How having the right digital architecture helped Cookes NZ enhance their operations

How having the right digital architecture helped Cookes NZ enhance their operations

Cookes New Zealand are leaders in developing, manufacturing, selling and testing steel wire, synthetic fibre ropes and lubricants. As the New Zealand branch of Bridon-Bekaert The Ropes Group, they're a business with over 100 years of specialised experience. Cookes is also a leader in lifting and a total service solution provider to a wide range of industries, such as forestry and fishing and aquaculture.

With a platform on both the national and the world stage, having the correct digital solutions in place is an important part of company operations. Jay Vijay, IT Manager at Cookes looked to the Auckland Business Hub to understand how Spark could help support and improve their digital service.

With the Spark Auckland Business Hub located near Cookes headquarters, Kishore Gajula, Spark's account manager, and Jay were easily able to meet in ­person to discuss a solution.

''The hub structure is all about being local to business," Kishore explains, "It was important for Jay to know who he's talking to, and what to expect."

One of Cookes' main challenges was the operational element of managed services, one problem being the sheer number of subscription invoices that the business had to process. While being part of a global company, the business needed to be understood on a localised level; dealing with different vendors and working through multiple invoices was a time-consuming task.

A customised plan was put in place to fit Cookes' requirements. One aspect was to streamline the invoice process. Kishore suggested moving the services to one bill to make the process more efficient. This single bill approach not only removed the time taken to invoice, it also meant that the products and services used by Cookes were simpler to manage. When it came to hosting the cloud-based section of the company server, Kishore used local IT company Acronym for on-hand support.

Since then, Spark and Acronym have worked in tandem to ensure that the team at Cookes are receiving suitable digital solutions to enhance company operations.  That includes introducing Spark Endless Mobile plans for their devices, Broadband, IT health checks and fleet tracking. For Spark, it's about being a "one-stop shop": ensuring that businesses are future-proofed and that customer needs are met. What Jay likes about working with Spark is the ongoing support.

"Spark offers trust and exceptional service. I've never had to follow up on requests raised and I've been provided a customised solution. Kishore has been on-hand to provide support for all services subscribed by us. It was great to have a single contact so that concerns were easy to raise and manage." Jay explains.

Even the uncertainty of a nationwide lockdown due to COVID-19 didn't hinder the business relationship. Spark's flexible ways of working ensure uninterrupted service and support. Moreover, the pandemic proved the importance of having the correct digital solutions, such as multi-factor authentication security, as the world moves to be online-focused.

And looking ahead as technology advances, with the right digital architecture and support, business can evolve too. Jay theorises that SG will have a "positive impact on the connectivity of the current loT (Internet of Things) product developed by Cookes". You can be sure that Spark will be there to help with their digital needs.

Learn more about Cookes New Zealand by visiting their website: www.cookes.co.nz