Worth's Motor Services — Microsoft Cloud Modernisation
Worth's Motor Services Ltd, trading as Worth's Coaches, is a family-run coach operator based in Enstone, Oxfordshire. Established in 1922, the business provides private coach hire and school contract services. When Latchman Consulting took over the environment, the organisation relied on a business-critical physical server located on the ground in the back office, creating a genuine single point of failure.
The challenge
The server in the back office ran the business-critical line-of-business application and its SQL database alongside on-premises Active Directory. If it failed, the business lost access to the systems it runs on.
Remote access was unreliable. VPN connectivity was not working properly when Latchman Consulting took over the environment, and remote and hybrid workers needed dependable access to business systems.
Microsoft 365 was already licensed but not being used efficiently. The organisation held more licences than it needed, and services already included in the subscription, including SharePoint, were not being used.
The outcome
- Reduced dependence on on-premises infrastructure
- Improved remote access
- Simplified cloud architecture
- Better Microsoft 365 administration
- Better identity management
- More effective use of Microsoft 365 licensing
- SharePoint introduced where it had previously not been used
- Reduced unnecessary cloud overhead
- A clearer path toward a cloud-first environment
The solution
Latchman Consulting began modernising the environment: moving suitable workloads into Azure, improving remote connectivity, managing Microsoft 365 and identity, introducing SharePoint, and simplifying the underlying cloud and network infrastructure. For the technically minded, the work involved:
- Migrated on-premises workloads to Microsoft Azure
- Hosted the line-of-business application and SQL workload in Azure
- Configured and managed hybrid identity using Microsoft Entra Connect
- Diagnosed and resolved identity synchronisation issues
- Implemented secure connectivity for office, hybrid and remote workers
- Simplified Azure networking
- Reduced unnecessary Azure infrastructure and cost, an ongoing effort
- Took on management of Microsoft 365 users, licences and administration
- Began rationalising Microsoft 365 licensing, which continues
- Introduced practical SharePoint use within the organisation
- Integrated business applications with Microsoft 365 where appropriate
- Security managed as part of the environment
- Automation used where appropriate
- Ongoing Microsoft infrastructure and cloud consultancy