GOODFARMS
Planting the Seeds for Future Success
How a visionary company leveraged a strategic overhaul of its IT infrastructure to achieve its mission.
The Challenge and Opportunity
GoodFarms wants to change the world with its approach to farming but needs to lay the groundwork for future growth. GoodFarms has a limited team to support the IT needs of making the company’s mission to improve lives from farm to table possible.
The GoodFarms team needed a consistent solution across its locations in California and Mexico that also offered a quality customer experience and could troubleshoot any issues or concerns in real-time.
Quick Fact
Through a Gap Assessment and Vulnerability scan completed by TPx, GoodFarms was able to uncover and mitigate vulnerabilities within their organization.
The Solution
Working with GoodFarms, TPx successfully implemented a comprehensive technology suite that helps the organization achieve its evolving mission.
The Benefits
Working with TPx to deploy worry-free managed services, the GoodFarms team ensured data security while spending less time on troubleshooting technology, knowing expert resources are just a phone call away when needed.
The Results
GoodFarms experienced improved Microsoft 365 service and support levels by purchasing through TPx. GoodFarms and TPx have sowed the seeds for a long-term relationship built on innovation and reliable customer support.
About GoodFarms
GoodFarms is on a mission to improve lives from farm to table. A portion of every purchase helps make a difference by cultivating positive change. The company aims to reduce food waste, protect our environment, feed a hungry world, find alternatives for hazardous pesticides, increase productivity and farm wages, end slavery and forced labor, and get children out of the fields and into schools. The company also wants to help everyone have fun and celebrate life with food that nourishes the body and delights the soul.
“MSPs like TPx are great because when you have a small team and budget, you often don’t have the time, expertise, and budget to make hiring in-house practical. TPx has provided me with great experts on every project I needed.”
Nelson Estrada, Director of Information Technology, GoodFarms
The Challenge
GoodFarms has roughly 400 users across several locations in California and Mexico. During peak season, the team is often pressed for time and needs solutions that they can always rely on. With that in mind, the organization purchased solutions directly from Microsoft. But Nelson Estrada, the Director of Information Technology for GoodFarms, quickly learned that buying directly from a company didn’t necessarily result in a better experience.
While moving to Microsoft enabled him to eliminate onsite servers and move to the cloud, it was challenging if he ever needed to consult with a specialist. Engaging with Microsoft proved frustrating due to delayed responses, often speaking with a representative only after the issue had been resolved independently. While moving to the cloud provided greater efficiencies for GoodFarms, it also created some cybersecurity challenges. Estrada knew there was some risk with the organization’s security posture.
Things changed for the better when he met a TPx Senior Business Consultant at a cybersecurity conference. Estrada expressed challenges with backups and knew there was some risk in his cyber security posture. The experts at TPx spent time understanding his unique challenges to devise a solution. Unlike numerous other vendors, TPx’s approach was marked by a sincere commitment to problem-solving and understanding GoodFarm’s business needs.
“I was amazed how much you gain buying from an MSP — the benefits you get, and the pricing is better,” Estrada said. “Having the backup of another company is invaluable. I tried support from Microsoft; it is not easy to get them. When they reply, usually the issue is not resolved, or they reply with more questions… I’m glad I found TPx.”
The Solution
GoodFarms and TPx engaged first in a Gap Assessment and Vulnerability Scan to understand the organization’s security posture and expose known vulnerabilities and risks. The assessment also proved helpful in evaluating the tools needed to mitigate their risk like TPx’s Managed Endpoint Security solution. GoodFarms quickly added the endpoint solution, which provides automated monitoring, alerting, and mitigation on its endpoint devices.
Because of the support issues Good Farms was experiencing with their direct relationship for Microsoft 365, they also decided to purchase Microsoft 365 from TPx for a better service experience. Working with TPx ensures Estrada maximizes his investment and harnesses the full power of Microsoft’s suite of products. TPx’s Managed Microsoft 365 service grants him access to a dedicated team of experts proficient in managing and enhancing Microsoft 365 environments. This expertise spans across Microsoft 365’s applications, security features, communication tools, and collaboration solutions.
“Nobody can deny the benefit of the cloud and having your system secure, running 24/7 and having the backing of a big company such as Microsoft; it’s not going to disappear anytime soon,” Estrada said. “The peace of mind that comes with data security and the guarantee of data availability for the future are benefits that are crystal clear to everyone.”
The Results
While Estrada has made significant changes, he remains committed to ongoing progress, understanding the imperative to keep moving forward. Thanks to the insights gained from the Gap Assessment and the guidance provided by TPx, he knows where to focus his time, attention, and budget.
“I know there is room for improvement, and I think the cloud is the best way to do it right now,” Estrada said. “TPx made me a plan with options. They said, ‘Depending on your budget, I recommend this. If you are not ready, don’t worry. Do it one by one. We have time to accomplish the plan.’ That has been very helpful,” Estrada added.
Recognizing the limitations of self-sourced research and the value of expert insight, Estrada emphasized, “We don’t have the time or the expertise to do all the research or use what we get from the internet or from what other people did. But having an expert who knows the business and all the products the other companies offer is the greatest benefit. I have found a lot of value in that knowledge. In the past, we had to spend weeks doing the research. And in the end, we found there was a better option or a newer option we didn’t know about. Companies like TPx are a great benefit for us.”
The real benefit for Estrada is knowing he has an extended IT team in TPx.
“The MSP is your best friend if you have a small team and budget,” Estrada said. “The best option is going with them; they have experts. If they don’t have an expert, they will train someone to help you. They are there with you; you are not alone. You don’t have to do everything yourself. In the past, I had to learn everything I learned I needed.”
Additional Resources
What is Endpoint Security? A Complete Guide
Endpoint security is a critical element of any modern security strategy. This guide helps you understand the threats and solutions that need to be considered for organizations.
Five Benefits of Buying Microsoft 365 from a Service Provider
A Microsoft 365 service provider helps manage cloud-based IT systems and processes that boost your productivity and collaboration by providing you with the expertise you need most. Read this blog to uncover how working with a service provider helps you improve efficiency an.d get more done