GreenFuel is the world’s largest producer of bio-diesel processors. Founded in 2003, this family-owned company converts waste cooking oil into high-quality bio-diesel that serves as a 100% replacement for fossil diesel.

With a physical presence in the UK, the United States and  Hong Kong as well as representatives worldwide, GreenFuels’ exports have increased from 20% to 90% in just a few years. As a result, they had to start dealing with a number of IT challenges that they hadn’t considered before – like anytime access to the latest versions of documents when staff members were abroad, as well as the ability to collaborate on documents across countries and time-zones.

In this case study, we’ll take a closer look at the challenges GreenFuels were facing, and how implementing Office 365 helped them adapt to a new speed of business.

The challenge: Why GreenFuels needed a collaboration solution.

With the increase in international exports, key staff members were travelling around the world frequently, and GreenFuels’ IT solution wasn’t able to keep up. CEO James Hygate remembers one occasion in particular: “Last summer, I was in Latin America and I couldn’t get the files I needed because everyone in the office had gone home. I needed to be able to log on to any computer so that we didn’t have to stop working when the office was closed.” In addition, staff were using multiple versions of the same software, making incompatibilities frequent and time-consuming. “We’d lost control over what we were paying for and what was on each of the computers,” says Hygate, “The technology wasn’t keeping up with our growth.”

The solution: How Office 365 helped GreenFuels transition into a new mode of business.

After trialling Office 365, it became clear that moving to the cloud would be a great benefit to GreenFuels. With the help of Expressware (a Microsoft cloud essentials partner and specialist in Intune and Office 365), all of the company’s desktop and laptop computers were replaced with up-to-date models, and Office 365, Intune and Office 2010 – which is included in the Office 365 subscription fee. GreenFuels now has a secure, reliable email solution, as well as shared diaries that allow real-time co-authoring. Employees also have access to the Microsoft SharePoint document library with the ability to edit Office documents in a web browser from anywhere in the world. They also have access to secure, enterprise-grade instant messaging, video conferencing and screen-sharing tools.

The result: How an Office 365 implementation helped GreenFuels thrive

GreenFuels’ Office 365 implementation provided them with cutting-edge enterprise IT infrastructure that helped them enhance their service and primed their organisation for future growth. Implementing business-class collaboration tools like video conferencing, co-authoring and cloud storage greatly enhanced teamwork within the business, and SharePoint’s centralised document library helps all staff members stay on top of the latest information at all times. Using Office 365 also means that every member of staff has access to the same software version, which eliminates the chance of incompatibilities and licensing issues. And, thanks to Office 365’s flexible payments, GreenFuels pays on a per-user, per month basis rather than up front, meaning they’re only charged for what they use in any given month.

Office 365 is a powerful solution for any organisation that needs enhanced flexibility, more manageable operational costs and limitless opportunity for collaboration and online productivity. If you’re considering Office 365 for your business, contact us today to find out more.