HK Kitchens, a leading Tauranga kitchen manufacturer, improved business resilience and reduced IT risk by moving from an ageing on-premise server to BTG’s private cloud platform. By consolidating managed IT services, cloud hosting, cyber security, connectivity and support under one provider, HK gained greater security, business continuity and lower overall IT costs without disrupting production.HK Kitchens has been designing, manufacturing and installing kitchens for 38 years at its Tauranga factory.
HK Kitchens has been designing, manufacturing and installing kitchens for 38 years at its Tauranga factory.
In the past year alone, HK produced 796 kitchens, 102 kitchenettes and more than 1,350 projects in total. This is an average of 23 projects a week, with its on-time delivery a real point of pride for the company.
However, keeping that production rhythm running depends on the right technology.
From email and computer-aided design (CAD) software to the computer numerical control (CNC) machinery that cuts cabinetry, everything runs through the IT infrastructure.
The Risk of Ageing IT Infrastructure
When General Manager Rex Chaffey joined HK he quickly noticed the infrastructure was functional but carrying risk.
An ageing on-site server was approaching the end of its life and replacing it would have meant significant capital expenditure. However, if it failed there was no backup. This would mean the business would stop.
HK had asked its previous IT provider about cloud server options, but they didn’t offer them. With no alternative visible, the company assumed that meant cloud simply wasn’t an option.
“We didn’t know what we didn’t know,” Rex says.
Then BTG Senior Account Manager Rose Gilmore arrived, not on a sales call, but helping a friend buy a new kitchen.
When Rex realised she worked at BTG, they began a fortuitous conversation.
Gilmore’s assessment was clear: The single biggest risk HK was carrying was its on-site server, and BTG’s private cloud platform, called MergeIT, could eliminate it.
Why HK Kitchens Chose Cloud Migration.
Rather than spending tens of thousands of dollars replacing aging hardware every five years, HK could move its server infrastructure to the cloud entirely.
HK was also running its IT, internet and phone services through two separate providers. BTG could consolidate everything: managed services, private cloud hosting, connectivity, VoIP phones, cyber security and CompleteIT, BTG’s all-inclusive user support package.
For HK, the opportunity was not simply a technology upgrade. It was a cloud migration project that would improve security, resilience and business continuity.
Rex’s instinct was straightforward: “If you can do everything that my current provider and Spark are doing, then give me a proposal for everything.”
When the proposal came back, it was not only more comprehensive, but it would also cost less and represented great value for money.
“Our monthly expenditure, even with the smoothed break fee included for our previous provider, was still lower overall.”
Managed IT Services, Cloud Hosting and Support Under One Provider.
For a business where downtime means production stops, the changeover had to be seamless. It was.
“My team went home on Friday, turned up on Monday, and logged in. No one even knew there was a change.”
When Rex reflects on what was delivered, while it was welcome, cost wasn’t the biggest driver. The main thing was security.
HK’s old server is still in place as a secondary gateway, but the business now runs off the cloud, with a full backup behind it. If anything fails, production doesn’t stop.
That resilience is the real value.
For manufacturers, reliable IT infrastructure is critical. Any disruption can impact production schedules, customer delivery dates and operational efficiency. BTG’s managed IT services helped ensure HK could continue operating without interruption.
Rex also highlights the quality and responsiveness of day-to-day support.
“When you treat people as friends and family, not as suppliers, you get better service,” he says.
Under the CompleteIT package, any member of the HK team can contact BTG directly for help. There are no queues, no thresholds, no unexpected bills.
BTG engineer JP is now a familiar face on site.
“When he’s here, it’s like ‘Morning, JP!’. It feels like he’s one of the team.”
Rex describes Rose Gilmore as “one of the team members, really. She just happens to provide our IT.”
When something is urgent, a single call gets it prioritised. Rex has a name for what she does: “She’s my Rose dust. She just sprinkles it, and everything magically works.”
By moving to BTG’s private cloud platform and consolidating services, HK Kitchens achieved:
- Reduced risk from ageing server infrastructure
- Improved business continuity and backup capability
- Zero downtime during migration
- Lower overall monthly IT costs
- Consolidated IT, internet and phone services
- Access to managed IT services and responsive local support
- Greater cyber security and operational resilience
Advice for Businesses with Ageing IT Infrastructure
Rex’s message to other business owners sitting on ageing IT infrastructure or underwhelming provider relationships is direct:
“Ask questions, because you don’t know what you don’t know. Find out what another firm provides, what their point of difference is, and let them come into your business without barriers, so they can show you what they can do for you.”
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