Brown-Forman, a global leader in the beverage industry, undertook a significant overhaul of its PC refresh strategy to improve efficiency, reduce downtime, and enhance the end-user experience. By integrating PCmover Enterprise with Thunderbolt transfer cables, the company reduced PC migration times by 84% from about 4 hours per transfer to just 40 minutes, achieving a seamless, scalable, and user-friendly transition process.
Background & Challenges
Since 2018, Brown-Forman has relied on PCmover Enterprise for lease swaps, handling 2,500 to 3,000 PC refreshes annually. Before COVID-19, the IT team performed white-glove service swaps, handling everything from imaging to user setup on a 1:1 basis. This process, however, had critical challenges:
- User Downtime: Each swap took at least 4 hours, consuming valuable work time.
- Resource Intensity: IT staff manually handled each migration, limiting scalability.
- Security Concerns: A security breach during the early pandemic accelerated the need for a self-service migration model.
- Remote Work Obstacles: Employees had to migrate devices independently, requiring a process that was both intuitive and reliable.
Solution: PCmover Enterprise + Thunderbolt
To modernize the process, Brown-Forman upgraded to the latest version of PCmover Enterprise, implemented a self-service migration model, and transitioned to using Thunderbolt transfer cables.
Key Upgrades & Features
- Custom Policy File: Laplink solution architects helped create a pre-configured policy file to ensure a seamless user experience with minimal intervention.
- Thunderbolt Transfer Cables: Data transfers of 94GB were completed in just 20 minutes, marking a dramatic improvement over prior methods that took over 2 hours.
- Automated Software Installation: While PCmover migrated user files, enterprise applications were auto installed in the background.
- Remote-Friendly Deployment: Devices were shipped with all necessary guides and cables for a frictionless self-service PC refresh.
Results & Impact
The transition to using PCmover Enterprise with Thunderbolt led to unprecedented efficiency gains:
|
Metric
|
Before
|
After
|
|
Total Swap Time
|
4 hours
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40 minutes
|
|
Data Transfer Time (94GB)
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2+ hours
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20 minutes
|
|
IT Touch Time
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Extensive, hands-on
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Minimal, user-driven
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|
User Experience
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High frustration
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Smooth, consistent process
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✔ IT Team Efficiency: A reduced workload allows the IT department to focus on higher-value initiatives.
✔ User Satisfaction: The process is standardized, repeatable, and easy to follow, even for non-technical employees.
✔ Global Scalability: With Thunderbolt cables widely available worldwide, international teams no longer face hardware limitations.
Key Takeaways
- Dramatic Time Savings – Thunderbolt and PCmover cut migration times by over 84%.
- Minimal IT Involvement – The self-service model empowers employees while ensuring security and consistency.
- Scalability & Reliability – A single, unified process works globally, improving operational efficiency.
- Future-Ready Infrastructure – By integrating Thunderbolt, Brown-Forman ensures long-term adaptability.
Conclusion
By leveraging PCmover Enterprise with Thunderbolt transfer cables, Brown-Forman transformed its PC refresh strategy into an ultra-fast, scalable, and user-friendly process. Using PCmover Enterprise, businesses can reduce IT overhead, empower employees, and improve operational efficiency by adopting cutting-edge migration solutions.
To learn how PCmover Enterprise can simplify your PC refresh projects, visit enterprise.laplink.com to request an instant download of a free fully functional copy of PCmover Enterprise.
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