Advanced Layout Solution Ltd Case Study

The Situation

Advanced Layout Solutions (ALS) is a leading UK-based PCB design consultancy. Since 1995, their team has completed over 12,000 design projects for clients across aerospace, defence, motorsport, and medical sectors. They handle sensitive design data and intellectual property for organisations where security is taken very seriously.

Like many well-established engineering firms, ALS had built a strong reputation on the quality of their work. But the security expectations being placed on engineering supply chains were evolving rapidly. When a key supply chain client raised the importance of demonstrating formal cyber security standards, ALS saw it as an opportunity to strengthen their position — not just to meet a requirement, but to get ahead of where the industry was moving.

That client was already working with Lumina Technologies. When ALS asked them who they would recommend, the referral to us was a natural fit.

The Approach

Lumina worked closely with the ALS leadership team over six months to modernise their IT infrastructure and implement the security controls needed for Cyber Essentials Plus certification. This included network infrastructure improvements, centralised device management, modern authentication, secure collaboration tools, and a business continuity plan developed in partnership with the leadership team.

The six-month timeline was deliberate. ALS is a team of specialist engineers, and Lumina’s approach prioritised embedding security into the company’s culture rather than imposing changes overnight.

Cyber Essentials Plus can be achieved quickly. But a certificate on the wall is not the same as security embedded in how your team works every day.

Changes were introduced in phases, giving the team time to adapt and understand the reasoning behind each measure. The goal was a security posture that would be maintained long after the assessment — not a rushed exercise that reverts within months.

The Outcome

By January 2025, ALS had achieved Cyber Essentials Plus certification — a genuine reflection of how the business now operates, not a box-ticking exercise. The certification was successfully renewed in 2026, demonstrating that the improvements are sustained.

ALS can now confidently demonstrate to every client in their supply chain that they meet independently verified security standards. For a firm handling proprietary designs for aerospace and defence clients, that assurance matters.

A Partnership Born From Trust

ALS came to Lumina through a referral from within their own supply chain — a client who had already experienced Lumina’s approach first-hand. As supply chain security requirements continue to tighten, this pattern is becoming increasingly common: the IT provider trusted by one link in the chain becomes the natural referral for the next.

 

ALS Contact Details:
Website – Home – ALSPCB
Phone Number – +44 118 971 1930
Email – info@alspcb.com

 

If your business is navigating similar supply chain security expectations, contact Richard McBarnet on 01442 500 890.