The Japanese company Makita is a household name in the world of power tools and garden equipment. The blue toolboxes with white lettering are a familiar sight in the construction industry, among others. Their corporate philosophy? To bring robust, high-quality machines to market that users can rely on worry-free day in and day out, both in operation and maintenance.
Operations Manager Hugo Verheyen has decided to place greater emphasis on the internal controllability of the IT systems & infrastructure and start looking for a new IT partner. “We had outgrown the previous one,” Hugo explains. “We were working with a smaller organization, with a limited number of people and resources. For us, that posed the risk that they wouldn’t be able to respond quickly enough in the event of any problems, whereas I am committed to ensuring that our business continues to run smoothly. So we went ”Looking for a new partner with more staff and 24/7 support."
Alistar is an open-minded conversation partner who prepared us for the virtual era.
Hugo Verheyen, Operations Manager
Modest and proactive
Hugo held meetings with five companies and chose Alistar. They hit it off right away: “We already knew them a little from their informative breakfast sessions with to-the-point, useful information and equally to-the-point presentations. There, we met numerous satisfied users. During the first ‘official’ meeting, we already felt that things were off to a good start. We share the same no-nonsense, proactive approach. Alistar was also the only company that spontaneously suggested, even during the introductory meeting, that as a start a no-obligation audit ”to carry out."
The fact that Alistar positions itself as an open dialogue partner who also contributes strategic insights is what won Hugo over. “It was a genuine conversation. We really appreciated that, for them, it wasn’t immediately about revenue, but about finding the best possible solution for our company.” Of course, the financial aspect also plays a role.
Alistar proposed efficient solutions that were also reasonably priced. And they spoke clearly: no unnecessary technical jargon.
Japan Wins Over Thanks to a Transparent Approach
Convinced that we have found a strong new local partner, it is waiting for approval from the Japanese headquarters. Hugo: “We had to thoroughly justify both our decision to switch IT partners and our choice of Alistar. Of course, that didn’t happen overnight.”
Alistar’s transparent approach and its detailed documentation of the new infrastructure and processes—which are incredibly important for business continuity—convinced the Japanese management.
“When we decided to take over management of our IT infrastructure in-house, we needed a different approach. And since Makita didn’t have all the necessary expertise in-house, we needed a partner to consult with. With Alistar, the communication in an open atmosphere. What's more, they work with us to find solutions, advise They provide our employees with prompt and accurate assistance and support them when necessary.
With Alistar, communication takes place in an open atmosphere. What’s more, they work with us to find solutions, provide our employees with prompt and accurate advice, and support them whenever necessary.
From eight to two servers
Once the project is approved, Alistar gets started. During the pre-audit, it quickly becomes clear that the excessive number of servers—which had accumulated over time—is unnecessarily complicating the manageability of the system. “When we moved to Kortenberg, over five years ago, we transferred the existing servers from our previous location, and a number of additional servers were installed due to the new infrastructure: backup servers, security servers, … Ultimately, there were eight, ”, all of which were managed and maintained by the previous service provider, who had installed them without offering any advice on how to improve them."
On Alistar's recommendation, the servers will be replaced by two new high-performance servers that are connected to a SAN (Storage Area Network) and equipped with a cloud-based backup solution. As a result, the IT infrastructure is now much more secure. “At the start of the project, we weren’t quite ‘cloud-minded’ yet. We initially considered a reconfiguration, which we had already discussed with other partners. While those partners didn’t mention it during the introductory meetings, Alistar did have reservations about it from the very beginning. They immediately joined us in searching for the best approach—one that’s also future-proof.”
Makita now has a virtual high-availability environment, with a minimal downtime in the event of a power outage. If something goes wrong, the system automatically creates a backup. The Makita employees aren't bothered by it: they just keep working as if nothing is wrong. A must in the digital age.
Transparent and customer-friendly
At the time Makita Alistar was launched, the internal IT department was still in its infancy. Ronny, new to his role as head of IT, was still getting up to speed. That, too, is why the need for a proactive, reliable partner was so urgent.
“Alistar works with many different clients, which means they encounter a wide range of challenges. They bring their expertise to bear here. They really draw my team into the story,” says Hugo. “For example, they provided us with a handy and affordable tool that makes monitoring much easier. Is that earth-shattering? No. Innovative? Not really. But customer-friendly? Absolutely. And that’s how they set themselves apart from a number of other companies, which tend to be more closed off, making us more dependent on them.”
“Alistar had clearly assessed and prepared for the transition well. Everything went smoothly. The transition took place within the predefined timeline, costs stayed within budget, and the employees hardly noticed the work being done. And that’s how it should be,” says Ronny.
Close monitoring
And what about the project’s follow-up? Ronny: “Alistar performs major system maintenance several times a year, during which they look for vulnerabilities and weak spots, immediately followed by a detailed report listing all areas requiring attention. Although we now handle a great deal in-house, Alistar monitors everything, checks off what we’ve already fixed, and advises on what still needs to be done.”. That secondary monitoring is very reassuring. Even if there isn't a pressing problem yet, if there's a risk, we're aware of it. With the new configuration, we can be sure that everything is and will remain up and running, with all the necessary backups. And if a problem does arise that requires our assistance, then ”Alistar guarantees that we can turn to them day and night."
Long-term partnership
So, what’s the secret to a long-lasting partnership? If it were up to Hugo, it certainly is. “I don’t usually give interviews or testimonials. The fact that I’m making an exception for Alistar speaks volumes. By the way, speaking of flexibility: if Makita isn’t satisfied with Alistar’s performance, the agreement can be terminated immediately, without any penalty clause. Fortunately, for now, I don’t see any reason for that.”
“As far as Makita is concerned, Alistar is an open and collaborative partner with a forward-looking vision. And, of course, we still have new IT projects in the pipeline. Exciting times lie ahead for Alistar at Makita.”
