The Australian Charities and Not-for-Profit Commission (ACNC) wanted to overhaul their registration form in order to simplify and accelerate the registration process for charities.
After defining the project, they sought submissions, and Data#3 was chosen for their ability to meet criteria at a competitive cost.
Looking back and then seeing the results in our service standards, we ticked the boxes of what we wanted to achieve in service improvements.
Rob Jackson – Director of Digital Services, ACNC.
Established in 2012, the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profit Commission (ACNC) is the national regulator of charities. It plays a vital role in ensuring that Australians can trust and have confidence in the not-for-profit sector.
New charity registrations demanded significant administrative overhead and an increase of new form submissions was expected, so ACNC wanted to streamline the process.
From household names to niche organisations, the charities and not-for-profit sector is prominent in a nation that is known for helping others: Australia’s charities generate $190 billion in revenue and employ more than 10% of the workforce. Registering a charity or not-for-profit requires providing a wealth of information to ensure each applicant meets stringent standards. ACNC Director of Digital Services, Rob Jackson, said this important step was challenging.
“As a regulator, we’re responsible for registering charities. An entity applies online through a form, making a submission to us, then our team does what is needed to make sure it complies. They identify any risks to consider and perform a series of checks.
“We needed some help with our turnaround time. We have service standards for the public that we are required to meet. During registration, there was a lot of backward and forward and we saw we could be collecting information more efficiently. It is complex, requiring a lot of governing documents, financial statements and other information.”
This “backward and forward” happened when information submitted in the online form was incomplete, or additional details were needed, so the ACNC registrations team would need to contact the applicant and guide them through each step. It meant that registrations took longer and involved considerable manual processing which had the potential to increase the workload, and impact service standards.
Some help was needed to navigate complex form processing rules, and there was imperative to increase documentation of business process to match it to technical implementation. As is standard in government organisations, ACNC abide by stringent guidelines, so the internal team sought an experienced partner, to bring the back-end Microsoft Dynamics 365 foundations to align with the organisation’s needs, working with their chosen hosted custom forms provider. The two providers would need the capacity to work well in a multi-vendor project.
“Data#3 had the expertise needed for the back-end requirements] and we knew they could deliver. They are a trusted partner who are familiar with our systems. We put our requirements together internally and put a lot of thought into our requirements, then presented them to Data#3. This allowed us to start at a reasonable position,” said Jackson.
The in-house preparations performed the ACNC team were essential groundwork, paving the way for agreed responsibilities and outcomes for the project Ensuring roles were understood up-front served to “de-risk” the process, explained Jackson, and gave a clarity that served in-house and external teams well.
“We knew we needed to be closely involved, with our team internally running it, our registration team as subject experts, our vendor experts needed to get an understanding of our processes, so together we knew where efficiencies could be found.”
Starting with an extensive presales process, Data#3 specialists worked closely with ACNC to assist with form design and assess changes needed to update their system to support the new design. Together, the teams established a project management plan following a hybrid Agile methodology that enabled conclusion in time for the upcoming legislative changes. Jackson said that communication was key.
“It was the responsibility of the project manager on our side to make sure that the communication strategy worked. Data#3 provided a project manager to help. Data#3 knew our systems very well, as a managed services provider, so they could translate our needs into features on the platform.”
“Sometimes, things were really complex. People in the business might ask for something, but it was not actually the best way to solve the problem. A good partner can see where it could be more efficient when done a different way, and we had that with Data#3.”
While working with multiple internal and external teams can sometimes be challenging, Jackson noted that both Data#3 and the vendor that hosted the custom forms platform interacted well, and were professional in the way they worked together, along with the ACNC team, to focus on what was needed to achieve an outcome.
“They made sure to know what charities need from us, and what we were trying to do. It was the first time that Data#3 had worked with our registrations team, and they had a rapid introduction to get their heads around what the clients of the registration team looked like.
“That is a really good skill, to understand us and pick up quickly what is needed. Without that context, they can’t understand the risks for the client.”
Once development was complete, Data#3 used the UAT environment to test and validate the user experience and data accuracy before embarking on a custom deployment plan devised together by ACNC and both vendors before going live.
“The cutover was complex, we had to switch off and on, migrate to the new form, and we had to get the complex data migration completed to be successful. It was a team effort.”
