Manufacturing & Supply Chain

Novi, the secure IT and cloud service provider, has designed and implemented a new IT infrastructure for CarePlus Pharmacy, Ireland’s fastest growing independent retail pharmacy group, in a deal worth €200,000. The new solution will enhance data security and mobile working capabilities for CarePlus Pharmacy customers and all employees.

In 2015, the first CarePlus Pharmacy store opened in Cork and the franchise has since grown to over 60 locations across the country. The CarePlus support team provides IT services to each of these pharmacies and given the speed and scale of the franchise’s growth, the group’s needs quickly outstripped the capability of its IT systems.

Following a competitive tender, Novi was chosen to deliver a comprehensive technology solution for CarePlus based on its end-to-end proactive IT offering and security focus. Security was a major concern for the group, given the potential of a data breach to expose sensitive commercial data. CarePlus Pharmacy also has a growing number of field staff in both sales and support roles and required a secure and flexible solution to enable seamless remote access to its systems.

Novi initially oversaw a complete IT migration to a single set of hardware and software to ensure a uniform line of cyber defence with consistent updates across devices. Novi PatchGuard was introduced to automate IT updates to ensure CarePlus systems are always up to date.  Novi then implemented further layers of protection to maximise security, including email protection and a next-generation managed firewall.

CarePlus Pharmacy create and share intellectual property across its network and store this in-house along with other valuable data. Therefore, secure data protection and recovery was another important consideration with Novi Airgap implemented to provide robust offsite backup of servers, safeguarding CarePlus’ data against the event of a disaster or security breach.

CarePlus also has a growing number of field staff in both sales and support roles. Novi designed and implemented a new remote access solution for CarePlus to allow these users securely and seamlessly access its servers from any location – greatly enhancing remote working capabilities and security.

Finn McCann (pictured left), Technology and Systems Director, CarePlus Pharmacy, said: “CarePlus Pharmacy is the fastest growing pharmacy group in Ireland – with an increasing number of stores and staff, a broader range of services, and an ever-growing customer base.

“Our IT team were under constant pressure addressing IT infrastructure issues. Without Novi, we would have been forced to significantly grow our in-house IT team at a time when competition for talent is high. Novi’s expertise solved this problem and enhanced our productivity by eliminating IT downtime and allowing us to focus on our core business.

“As well as enabling growth, Novi has provided us with peace of mind that our data is protected. Despite operating in an environment where the prevalence of SME targeted cyber-attacks are on the rise, Novi has put us at much greater ease knowing we have multiple layers of security features and a secure backup of our systems in place.”

George O’Dowd (pictured right), Managing Director, Novi, said: “CarePlus customers and franchisees have trust in the brand based on its excellent care and advice. It was important we met this trust by going the extra mile for CarePlus by implementing a comprehensive security solution so stakeholders can be confident their data and system are protected.

“Now, CarePlus has a top class managed technology infrastructure so even more pharmacies can join the group and adopt the brand confident that they will receive best-in-breed IT systems and support. With secure and reliable end-to-end systems in place, CarePlus can focus on further business growth with minimum need to worry about IT risk or downtime.”