Break-Fix IT Support
Restoring Confidence in IT Services
Introduction
Many organisations rely heavily on their IT environment to support day-to-day productivity, communication, and operational efficiency. When issues begin to accumulate across devices, cloud services, and licensing, it can quickly impact staff confidence and overall business performance.
NSA was experiencing a growing number of IT-related issues affecting both office-based and remote employees. These ranged from hardware performance problems to Microsoft 365 service disruptions and licensing inefficiencies. After ongoing frustration with their previous support provider, NSA engaged Dolphin IT Solutions to stabilise their IT environment, resolve outstanding issues, and restore confidence in their systems.
The objective was to provide fast, practical support while also identifying and addressing underlying structural problems within their Microsoft 365 and device estate.
Challenges
NSA’s IT environment was experiencing a combination of technical issues and underlying configuration inefficiencies that were impacting user productivity across the organisation.
Key challenges included:
- Printer connectivity and driver issues causing inconsistent printing across office devices
- Laptop performance problems, affecting both remote and in-office users
- Microsoft 365 service disruptions, including mailbox synchronisation delays and Teams connectivity issues
- User access inconsistencies, creating friction when accessing shared resources and services
- MacOS compatibility issues within the wider Microsoft 365 environment
- Licensing confusion and inefficiency, resulting in unnecessary subscription costs and underutilised licences
- Lack of visibility and resolution from previous support provider, leading to reduced confidence in IT support overall
Over time, these issues had compounded, creating frustration for users and increasing pressure on internal teams who lacked clarity on root causes or long-term resolution strategies.
NSA required a new support partner capable of rapidly diagnosing issues, restoring stability, and providing clear oversight of their IT estate.
Our Solution
Dolphin IT Solutions provided immediate hands-on support, beginning with an on-site assessment to rapidly identify and prioritise critical issues affecting users.
Rather than applying isolated fixes, the approach focused on stabilising core systems first, followed by addressing underlying configuration and licensing inefficiencies within the Microsoft 365 environment.
On-Site Assessment and Immediate Stabilisation
The engagement began with an on-site technical review of NSA’s environment. This allowed the team to quickly understand device configurations, network behaviour, and Microsoft 365 tenant setup while engaging directly with end users to identify pain points.
High-priority issues were addressed immediately to restore day-to-day functionality and reduce disruption across the organisation.
Device and Printer Issue Resolution
A significant portion of user frustration was linked to printing and device performance issues.
Dolphin IT Solutions resolved these problems by:
- Installing correct and standardised printer drivers across affected devices
- Removing outdated or conflicting print policies
- Resolving network printer connectivity inconsistencies
- Performing hardware diagnostics on underperforming laptops
- Rebuilding and optimising devices where required
These actions restored reliable printing functionality across the organisation and significantly improved laptop performance for both remote and office-based staff.
Microsoft 365 Stability and User Experience Improvements
Microsoft 365 was a key area of disruption, particularly around email, collaboration tools, and cross-device functionality.
Dolphin IT Solutions carried out a detailed review of the Microsoft 365 tenant and user configurations, focusing on stability and consistency across services.
Key improvements included:
- Correction of user account permissions and access configurations
- Resolution of mailbox synchronisation issues affecting Outlook users
- Stabilisation of Microsoft Teams connectivity across devices
- Resolution of OneDrive synchronisation inconsistencies
- Support for mixed-device environments, including macOS integration
These changes helped ensure that Microsoft 365 services operated consistently across the organisation, improving reliability for day-to-day communication and collaboration.
Microsoft Licensing Review and Optimisation
One of the most significant underlying issues was inefficiency within NSA’s Microsoft 365 licensing model.
A full licensing audit was conducted to identify:
- Unused or underutilised subscriptions
- Misaligned licence assignments
- Overprovisioned services not required by certain users
- Cost inefficiencies within the existing licensing structure
Following the audit, Dolphin IT Solutions rationalised the licensing estate and supplied a more appropriate licensing model aligned with actual usage requirements.
This resulted in a simplified licensing structure, improved administrative visibility, and a reduction in unnecessary costs.
Restoring Confidence in IT Support
Beyond technical resolution, a key objective of the engagement was to restore confidence in IT support within the organisation.
Through clear communication, rapid issue resolution, and proactive identification of root causes, NSA was able to move away from a reactive and fragmented support experience toward a more stable and predictable IT environment.
Users experienced faster resolution times, improved system reliability, and a clearer understanding of how their IT services were being managed and maintained.
Results
The engagement delivered immediate operational improvements across NSA’s IT environment, addressing both technical issues and underlying structural inefficiencies.
Key outcomes included:
- Stable and reliable printing across office environments
- Improved laptop performance and device reliability
- Resolved Microsoft 365 issues across email, Teams, and OneDrive
- Improved MacOS compatibility within the Microsoft ecosystem
- Streamlined and optimised Microsoft 365 licensing structure
- Reduced unnecessary subscription costs
- Improved user confidence in IT systems and support processes
By combining rapid on-site intervention with structured Microsoft 365 and device optimisation, Dolphin IT Solutions restored stability across NSA’s IT environment and provided a more reliable foundation for ongoing operations.
