How a Manufacturer Avoided Immediate Full Server Replacement
Customer Quote
"We thought we had to buy a new server. PC Risks showed us the exact performance graphs proving it was just a hard drive issue. They fixed it in days, not weeks."
The Situation
A mid-sized automotive parts factory was experiencing daily slowdowns on their ERP system. The original IT vendor proposed a RM40,000 complete server replacement, claiming the 5-year-old hardware was dead.
The Problem & Risk
Noticed Problem: Management noticed that during peak invoicing hours (3 PM - 5 PM), the system would freeze for up to 30 seconds at a time, causing delays at the dispatch bay.
Business Risk: Without resolving the slowdown, the factory risked missing shipping cut-off times, leading to penalties from their primary automotive clients.
Our Findings & Options
Diagnostic Findings: PC Risks conducted a diagnostic assessment and found the server CPU and RAM were only at 40% utilization. The real bottleneck was a failing RAID 5 array where one disk was throwing SMART errors and forcing continuous background rebuilds.
Options Presented: Option A: Replace the entire server (RM40,000, 3 weeks lead time). Option B: Replace the failing drive, upgrade to enterprise SSDs, and implement a dedicated backup appliance (RM12,000, 3 days lead time).
The Solution & Result
Approved Solution: The customer approved Option B. We safely imaged the array to a temporary standby server, replaced the drives with enterprise-grade SSDs, rebuilt the array, and restored the ERP system.
Measurable Result: The ERP system operated 400% faster during peak hours. The factory saved RM28,000 in unnecessary hardware upgrades and extended the server's useful life by 3 years.
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