Case Study: Upgrading IT Infrastructure for Nature's Menu
Posted by Netmatters
11th September 2025
11th September 2025
Who Is The Client?
Nature’s Menu, a leading pet food company in the UK, was acquired by Affinity Pet Care, an international pet food company based in Spain. As part of the integration process, Nature’s Menu required a complete overhaul of their user devices to align with Affinity Pet Care’s standardised IT infrastructure and business practices. This involved replacing all user devices with specific Configure-to-Order (CTO) HP laptops that met Affinity’s specifications and setting them up under the new APC domain.
What Was The Problem?
Custom Ordering Process: Each CTO device order had to be placed through HP via distributors rather than Affinity’s normal suppliers. Affinity could not directly order these devices as they would have had to manage UK imports,
Supplier Limitations: Nature’s Menu had always procured hardware through us, which does not apply markup on hardware purchases. Therefore, we were chosen to facilitate procurement and setup.
Lack of Standardised Setup Image: Requirement for a standardised device image or procedural documentation, necessitating the development of a custom image and deployment process.
What Was Our Solution?
We undertook the procurement, setup, and deployment of the new devices in three phases, ensuring minimal disruption to Nature’s Menu operations:
Phase 1: Ultimately requiring 77 hours due to the additional effort needed to develop a custom image.
Phase 2: Benefiting from the efficiencies gained in Phase 1. The initial estimate was 65 hours, but only 44 hours were required due to the refined process.
Phase 3: The final batch of 55 devices was set up with even greater efficiency. The project was estimated at 52 hours and was completed in 51 hours.
What Was The Result?
Time Savings: The initial custom image development took additional hours but led to significant efficiency gains in later deployments.
Streamlined Deployment: By creating a standardised setup process, we reduced setup time per device and ensured consistency across all future deployments.
Ongoing Utility: The custom image and procedures developed for this project are now in regular use for onboarding new employees and resetting returned devices from departing staff, ensuring long-term cost and time savings.
This project showcased our ability to adapt to unique procurement challenges, develop custom IT solutions, and work with external finance partners to meet client needs. By investing additional effort upfront, we created a scalable and efficient process that continues to benefit Nature’s Menu and Affinity Pet Care.
The lessons learned from this project - particularly around CTO procurement, finance coordination, and custom imaging - can be applied to other businesses undergoing international IT standardisation efforts. Contact us today to discuss your IT needs.
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