Apparatus Helps Wine Maker Crush IT Challenges

Client Profile

Launched in 1984 in downtown Indianapolis, Chateau Thomas Winery is the brainchild of Doctor Charles R. Thomas and wife, Jill. Though winemaking was originally a hobby, in 1997, Dr. Thomas moved the winery to a larger operation in Plainfield, Indiana. The winery has undergone two expansions since relocating and currently includes tasting rooms in Fishers and Nashville, Indiana. Chateau Thomas offers 50 wines, and its products are available in 200 retail locations across Indiana.

Challenge

Chateau Thomas has grown steadily since its beginning in 1984; production levels now exceed 15,000 cases of wine annually. The Plainfield winery has doubled in size, and two remote tasting rooms were added. But Chateau Thomas general manager Sheila Kavanaugh says the company’s IT didn’t grow as the company did. “Dr. Thomas had created an IT environment himself as the business grew,” she says. “It was functional, but it hadn’t really evolved.”

A veteran of hotel management, Kavanaugh was used to working within IT environments and proprietary line of business applications, and she was familiar with their operational benefits. But according to Kavanaugh, the company’s outdated IT environment wasn’t robust enough to support the use of applications the company needed to be even more successful.

Solution

Apparatus had resolved previous IT problems for the winery, but when Kavanaugh was hired in 2008 to help streamline the company, she initially wanted to bring IT support in-house. “I kind of knew what I wanted going in,” she says. “Typically I had onsite IT support, but because of Apparatus’ knowledge and how much they already understood our business, I felt like we would lose a lot.” In 2009, Apparatus Managed Services performed an IT assessment, then created a plan to help the winery bring its IT environment up to speed.

Kavanaugh says what made the plan successful was follow up. “They came in and were able to communicate with us in a non-IT fashion,” she says. “They even drew us a picture that helped us understand it better.”

The first step included updating the winery’s network, migrating all operational areas to the same platform, and ensuring each area had access to a QuickBooks add-on for business management. The next was developing a strategic plan for launching the two tasting rooms, including ensuring point-of-sale (POS) functionality, remote access and entry, and a new website design to accommodate the new locations and other products.

Results

Kavanaugh says the benefits were immediate. “Before it might take a week to get more information about anything,” she says. “Now that we have our network in place, the speed in which you can make a decision about something has quadrupled.”

Launching the new stores went smoothly, too. “It was really important to get the POS stuff right,” she says. “But Apparatus certainly knew what they were doing.” Apparatus assisted with the design and implementation of a network to support a multi-store environment. This included establishing the wide area network links that allowed for the integration and on-going operation of a multi-store point of sale system and accounting system. Apparatus also established a public Wi-Fi network so winery patrons may enjoy a glass of wine while surfing the web.

Apparatus took care of everything – from ordering the equipment, to installation, to post-implementation support.

“I don’t think I’ve worked with a collaboration like we have here,” Kavanaugh says. “Apparatus is like an in-house IT department that’s helping you keep your business profitable.” She says it’s also helping her better prepare the business for the future. “This was the first step that will help us reorient our entire business model.”