A mid-size, high-tech design consultancy, doing safety-critical device design and prototyping for innovative global clients from their UK base.
They were growing rapidly, and being heavily knowledge, data and evidence based, had IT needs of an organisation ten times their size.
Though equipped with the latest design software and tools, they needed to rapidly scale up their underlying IT estate, storage, backup, operations and support, and modernise Office and operational software.
They had to ensure IT service continuity through the changes even whilst undergoing rapid change and growth as a business.
They wanted to design and kick off a multi-year digital and IT operations transformation, to give safer, faster use and protection for key data assets (designs, human factors research, etc.).
As well as the background IT upgrades, the work also included a wholesale upgrade of Microsoft Windows and Office – so there was a user engagement and communications design component too.
A roadmap for change was co-designed, starting with addressing the highest business risk projects (data protection and business continuity).
This built trust and helped uncover a lot of detailed needs behind the day-to-day working.
Working alongside the existing IT Manager and external providers, an upgraded service management and project delivery approach was designed and deployed. This was achieved working in stages, over the course of 2 years.
A parallel staff engagement, communication and support programme was designed and deployed, to deliver successful adoption of the new Microsoft platform, even whilst the organisation was rapidly growing.
The organisation grew safely and rapidly, even through building moves and major client project wins and pivots.
They moved from systems support being something of a cost, to it being a value-creating asset.
They continue to be a hugely-respected and heavily-awarded design consultancy; data-driven, fast-paced and trusted.
