Customer: Ministry of DefenceWebsite: www. mod.uk Customer Size: 250,000+Country or Region: United KingdomIndustry: Public Sector - Government

Customer ProfileThe Ministry of Defence (MOD) is responsible for defending the United Kingdom and its interests, in addition to strengthening international peace and stability.

Business SituationMOD DIST wanted to integrate the latest business processes and strategies throughout its IT infrastructure.

SolutionThe MOD team worked with Microsoft Service Management Consultants to develop a lifecycle approach where the right staff are engaged at the right time for the best effect.

Benefits Reduced risk of downtime Improved support and training Optimised processes informed by industry

expertise Improved collaboration across the

organisation Increased staff retention

“I want support from people who understand our business and constraints. With the Microsoft engagement, that need is consistently delivered to a very high standard.”

Doug Banks, Microsoft Service Delivery Managerand ADA Risk Practitioner, Ministry of Defence

The UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) Defence Information Infrastructure (DII) provides IT services for around 180,000 devices in embassies, offices and military organisations worldwide. Continuity of service is important, so the MoD Defence Information Services Team (DIST) works to mitigate the risk of downtime by integrating current and consistent business processes and strategies throughout its IT infrastructure. MOD engaged Microsoft Services Premier Support and Microsoft Service Management Consultants to help ensure that it optimises its technical infrastructure and processes and delivers the best service possible. This saves significant staff hours and associated salaries that could be lost with system downtime. Additionally, collaboration and communication across the organisation, training and transfer of knowledge improves staff performance and morale.

Government Organisation Reduces Costs and Minimises Risk with a Process-Based Approach

Microsoft ServicesPremier Support

SituationThe Ministry of Defence (MOD) Defence Information Services Team (DIST) provides core IT services to around 180,000 devices worldwide through about 300,000 user accounts. The Ministry’s staff in embassies, offices and military organisations, worldwide rely on this vital technical infrastructure, so providing the best service possible while minimising the risk of downtime is a high priority for the MOD.

Risk management is an important issue when delivering technology to such a large number of users, so DIST engages with experts who are capable of managing proactive risk assessments, advising on remediation and dealing quickly and effectively with technical challenges.

To ensure the success of large-scale deployments, DIST develops processes and strategies that support smooth implementation and operation, encompassing software upgrades and training. These processes change over time as the organisation adapts to advances in technology and changes in end-user requirements.

Doug Banks, Microsoft Service Delivery Manager and DIST Architecture Design Authority (ADA )Risk Practitioner at the Ministry of Defence is tasked with ensuring that DIST has the right team in place to develop and implement the all-important processes and delivery models. He understands the importance of collaborating with experts to reap benefits through improved agility and reduction in cost to deliver services. “We had been using the industry-recognised IT Service Management (ITSM) framework, ITIL v2, and wanted to re-align to ITIL v3 to improve agility and reduce costs, but we didn’t have practical industry expertise to do it in-house in a consistent and optimal way,” says Mr Banks.

The MOD already had a Microsoft Services Premier Support Agreement in place and benefited from the expertise of a Microsoft Service Management Consultant (SMC). When Defence Information Infrastructure Group merged with the Applications Services Team to become DIST, Mr Banks utilised the expertise of the SMC to optimise the transition to the new organisation. Doug Banks said “Engaging Microsoft ensures that we not only get the best value out of our contract, but it also adds value by providing the opportunity for MOD staff to further develop their competencies.”

SolutionWith a working relationship between MOD and Microsoft spanning 10 years, MOD were one of the first customers to use SMCs. “Our first SMC looked at the operations end of the business, such as the processes for handling incidents and optimising the performance of the help desk, which was great,” says Mr Banks. “But we wanted to make use of the ‘people, process, technology capability’ that we believed would optimise the solution.”

The next SMC had a new challenge to help derisk the DII merger with AST involving all of the ITIL V3 processes. This involved a range of services, including mapping Roles and Responsibilities, writing job descriptions and terms of reference, analysing how the organisation approached the ITIL Lifecycle, recommending best industry practice solutions to fill any gaps in process, and offering in-house training for ITIL process management and measurement of performance. The goal was to empower the team to understand ITIL with expert assistance available from Microsoft.

As the engagement has progressed, the role of the SMC shifted focus from troubleshooting to informing strategy. “We understood that if we got the processes right up front, we could save time and money, be more efficient, and minimise risk,” says Banks.

The SMC had experience with ITIL v3 in public sector and financial institutions. He advised on best practice use of ITIL v3 in industry and connected us with others in industry to share knowledge and

24

“Attending ITIL training is something that we naturally undertake but our SMC has been able to show us how that is applied and what industry good practice is. This is where the value of integrated support is experienced.”

Doug Banks, Microsoft Service Delivery Manager and ADA Risk Practitioner,

Ministry of Defence

experience, this was extremely valuable. “We had all been on an ITIL v3 foundation course, which really focuses on passing the exam. It doesn't teach you how to understand industry best practice for deployment of ITIL v3. Our SMC put it in context for us,” says Mr Banks. “We have had Microsoft expertise on the engagement for a long time; they really understand our business and challenges. That background of experience is very useful in what we achieve.”

