. Year-end payroll is really simple. It’s as if you almost forget about it. I let my assistant do most of the entries and do most of the stuff weekly or biweekly sometimes and look at what’s going on. It’s pretty seamless.”

-Darren H. | CFO & CIO of LV Swiss

Overall, TMC’s Azure Cloud (TAC) solution provides LV Swiss with a comprehensive business continuity plan without the need for secondary infrastructure, as well as peace of mind during both planned and unplanned outages. 

Although, security was LV Swiss’s main reason for upgrading to the cloud, they were surprised by Azure’s other features that improved their productivity. This increased efficiency has not only saved them time but also translates to significant cost savings for their business, making the cloud migration a worthwhile return on investment.

What’s Next for LV Swiss? 

After many years of successful collaboration with TMC, LV Swiss is planning to expand their partnership by having TMC host Microsoft 365 and replace their current Dynamics GP with Dynamics Business Central. This move will enable LV Swiss to leverage the integrated cloud management reporter and eliminate the need for third-party reporting, streamlining billing and management under one roof. With Business Central’s additional capabilities and features, we’re confident that LV Swiss will be able to simplify their processes and eliminate the hassle of dealing with multiple vendors/software.