IT Support for Manufacturing & Engineering
Manufacturing businesses can't afford IT that fails. Every minute an ERP system is down, trucks can't be dispatched. Every hour a CNC machine sits idle waiting for a file, your production schedule slips. You need IT support that understands shop floor environments, integrates office systems with production, and keeps everything running during shifts - not just 9-to-5. Fresh Tech supports manufacturers and engineering firms across the Midlands with 10-200 staff.
Designed for businesses with 10+ staff who value technology as a business enabler.
The IT Challenges You Face
We understand the specific technology pressures in your sector
Production Continuity
IT failures that stop production lines cost thousands per hour - and the knock-on effects ripple through your delivery schedule for days. Consumer-grade routers drop connections to your ERP mid-transaction. Unmonitored servers fill their disks overnight and crash before the morning shift arrives. You need proactive monitoring that catches issues before they stop production, not reactive firefighting after the damage is done.
Shop Floor Networking
Automated machinery, barcode scanners, IoT sensors, and production terminals all need reliable network connectivity - but metal racking, thick walls, and electromagnetic interference from heavy machinery create WiFi dead zones that cause scanners to drop out and data to lag. Standard office networking equipment isn't designed for industrial environments.
Business Management Systems
Sage 200, SAP Business One, Epicor, SYSPRO - your business runs on these systems and they must work reliably. When your ERP is slow, stock counts are wrong, or your MRP run takes 4 hours instead of 40 minutes, production planning becomes guesswork. These systems need properly specced servers, optimised databases, and proactive maintenance.
Supply Chain Security
Tier 1 customers - particularly in defence, aerospace, automotive, and food - increasingly demand [Cyber Essentials](/services/cyber-essentials) certification and security questionnaires from their suppliers. Losing a major contract because you can't demonstrate basic cybersecurity isn't a hypothetical risk; we've seen it happen to firms in this region.
How Fresh Tech Helps
Practical solutions designed for your industry
Industrial Network Design
We design and install [Ubiquiti UniFi](/services/hardware-procurement#unifi-range) networks that work in industrial environments - high-density WiFi with access points rated for dust and temperature extremes, PoE switches in comms cabinets, and proper VLAN segmentation that keeps shop floor devices isolated from your office network. Your CNC machines can communicate without exposing your accounts system to risk.
ERP & Business Software Support
We support the infrastructure running Sage 200, SAP Business One, Epicor, and similar systems - server performance tuning, database optimisation, backup scheduling, and the Windows Server environment they depend on. When your MRP run is taking too long or your stock module is lagging, we diagnose whether it's a hardware bottleneck, a network issue, or a database that needs maintenance.
CAD/CAM Workstations
We spec and supply [Dell Pro Max](/services/hardware-procurement#dell-range) (formerly Precision) workstations with ISV-certified NVIDIA RTX Pro GPUs, correctly configured for SolidWorks, AutoCAD, Inventor, Revit, and similar engineering software. We match the processor, GPU, and memory to your actual workload so your engineers aren't waiting for renders or struggling with large assemblies.
Supply Chain Compliance
[Cyber Essentials](/services/cyber-essentials) certification and security documentation that satisfies major customer audits. We handle the technical implementation - patching, access control, firewall configuration, device management - and guide you through the assessment. Our guaranteed-pass service means you won't lose a contract because of a failed audit.
We understand manufacturing
Production can't stop for IT maintenance. Shift patterns mean support isn't just 9-to-5. Your ERP system is as critical as any machine on the production line. And your IT person - if you have one - is often stretched thin between keeping things running and the strategic projects that would actually move the business forward.
What we do differently for manufacturers
Our Managed IT Support gives you a full IT department without the overhead. We monitor your servers, network, and workstations 24/7 - catching a failing hard drive at 2am before the morning shift discovers everything has crashed. We handle the day-to-day helpdesk calls so your technical staff can focus on engineering and production.
Shop floor WiFi that actually works
We've installed Ubiquiti UniFi networks in warehouses, production halls, and loading bays across the region. We know that standard access points mounted on a plasterboard ceiling won't survive a factory environment or penetrate metal racking. We use industrial-rated equipment, conduct proper RF surveys (see Strategic Projects), and design coverage that ensures your barcode scanners, tablets, and IoT devices maintain solid connections - even next to that CNC machine that throws out electromagnetic interference.
The workstation question
Engineering firms often ask us: 'What laptop should we buy for SolidWorks?' The honest answer is: it depends on your models. An engineer working on small part files needs a very different spec from someone opening 5GB assemblies with hundreds of components. We benchmark your actual usage, then spec Dell Pro Max workstations with the right GPU, processor, and memory - ISV-certified so your software vendor can't blame the hardware when something goes wrong.
Keeping legacy equipment safe
Many manufacturers still run Windows XP or Windows 7 machines on the shop floor because the CNC or CMM software doesn't support newer operating systems. We don't pretend these don't exist - we isolate them on their own VLAN, lock down the firewall rules, and monitor them for unusual activity. They can do their job without putting your office network at risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions from businesses in your sector
Trusted By Local Heroes
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"Well all I can say is a big shout out to Sam James BSc at Fresh Tech for literally swooping into rescue🦸♂️ my computer from being hacked within seconds. Thank goodness I outsource to companies who know what they are doing."
Carole Aveson
CAA Administration Services
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Email support@fresh-tech.uk or call 01584 517 234 for urgent help.