The MOD now has a Programme Framework developed by the Microsoft team around a lifecycle approach where the right staff across the organization and Microsoft are engaged at the right time for the best effect. “Our SMC has assisted us with our processes, including an Operations Risk Assessment Program (OpsRAP), based on ITIL best practice) which has provided a useful assessment of where we are and where we need to be,” says Mr Banks. “It has been extremely useful to share experience with other areas of industry when developing processes, and our SMC has helped make this happen.”

BenefitsThe MOD gains a wealth of knowledge through its relationship with Microsoft Premier Support and the SMCs. It benefits from in-depth process awareness, best practices regarding delivery models across industry, staff training and collaboration within MOD teams.

Reduced Risk of Downtime Saves Millions For the MOD, the cost of engaging SMCs can be measured directly against the savings made by managing the risk of downtime. In an IT-centric world, if your technology goes down most employees can no longer do their jobs without having the proper technology in place. “When Microsoft can mitigate the risk of downtime that affects all of our 300,000 user accounts, that could quickly add up to millions of Pounds lost productivity for a day's downtime,” says Banks. “Our current value model gives us a return on investment of roughly 4:1, I am sure most businesses would say that’s very good.”

Training in Context Improves OutcomesBy working side-by-side with MOD staff, SMCs transfer knowledge that is practical and immediately relevant to the needs of the organisation. “Attending ITIL training is something that we naturally undertake as good practice, but our SMC has been able to show us how that is applied practically and what industry good practice is. This is where the value of integrated support is experienced” says Banks. “Knowledge transfer is intrinsic to us. Our internal IT specialists gain the intelligence that lifts the level of skill within the organisation.”

Microsoft services teams not only have technical expertise but also in-depth knowledge of the way the MOD runs. “Our SMCs understand our business,” says Mr Banks. “That’s invaluable. I want support from people who understand our business and constraints, With the Microsoft engagement that need is consistently delivered to a very high standard

Industry Expertise Strengthens Optimised Processes Over the past years Microsoft SMCs have worked with the MOD to create a real and achievable strategy for IT Service Management. In doing so the SMCs have identified the current level of ITSM maturity and risk, through process assessments and workshops.

With extensive industry knowledge, wider customer experience, detailed product insight and access to the worldwide Microsoft ITSM community, SMCs have strengthened the concept of “people, process and technology together,” helping staff develop skills that would normally take months or years without access to such resources.

34

“When Microsoft can help to mitigate the risk of downtime that affects all of our 300,000 user accounts, that could quickly add up to millions of pounds lost productivity for a day's downtime.”

Doug Banks, Microsoft Service Delivery Manager and ADA Risk Practitioner,

Ministry of Defence

Staff Development Increases Retention The MOD has found that when employees are provided a good working environment and given the confidence that greater training opportunities provide, they will naturally want to continue their professional growth within the organisation. “When staff feel empowered and more knowledgeable about what they do, they are likely to have higher job satisfaction and remain with the MOD for longer,” says Mr Banks. “Strangely, when you look at what motivates people, it's not necessarily money. Over the years, we have learned that giving staff the opportunity to keep their knowledge up-to-date by working with Microsoft has been really helpful.”

Positive Corporate Culture Improves CollaborationFor the MOD team, a core benefit of working with Microsoft is the collaborative attitude that is inherent to the culture of the company. “Microsoft takes customer satisfaction very seriously, so Microsoft people invariably have a great attitude,” says Mr Banks. “They are trained to work well with people at all levels, this is massively important. They are motivated to achieve success for the customer. We have monthly meetings to make sure that we deliver a very high quality service and achieve Value for Money for Defence'

For More InformationFor more information about Microsoft products and services, call the Microsoft Sales Information Centre at (800) 426-9400. In Canada, call the Microsoft Canada Information Centre at (877) 568-2495. Customers in the United States and Canada who are deaf or hard-of-hearing can reach Microsoft text telephone (TTY/TDD) services at (800) 892-5234. Outside the 50 United States and Canada, please contact your local Microsoft subsidiary. To access information using the World Wide Web, go to:www.microsoft.com

For more information about Ministry of Defence products and services, visit the website at: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-defence

Microsoft ServicesMicrosoft Services is the strategy, consulting, and support organization of Microsoft. We are the architects, consultants, engineers, and support professionals, who with our partners, help customers make the most of their Microsoft technologies.

For more information about Microsoft Services, go to:www.microsoft.com/services

44

This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY.

Document published January 2014

Software and Services Microsoft Services− Microsoft Services Premier Support− Premier Support for Enterprise

"When staff feel empowered and more knowledgeable about what they do, they are likely to have higher job satisfaction and remain with MOD for longer."

Doug Banks, Microsoft Service Delivery Manager and ADA Risk Practitioner,

Ministry of Defence