When you’re going live, if you find any issues, what’s important is being able to solve them effectively.
Rob Jackson – Director of Digital Services, ACNC.
While technology underpins the outcome, the true measure of success lies in the experience of ACNC clients and staff using the new registration forms, and the quality of data gathered and analysed.
“It was a change for charities, they were using something unfamiliar, so our work on change management was important, and we had Data#3’s help with that where needed. We have an audience so large – 60,000 charities, plus advisors, lawyers, consultants and experts – some inevitably took longer but most users found it more intuitive. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive.”
The project was completed on time, with the skills of the project managers involved put to the test in a short timescale for so complex a project.
“It makes projects more complex when working with multiple suppliers, and the outcome is down to the skill of the project managers.”
For customers, the registration process is completed more efficiently, and the more intuitive forms help them to understand more readily what information is needed. This makes the experience less stressful. For the registrations team, meanwhile, there is less need to repeatedly contact clients with additional questions, giving them more time for those needing extra guidance, and allowing them to reduce wait times.
“We have seen significant benefits to our service standards as the process is more streamlined. Completing the form is more like a conversation, using smart questioning to help get the right data up-front, without that back-and-forth.”
“Different sized charities have different regulatory requirements, for example, and so each will be asked the right questions, and we can make decisions more effectively.”
With any significant change such as this, Jackson said it is to be expected that there will be some fine-tuning as users begin to engage with the new system.
“When you’re going live, if you find any issues, what’s important is being able to solve them effectively. This is common after system changes, and how you respond matters. Data#3 was very helpful. Users can make user requests, and where needed we can do some finetuning.”
“It really helps to document reasons for requirements, so that when someone makes a request, we can understand the reasoning behind earlier decisions.”
The improved accuracy and reporting of data has been helpful in an organisation that, like most government organisations, must be transparent in its operations.
“We publish data on the sector, and it is an enormous part of our activities. We are seeing the service standard dividends in that data, we are seeing the benefits now, four to five months later.”
When planning a complex project, Jackson said that choosing the right partners is vital, and that it isn’t enough to simply take instructions.
“Key to being a good partner is that they can challenge us. I wouldn’t want to create a solution based on just what I say, I want you to help me find the best way forward.”
“It was comforting that Data#3 knew what they were doing, we had an in-built trust. We already knew their capabilities and strengths and we were able to get into a good working cadence. They had a deep product knowledge, an understanding of our environment from working on bespoke elements.”
Ultimately, ACNC is now in a position where clients can register more efficiently, thanks to the combined efforts of in-house and multi-vendor teams. Even an increase in registrations has not caused a backlog for registration staff. “It is more intuitive, feedback is that it flows better, is easier to navigate, and requires less rework. Looking back and then seeing the results in our service standards, we ticked the boxes of what we wanted to achieve in service improvements,” concluded Jackson.
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Brisbane Catholic Education wanted expert analysis to determine the best approach to supplier onboarding.
Brisbane Catholic Education approached Business Aspect to conduct an options analysis of potential vendors for a supplier onboarding solution. The engagement was extended to review current and shortlisted contract management system vendors.
I’m always impressed by the calibre of consultants and their ability to go away and research; they’re technical experts not necessarily just in that product they are looking at. Also, they understand business requirements, not only technical requirements.
Boyd Bostock – Head of IT Systems and Platform Information Technology for Brisbane Catholic Education
Brisbane Catholic Education is a learning community responsible for more than 140 faith-based schools in south-east Queensland and combines tradition with modern education as it guides children from prep to grade 12 and prepares them for life beyond school.
Brisbane Catholic Education needed to update its supplier onboarding system and sought support from Business Aspect in the form of an option analysis, to guide them to the best suited solution.
Delivering education to the schools in the community requires working effectively with the many suppliers that provide essential goods and services. The suppliers range from niche businesses to major corporations, and ensuring everything runs smoothly with these relationships is a priority. For Brisbane Catholic Education Head of IT Systems and Platforms Information Technology, Boyd Bostock, it was clear that the supplier onboarding process is a critical part of the process, so when it came to replacing or updating the supplier onboarding system, the organisation wanted to make decisions based on solid intelligence.
“The reason for the project with Business Aspect was that we already had technology in that vendor management space, and the project was around supplier onboarding in its initial requirements.”
