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TL;DR:
PMC cut laptop failures by 24%, reduced overall issues by 36%, and extended device lifespans from 4 to 5 years using Applixure’s data-driven visibility. The small IT team now spends far less time firefighting and far more time on proactive improvements, saving costs and improving user experience.
About PMC
PMC is a commerce technology partner that powers unified commerce through consulting, engineering, and 24/7 managed services for retailers. Its internal IT team, around ten professionals split between the UK and India, supports the company’s own operations and employees, ensuring the technology behind the business runs smoothly.
Watch Our Interview with PMC:
The Challenge:
PMC’s IT team supports a fast-moving business with employees spread across the UK and India. Despite their small size, the team is responsible for keeping everyone’s devices performing reliably so operations never slow down.
Before implementing Applixure Analytics, visibility was limited. The internal IT team wanted a better understanding of what software users were installing, how devices were performing, and when underlying problems were starting to build up. Most issues were discovered only after users raised tickets, often after productivity had already been disrupted.
“We wanted to get more visibility into the software our users were installing, the software they were using, and how they were using their devices.”
says Matt Tombs, Senior IT Lead at PMC.“Our goal was to become more proactive instead of always reacting to issues.”
Recurring incidents, slowdowns, and hardware failures were consuming a significant portion of the team’s time. Without clear data, device replacements and upgrades were often based on assumptions rather than evidence, leading to unnecessary replacements and avoidable costs.
PMC needed a way to:
- See what’s happening across all devices, from performance and health to software issues.
- Move from reactive to proactive IT management.
- Make lifespan and budgeting decisions based on data, not guesswork.
The Solution: Turning Data into Proactive IT Quality Management
To move from reactive problem-solving to proactive data-driven lifespan quality management, PMC implemented Applixure Analytics, this Applixure product gives real-time visibility into the health, performance, and software usage of every computer in the environment.
The deployment was straightforward and required minimal effort from the IT team. Once in place, Applixure Analytics began collecting actionable data that revealed how devices were performing day-to-day and where recurring issues originated.
“Applixure Analytics has helped us a lot,” says Matt Tombs, Senior IT Lead at PMC.
“Our team isn’t constantly reacting to the same recurring issues anymore. We can focus on preventative work and improvements, which means fewer disruptions and smoother performance for our users.”
With a single dashboard, PMC could quickly identify underperforming or at-risk devices, whether due to hardware wear, outdated software, or configuration problems. This visibility allowed the team to address root causes before they escalated into user-facing incidents.
A key component in their approach has been Applixure’s Lifespan Analysis, which provided clear insight into which devices were approaching end-of-life and which could be extended through maintenance or optimization. Instead of replacing hardware on a fixed schedule, PMC now targets intervention where it matters most, replacing batteries, performing rebuilds, or upgrading components only when necessary.
“It’s helped us target the machines most in need of IT intervention,” explains Tombs.
“Whether that’s through software rebuilds, hardware replacement, or full device replacement when needed. It’s helped us make much better use of our existing hardware.”
By embedding the insights from Applixure Analytics into their operational routines, PMC shifted from guesswork to evidence-based decision-making, gaining control over device health, performance, and lifespan planning.
The Compounding Results
The impact of Applixure Analytics at PMC has been clear and measurable. Within the first years of use, the IT team saw significant improvements in stability, performance, and efficiency, both for end users and for IT operations.
1. Fewer Incidents and Failures
PMC achieved a:
- 24% reduction in tickets from laptop failures
- and a 36% reduction in general device and software issues.
By identifying performance degradation early and acting before users experience problems, recurring incidents dropped substantially, freeing up valuable IT capacity.
“It’s made a big difference day-to-day,” says Matt Tombs.
“Our IT team isn’t constantly reacting to the same recurring issues anymore. We’ve been able to focus more on preventative work and improvements.”
