Geosynthetics Has Productivity Gains of More Than 200 Hours per Year with Windows® 7 Professional - Case Study

1. Windows 7
Customer Solution Case Study
Geosynthetics Has Productivity Gains of More
Than 300 Hours per Year with Windows ® 7
Overview “Windows 7 helps our employees work faster,
Country or Region: UK
Industry: Geotextiles
smarter, and more efficiently.”
Justin Bates, IT Manager, Geosynthetics Ltd.
Customer Profile
Geosynthetics is a leading geotextile
distributor in the UK, offering solutions to
the construction industry.
Geosynthetics is a leading geotextile distributor in the UK, offering
Business Situation
Geosynthetics needed a solution that market-leading soil stabilization, erosion control, drainage, and
would enable employees to be efficient environmental protection solutions to the construction industry.
with their time and give them instant
access to the information they need. Established in 1998, Geosynthetics has supported some of the
largest and most high-profile projects in the region, including
Solution
By deploying Windows 7, Geosynthetics Heathrow Terminal 5, and Manchester Airport Runway 2.
was able to speed up its business
processes, improve employee productivity,
and increase speed and access to Customers choose Geosynthetics because of on-time delivery of
information. materials within a 24-hour window. Geosynthetics’ value
Benefits proposition depends on an efficient, effective supply chain. The
 Employee productivity bust - more than company depends on its computing systems to successfully meet
300 hrs/yr
 ~50% better battery life
customer needs.
 ~50% faster documentation process
By deploying the Windows® 7 Professional operating system,
Geosynthetics was able to increase the speed of everyday tasks,
improve employee productivity, and facilitate easier access to
information.

2. Situation reliability and speed, and we're working hard
Geosynthetics provides geotextiles to the UK to get it right and to get it ready,” says Steve
construction industry, a market niche that Ballmer, chief executive officer of Microsoft.
demands on-time product delivery against
very aggressive schedules. To meet customer Benefits
needs, Geosynthetics depends on an
extremely efficient and highly reliable supply Improving Productivity
chain based on individual employee Today, Geosynthetics’ users get more done in
productivity. It needs a solution that enables less time by working smarter and more
employees to be efficient with their time and intuitively with Windows 7. With Aero®
gives them instant access to the information Enhancements, users can instantly arrange
they need to get their jobs done. windows side-by-side, making it easier to
compare, copy, and paste information
According to Justin Bates, IT manager of between documents. They can also minimize,
Geosynthetics, uptime and availability are or maximize viewing windows with just a
crucial. “Our customers often call to place an keystroke or a mouse gesture, eliminating
order on Friday and require delivery on time-consuming mouse clicks and key
Monday morning,” he says. “If our employees strokes. They can quickly navigate through
do not have access to our system, we’re dead multiple documents without losing data.
in the water. It is incredibly important that we
minimize downtime and search time by all Using the Libraries feature to catalogue the
means necessary.” network drives holding customer information,
quotes, and technical specifications in
To meet aggressive timelines while ensuring conjunction with the new Instant Search Box
flawless execution, Geosynthetics was has dramatically reduced the time spent
looking for ways to speed up their business trawling for information. According to Bates,
processes, improve employee productivity this feature alone saves each salesperson
and increase speed and access to about 40 minutes a day.
information. They found what they needed
with Windows 7. According to Bates, Windows productivity
“I believe Windows will features have made a significant impact on
remain at the center of Solution work efficiency across the company’s
In 2009, Geosynthetics began migrating its business. Everyday tasks such as searching,
people's technological computers to Windows 7. Windows 7 finding, resizing, and arranging documents
solar system. We're eliminates costly downtime as users wait less for data comparison used to take a long time,
for boot, resume and launch. Employees get but now these processes take just seconds.
putting in all the right more done in less time as new productivity
ingredients: simplicity, features make it easy to capture business “It used to take 2-3 minutes to set up
processes that improve efficiency, and speed documents on-screen for side-by-side
reliability and speed, and up everyday tasks. Users stay more comparison, and at least 2-3 minutes to
we're working hard to get productive even on the road with longer search for files on the network drives. Each of
battery life and faster access. us performs these tasks more than ten times
it right and to get it a day,” reports Bates. ”With Aero
ready.” “I believe Windows® will remain at the center Enhancements and the new Instant Search
of people's technological solar system. We're Box, it takes seconds, and this saves us more
Steve Ballmer, Chief Executive Officer, putting in all the right ingredients: simplicity, than 320 hours annually.”
Microsoft Corporation

