Every day, a leading energy company powers thousands of households, factories, offices, malls and buildings in South Australia on a grid that traverses 6,600 circuit kilometers of transmission lines, extending across 200,000 square kilometers of diverse and rugged terrain. Lenovo is supporting this critical infrastructure in its digital transformation and sustainability efforts, providing services that give it a competitive edge.
Critical and costly roadblocks
Besides providing a reliable and uninterrupted electricity supply to the population, the company is facing a pressing need to adapt to a changing market. Consumption habits are evolving, with households and businesses veering towards sustainable and renewable sources of energy. Consumers are increasingly installing rooftop solar panels, and businesses are ramping up deployment of energy efficiency measures, weaning themselves off the traditional network grid.
To address these needs and mitigate potential shortfalls in revenue due to reduced demand, the company has invested in transmission network solutions for businesses that are cost effective and started providing back-up supplies for customers who choose to adopt new energy technologies.
However, during these changes, employees from the company were struggling with end-of-life laptops that were long overdue for a refresh. These devices were still operating on outdated systems and could not run the latest software. Furthermore, their previous IT provider of 15 years could no longer provide adequate support.
Customer service officers and other front-facing teams were plagued by lags in pulling out the requisite customer data and could not serve nor respond to enquiries, nor solve customers’ issues in a timely fashion. Teams from back-end functions experienced a drop in productivity as copious amounts of time were spent on IT troubleshooting device ailments and problems.
The stakes were high – without a modernized fleet of laptops, employees’ ability to do their jobs properly was severely curtailed, leading to reputational and operational risks. The company needed a new partner to combat these challenges swiftly and effectively.
Revamping the fleet
To upgrade its fleet of devices and standardize operating systems with the latest Windows OS and Office applications, the company opted for Lenovo’s X1 Yoga Gen 6 PCs. Equipped with 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7 processors, the X1 Yoga Gen 6 PC series is designed to provide top-tier performance, responsiveness, and battery life.
Since deploying these devices in 2024, the company has marked a significant improvement in operational efficiency and reliability.
Transition support to minimize disruptions
With any introduction of new technology, it takes time for end users to familiarize themselves with how to use and operate said technology, in this instance, their new devices. To ease this transition, Lenovo provided a comprehensive four-year Premier Support package, which includes robust IT assistance designed to minimize downtime.
Lenovo’s configuration services, including Autopilot registration and custom BIOS, played a crucial role in facilitating a smooth transition to new devices.
The comprehensive configuration process, encompassing meticulous asset tagging and rigorous electrical testing, was critical to ensuring a seamless and efficient integration into the pre-existing infrastructure.
Moreover, the company also opted to add Lenovo’s CO2 Offset Services which aligns perfectly with the company’s sustainability goals and has been instrumental in managing the company’s carbon footprint.
The provision of these attached services gave Lenovo a decided advantage over competitors and convinced the company to select Lenovo as its IT vendor. In fact, Lenovo’s expertise in project fulfillment and exemplary consultation services led to a swift second order for additional X1 Yoga Gen 6 PCs.
Advancing the future of Southern Australia’s energy grid
Now that the employees are equipped to discharge their responsibilities well with the support of high-performance devices and services, the company is poised to provide secure, cost-effective, and dependable electricity supply throughout South Australia, cementing its position as a front-runner in the field of energy infrastructure.
