Wilson Vale is a contract catering company operating across several sites throughout the UK. The company joined forces with Aramark in 2021. It has no in-house IT team, so the finance team handles IT-related issues by default and the business relies on an external provider to support its operations and growth. Wilson Vale's IT needs are straightforward, but it requires reliable security, clear disaster recovery guidance and a partner that lets it focus on catering.

Wilson Vale needed an IT solution that could ensure reliable security, operational efficiency and scalability as the company expanded. Without an in-house IT team, the catering business depended entirely on an external resource. It wanted robust IT security, clear guidance on disaster recovery and a trusted partner capable of managing its technology while the company concentrated on its core business.

The company's disaster recovery site was hosted in an old, inadequate environment that lacked proper cooling and had a failing infrastructure. Cybersecurity training for staff had been an overlooked area, leaving the team less aware of cyber threats in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

There was also a transition to manage. Wilson Vale had been working with Custard Technical Services, which Thrive acquired in November 2022. Financial Controller Claire Turner described the change as initially challenging, as expected when merging two businesses. The company needed clarity on what its renewed services covered, how existing licensing and contracts would be merged and what its IT costs actually were.

Wilson Vale renewed its IT services under Thrive following the acquisition of Custard Technical Services. The Thrive account manager assigned to Wilson Vale played a critical role in the transition, offering proactive communication and clear explanations of the services provided. Thrive made sure the company understood what its renewed services covered, helped merge existing licensing and contracts and provided a clearer breakdown of IT costs.

Thrive identified the disaster recovery system as a significant project. It recommended moving from the outdated, failing environment to a cloud-based disaster recovery system, walking Turner through the options, the risks of continuing with the old system and the benefits of modernisation and cloud migration. The disaster recovery project has since progressed into a cloud migration, with Thrive handling all technical aspects and offering weekly updates and transparent communication while requiring minimal involvement from Wilson Vale's team.

Thrive also organises and manages ongoing cybersecurity training sessions for the team, improving awareness of cyber threats. Across the engagement, which spans advisory services, backup, cloud, disaster recovery, end-user support, managed infrastructure, Microsoft 365 and security, the account manager translates complex technical information into clear, actionable advice for a company with minimal in-house IT knowledge.

• Smoother IT operations, with the business focused on catering rather than technical details
• Disaster recovery moved from a failing on-premises environment to a cloud-based system, now progressing into cloud migration
• Weekly updates and transparent communication during migration, with minimal involvement needed from Wilson Vale's team
• Ongoing cybersecurity training, previously an overlooked area, now organised and managed by Thrive
• Licensing and contracts merged with a clearer breakdown of IT costs after the Custard Technical Services acquisition
• Technology infrastructure now positioned to scale in support of company growth