The Customer
The Diocesan IT Consortium is a collaborative effort involving the Church of England dioceses of Guildford, Winchester, and Portsmouth. Together, they procure shared IT services to support around 270 staff members, including senior clergy and volunteers. Their reach spans across Surrey and Hampshire, as well as extending into London, Sussex, and Dorset.
The Challenge
The Consortium aimed to get more value out of their Microsoft 365 platform during their digital transformation journey. They envisioned central hub sites that would connect their employees, enabling seamless social communication, collaboration, and access to crucial information. However, they faced challenges with outdated file servers, scattered data sources, complex data ownership issues, and limitations in collaborative document editing and file sharing.
Their goals were to reduce information silos, enhance the user experience, and ensure robust security, compliance, and governance. They sought to achieve this by consolidating their data under one digital roof using Microsoft 365 tools.
This project had been in the pipeline since their initial discussions during onboarding as a managed service, with the aim of boosting digital tool adoption and maximising the potential of Microsoft 365.
What Transputec Did
Transputec began with a data exploration to understand data silos and migration needs and an architectural design was agreed. Sites were built, and document libraries created in SharePoint and as part of the works, data on personal drives were migrated to personal OneDrive.
A SharePoint ‘sandbox’ environment was created as a test to confirm that the migration would be successful, with client stakeholders responsible for testing they had the access they need to the data.
Upon approval, data migrated from file shares to SharePoint, with Link fixer fixing broken links.
During the project, the client saw the need for effective change management to prepare their staff. They appointed “Champions” for this task. Project management became a collaborative effort, with project managers from both the Diocese and Transputec working together. A Steering Committee, made up of senior leaders from both organisations, guided decision-making and issue resolution, adding a layer of teamwork to the project’s success.
The Outcome
The implementation of Microsoft SharePoint Online represented a pivotal moment for the Diocese. It opened doors to a more efficient and collaborative work environment. Moreover, this transition enhanced data security and resilience, ensuring the protection and availability of critical information. By embracing cloud technology, the Diocese gained the ability to scale their operations allowing them to focus on their core mission.
Relationship with Transputec
The partnership between the Diocesan IT Consortium and Transputec was a remarkable success. It not only achieved their initial digital transformation goals but also established a sturdy foundation for continuous growth and adaptation. Through their embrace of Microsoft tools and harnessing the capabilities of cloud technology, the Consortium can now navigate the digital landscape with ease and effectiveness.
September 2023