2. More Time for Strategic Work
With fewer reactive tickets, PMC’s IT staff now spends 20–25% less time firefighting. The time gained is redirected toward process improvements, automation, and longer-term initiatives that enhance service quality.
Replacing fewer devices has also reduced the administrative and logistical workload; each avoided replacement saves roughly half a day of IT effort, from setup to data transfer and coordination with users.
3. Extended Device Lifespans
Through targeted interventions, such as component replacements and software rebuilds, PMC extended the average device lifespan from four years to five.
That one-year gain represents around a 25% increase in lifespan and a meaningful reduction in unnecessary hardware spend.
“We’ve managed to extend device life by roughly a year on average,” Tombs notes.
“We can catch machines before they fail and fix what’s needed instead of replacing the whole device.”
4. Smarter, Data-Driven Budgeting
Applixure Analytics’s insights have made hardware planning and budgeting more predictable and accurate.
Rather than allocating funds based on assumptions or age thresholds, PMC can now show clear data on which devices are actually nearing end-of-life, improving transparency and alignment with finance.
“Applixure Analytics gives us solid data to make those decisions,” says Tombs.
“Instead of guessing, we can see exactly which devices are underperforming or nearing end-of-life. That’s made our budgeting more accurate and our replacement cycles much smoother.”
5. Better End-User Experience
The shift to proactive quality management has also translated into real benefits for PMC’s employees. Devices boot faster, perform more consistently, and cause fewer interruptions during the workday.
“Users aren’t raising as many tickets about slow machines or crashes, which tells us their experience has improved a lot,” says Tombs.
“And for developers or power users, we can spot when they need a higher-spec machine before it becomes an issue.”
The Takeaways & Advice for IT Leaders
For PMC, Applixure Analytics has become a core part of how IT operates; it’s not just a tool, but a foundation for data-driven lifespan quality management and long-term reliability.
The combination of visibility, simplicity, and data-driven insights has allowed a small IT team to deliver measurable results across productivity, cost, and experience, without adding complexity or overhead.
“Applixure Analytics has helped us work smarter, not harder,” says Matt Tombs, Senior IT Lead at PMC.
“It gives us clear visibility of our environment without adding complexity and gives us confidence that we’re spending our time and budget in the right places.”
For IT leaders considering how to balance budget constraints, security, and user experience, PMC’s story shows what’s possible when data replaces guesswork. Extending device lifespans, reducing incidents, and improving employee experience no longer require massive investments, just better visibility and structure.
“Go for it,” Tombs advises.
“Applixure Analytics is a practical tool that gives you what you need to manage your environment effectively. It’s made a real difference for us.”
Wrap-Up: Extend When You Can, Replace When You Must
With Applixure Analytics, PMC transformed its IT operations, cutting laptop failures by 24%, reducing overall issues by 36%, extending device lifespans by a full year, and freeing up a quarter of the team’s time for strategic improvements.
The result:
- Fewer incidents and disruptions for end users.
- Smarter lifespan decisions backed by real data.
- More efficient use of the budget and hardware.
- A proactive IT culture that continuously improves.
Applixure has helped PMC move beyond reactive support to a smarter, evidence-based approach to managing its device fleet, ensuring every decision improves performance, user satisfaction, and business value.
See How You Can Achieve the Same Results
PMC’s journey shows what’s possible when IT decisions are driven by visibility and data instead of assumptions.
With Applixure, IT leaders can finally see the real state of their device environment, experience, manageability, and security, and act before small problems turn into major disruptions.
Applixure helps IT teams:
- Reduce tickets and incidents by spotting early warning signs.
- Extend device lifespans through targeted optimization, not guesswork.
- Build smarter replacement strategies backed by data.
- Free up valuable IT time for improvements instead of constant firefighting.
Stop replacing 1 in 3 devices too early. Start managing your computer fleet smarter, with real data and continuous optimization.
Book a “Health Check” session to see how Applixure helps IT teams like PMC reduce issues, extend device life, and maximize their IT investments.