3. “We are now consistently Increasing Access to Information According to Bates, Problem Steps Recorder
Battery life is critical to working effectively in makes documenting business processes and
getting 7.5 hours plus of a mobile environment, and Windows Power procedures a snap. “In the past, documenting
battery life on our mobile Management enables Geosynthetics to get procedures required hand-written notes, then
more life out its laptop batteries. Power- input into a Word document,” recalls Bates.
PCs with Windows 7.” saving enhancements include decreasing idle “With the new Problem Steps Recorder we
Justin Bates, IT Manager, Geosynthetics Ltd. time for the processor and more efficient can do it in a matter of minutes, and it’s
power use. Adaptive Display Brightness dims delivered in a slideshow format in a single
the display if the computer has not been mhtml file that is much easier for people to
used for a while, saving valuable hours of absorb than plain written text.”
battery life. Says Bates, “We are now
consistently getting 7.5 hours plus of battery In addition, Windows 7 is helping
life on our mobile PCs with Windows 7.” Geosynthetics differentiate itself from its
competitors by improving business efficiency.
Increasing Speed of Business Processes Core mobility and productivity features have
The first step in increasing business significantly sped up business processes,
efficiency is making it easy for employees to enabling the company to meet even the most
focus on their core business. Processes and aggressive delivery schedules.
procedures are extremely important to the
success of Geosynthetics’ business. In order “Geosynthetics is the market leader because
to capture orders correctly, move them we deliver the right product to the right
through the supply chain efficiently, and location at precisely the right time – always,”
ensure on-time delivery, every person in the says Bates. “We can do that because
chain must understand and execute business Windows 7 helps our employees work faster,
processes correctly and precisely. smarter, and more efficiently.”
The Windows 7 Problem Steps Recorder
makes it simple to capture business
processes for use in manuals and online
“In the past, documenting training systems. It captures a detailed,
screen-by-screen recording of the process,
procedures required hand- and then enables easy updates and edits
written notes, then input later.
into a Word document. With
the new Problem Steps
Recorder we can do it in a
matter of minutes, and it’s
delivered in a slideshow
format in a single mhtml file
that is much easier for
people to absorb than plain
written text.”
Justin Bates, IT Manager, Geosynthetics Ltd.

4. For More Information Windows 7
For more information about Microsoft Faster and more reliable: Windows 7 will
products and services, call the Microsoft help your organization use information
Sales Information Center at (800) 426- technology to gain a competitive advantage in
9400. In Canada, call the Microsoft today’s new world of work. Your people will be
Canada Information Centre at (877) 568- able to be more productive anyway. You will
2495. Customers who are deaf or hard-of- be able to support your mobile work force
hearing can reach Microsoft text telephone with better access to shared data and
(TTY/TDD) services at (800) 892-5234 in collaboration tools. And your IT staff will have
the United States or (905) 568-9641 in better tools and technologies to enhance
Canada. Outside the 50 United States and corporate IT security, data protection, and
Canada, please contact your local more efficient deployment and management.
Microsoft subsidiary. To access information
using the World Wide Web, go to: For more information about Windows 7, go to:
www.microsoft.com www.microsoft.com/windows/business
For more information about BMS Digital
Solutions Ltd products and services, call
+44 (0) 845 6580442 or visit the Web site
at: www.bmsnet.co.uk
For more information about Geosynthetics
Limited products and services, call 01455
617139 or visit the Web site at:
www.geosyn.co.uk
Software and Services
 Products
− Windows 7 Professional
© 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. This case
study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO
WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY.
Microsoft®, Windows® and Aero® are either registered
trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the
United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are
property of their respective owners.
Document published June 2009