Golden Harvest Foods, a regional leader in organic food processing and distribution, faced a growing challenge: managing a diverse fleet of Mac and Windows desktops across multiple facilities and remote teams. With operations spanning production plants, quality labs, and corporate offices, their IT environment had become increasingly complex and fragmented.
As the company expanded, so did its reliance on technology. From recipe development on MacBooks to logistics coordination on Windows PCs, the need for a unified, secure, and scalable device management solution became critical. That’s when Golden Harvest Foods partnered with us to implement Microsoft Intune, a cloud-based endpoint management platform that has since revolutionized their IT operations.
The Challenge: Disconnected Systems and Rising IT Overhead
Before Intune, Golden Harvest’s IT team used a mix of legacy tools and manual processes to manage devices. Windows desktops were configured using on-premises Active Directory and Group Policy, while Mac devices were handled through a separate MDM solution that lacked integration with their broader Microsoft ecosystem.
This siloed approach led to several operational inefficiencies:
- Inconsistent security policies across platforms
- Manual onboarding for new employees and devices
- Limited visibility into device health and compliance
- Delayed software updates, increasing vulnerability risks
The IT team was stretched thin, spending valuable time troubleshooting issues and maintaining disparate systems instead of focusing on strategic initiatives like automation and data security.
The Solution: Unified Endpoint Management with Microsoft Intune
To address these challenges, we deployed Microsoft Intune across Golden Harvest’s entire desktop environment. Intune’s ability to manage both Mac and Windows devices from a single console enabled the IT team to streamline operations, enforce consistent policies, and enhance their security posture.
Key Implementation Highlights:
Automated Enrollment and Provisioning
- Windows devices were onboarded using Windows Autopilot, enabling zero-touch provisioning and reducing setup time.
- Mac devices were integrated via Apple Business Manager, allowing seamless enrollment into Intune’s MDM framework.
- Security policies such as password complexity, encryption (BitLocker for Windows, FileVault for Mac), and firewall settings were standardized across all devices.
- Conditional Access policies ensured only compliant devices could access sensitive systems like inventory management and supplier portals.
- Business-critical applications—including ERP tools, quality control software, and communication platforms—were deployed and updated remotely via Intune.
- The IT team could now push updates and patches in real-time, reducing downtime and improving productivity.
- Intune’s dashboard provided visibility into device compliance, patch status, and potential risks.
- Automated alerts and remediation workflows helped the team proactively address issues before they impacted operations.
The Results: Efficiency, Security, and Scalability
The impact of Intune was immediate and measurable:
- 60% reduction in onboarding time for new employees and devices
- Improved security posture, with all desktops now encrypted and regularly patched
- Enhanced user experience, with devices arriving pre-configured and ready to use
- Scalable infrastructure, allowing the IT team to support new facilities and remote workers with ease
Golden Harvest’s IT manager noted, “Intune has completely changed how we manage our endpoints. We’ve gone from reactive to proactive, and our team can now focus on innovation instead of firefighting.”
Looking Ahead
With Intune firmly in place, Golden Harvest Foods is now exploring deeper integrations with Microsoft Defender for Endpoint to enhance threat detection and response. They’re also leveraging Intune analytics to optimize device lifecycle management and reduce hardware costs.
This success story highlights how even traditional industries like food processing can benefit from modern IT solutions. By adopting Microsoft Intune, Golden Harvest Foods has unified its device management strategy, improved operational efficiency, and strengthened its cybersecurity posture—setting the stage for continued growth and innovation.
Wrap-up
GroupOne IT is committed to helping our clients stay ahead of the ever-evolving cybersecurity landscape. We specialize in providing Managed IT Services for small to medium sized businesses, helping them stay ahead of these challenges. Whether in a full capacity, or a co-managed relationship, we provide Cyber Security, IT Support, Cloud Services, Voice (VoIP), Consulting, Microsoft Dynamics Services, and more. Simply put, we keep your systems up, your data secure, and your business thriving. Contact me today to see the GroupOne IT difference!
Cary