How Netitude Helped Lilley’s Cider Transition During a Global Crisis

Delivering a site move for a Somerset manufacturer

Lilley's Cider is a family-run cider maker in the Somerset countryside, known for its "More Choice, More Taste" promise. Over the years, we've supported them through some big moments in their growth.

For a manufacturer, relocating is one of the riskiest things you can do. Every hour without connectivity is an hour of lost production, and unlike most IT projects, there is no option to postpone: the lorries arrive whether the network is ready or not.

The Challenge

Lilley's Cider needed to relocate to a manufacturing site nearly 90% larger than their old one, without the move interrupting production or leaving them cut off.

A move on that scale brings real logistical hurdles in its own right. The complication here was the new site itself: it had connectivity gaps that threatened to stall operations before the business had even settled in. Permanent lines take as long as they take, and a cider maker mid-relocation cannot wait on an installation date.

The Solution

We planned the IT side of the move end-to-end, which meant solving the connectivity problem before it became one.

• A 4G bridge kept Lilley's connected from day one at the new site while the permanent lines were established, so the gap between moving in and being properly connected never became downtime
• A robust IT infrastructure was built at the new site, sized for the larger operation rather than transplanted from the old one
• Strengthened cybersecurity was folded into the same project, on the basis that the cheapest time to improve security is while you're rebuilding anyway

Doing all three as one piece of work mattered. Treating the move, the infrastructure and the security as separate projects would have meant three disruptions instead of one.

The NET9 Framework

 Everything we delivered for Lilley's Cider runs through Net9, our framework for giving a business full visibility across nine key delivery areas: 

1. Business continuity protection
2. Cloud platforms
3. Scalable technology estate
4. Licensing and legal
5. Network infrastructure and wireless
6. Connectivity and collaboration
7. Threats and vulnerabilities
8. Power, environment and ESG
9. Standardised, efficient, scalable systems

Rather than fixing problems one at a time, Net9 lets us see the whole picture — and build a roadmap that keeps working as the business grows. To learn more about our Net9 process, click here.

The Result

Lilley's moved into a site nearly 90% larger, with production uninterrupted, connected from the first day rather than the day the permanent lines went live. They came out of it with stronger IT systems and better security than they went in with, on a platform sized for the next phase of growth rather than the last one.

What to take from it

Moving site is a make-or-break moment for any manufacturer. By taking care of the technology, we let Lilley's concentrate on the move itself and come out the other side stronger.

The transferable point is about sequencing. The connectivity gap at the new site was known in advance, and the 4G bridge was decided on before the move rather than as a rescue afterwards. Most of what goes wrong in a relocation is foreseeable if somebody is looking.

If you've got an office move, an expansion or another big change on the horizon, get in touch with the Netitude team and we'll help you plan the IT side of it. Or take the full case study with you below.