EDP Environmental is a leading UK provider of sustainable Mechanical and Electrical (M&E) Engineering Design Services. As the business grew, so did the complexity of its operations. What began as a smaller multi-office setup expanded into four core locations across Exeter, Fareham, London and Bristol, with teams regularly moving between sites.
This growth exposed the limitations of EDP’s existing IT environment. Offices were not fully integrated, collaboration between locations was slower than it needed to be, and large design files were increasingly difficult to manage efficiently.
At the same time, EDP was operating with inconsistent systems across sites, including traditional, site-based phone systems that no longer aligned with how the business worked day to day. Communications were fragmented, and managing multiple office numbers and platforms made it difficult to operate as one cohesive organisation.
EDP needed more than incremental improvements. They required a joined-up technology foundation that would allow them to work as one business across all offices, supporting collaboration, mobility, and continued growth.
Portman Tech began by reviewing EDP’s existing environment across all locations, covering infrastructure, connectivity, and communications. Building on earlier work already delivered for EDP, we designed a programme of improvements that would modernise and unify their setup.
Key elements included:
By consolidating infrastructure and moving communications to UCaaS, EDP transitioned away from isolated, office-specific systems to a model where teams could work seamlessly across locations. Inter-office calling became simple, reliable, and cost-effective, supporting the reality of staff working fluidly between offices.
What started as a technical uplift evolved into an ongoing partnership, with Portman Tech continuing to advise EDP as their requirements develop.
One of the most valuable aspects of the relationship for EDP has been the clarity and transparency Portman Tech brings to technical decision-making. Rather than pushing specific products, the team explains the pros and cons of each option, allowing EDP to make informed, confident investments.
This honest, advisory approach stood in contrast to previous suppliers and helped position Portman Tech as a trusted long-term partner, not just a service provider.
Today, EDP Environmental operates as a fully connected, four-office business. Teams collaborate on shared systems, large files move reliably between locations, and communications are unified through a single UCaaS platform, regardless of which office staff are working from.
Modernised infrastructure and unified communications have removed friction from day-to-day operations and provided a stable foundation for continued expansion. EDP now has technology that supports how the business actually works, and a partner who continues to guide them as they scale.
“We get really good advice from the Portman Tech team. They show us the pros and cons of every option they suggest. Our investments have proven really worthwhile and we could not have grown the business so quickly without them. They have far outshone any of the other IT suppliers.”