While Brisbane Catholic Education has skilled staff in-house, they operate in a busy environment and felt that Business Aspect could give the project what was needed to help make the best decision for their requirements.
“In the background, we were working on another project that strained our resources. With applications that fall outside the mainstream groups, such as supplier onboarding applications, it can be difficult to understand their offerings, capabilities, and limitations. Our approach is to ensure that everything is properly researched so that both immediate and future needs are met with the platform we choose. This was not an area where we had internal expertise at the level we required,” explained Bostock.
Since the incumbent supplier onboarding product had been implemented, technology had moved on. Brisbane Catholic Education was keen to select a tool to streamline and control the supplier onboarding system, lifting the burden of manual processes from busy staff and providing a smooth introduction for new suppliers. The product in place lacked the capacity to perform some of the functionality now available. Navigating the way forward would require expert advice.
“As we continued embedding an Enterprise Architecture discipline adoption of specific Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions, we saw an increase in the complexity of integration with more vendors to manage. An additional SaaS service within finance and not delivering an end-to-end capability was the trigger for engaging Business Aspect to look at the bigger picture,” Bostock said
“We already had a relationship with Business Aspect as we had been liaising for cyber security and data protection advisory. We were confident that their expertise would ensure we could deliver the best outcome possible.”
To begin, Business Aspect’s help was sought in performing an initial market scan, evaluating the existing supplier onboarding solution, and identifying the best path forward.
Working with Brisbane Catholic Education to understand their needs, Business Aspect conducted an option analysis based on a market scan for supplier onboarding solutions. This gave an in-depth analysis of potential solutions, based on a defined list of functional and non-functional requirements. Analysts worked with vendors to provide demos based on a set of scenarios, and options were judged against criteria including value, ease of integration, and suitability for purpose.
“Business Aspect ran a series of workshops with our team and contacted both the incumbent vendor and potential vendors. They were able to gather more details from the vendors and arrange demos. Being able to engage with vendors directly, rather than relying solely on websites and Gartner reports, was valuable, and they had the relationships to do so. They then translated our business requirements into technical requirements, providing more useful insights,” detailed Bostock.
“The report was delivered in slide deck format in a presentation evaluating the current solution and a more detailed analysis that determined where it would deliver on requirements, and a market scan of other players in the market.”
That initial work validated Brisbane Catholic Education caution around re-committing to the same product. This was followed by solution architecture design to give an in-depth look at how each possibility could work in their environment. The resulting report included scores against the core criteria, along with recommendations for a preferred vendor, and possible next steps.
“The initial market scan marked down the incumbent product on the contract management side. We then had to question about bringing in another technology into that area, so we asked ourselves, do we look at a technology that does both onboarding and contract management, and remove the incumbent?” said Bostock.
While supplier onboarding functionality was lacking, the incumbent product performed the contract management functions adequately, but Business Aspect analysts questioned whether it would make sense to introduce a separate technology. They challenged Brisbane Catholic Education to consider the wider implications.
“The product was doing the functions it needed in contract management, but it didn’t make sense having a second product that required integration. We would end up with two products to manage throughout that vendor lifecycle.”
Rather than add complexity and management burden by introducing an additional product or stick with something that did not have the right functionality, Brisbane Catholic Education considered Business Aspect’s input and veered away from its initial plan. Bostock said that the willingness of Business Aspect consultants to challenge Brisbane Catholic Education’s thinking saved additional cost and complexity later.
“The number of systems we already support is challenging and to bring on more when we could replace with one product with a wider remit should always be considered,” explained Bostock
“The outcome was that we decided to pause the project and look at a more holistic approach. The recommendation was to consider our requirements beyond the supplier onboarding project and view the vendor lifecycle, then find a product that meets not just current but future needs. This would lead to more cost efficiency down the track,” detailed Bostock.
“I view the decision to delay the project as a successful outcome as it gave us breathing space to think about the technology within finance as whole, the current situation, the immediate requirements and opportunities for future digitisation.”
Our project team is very happy with the engagement and how it went. They felt it gave the direction they were seeking, where it was quite a difficult situation to work out the way forward.
Boyd Bostock – Head of IT Systems and Platform Information Technology for Brisbane Catholic Education
Looking at projects in isolation does not always give the best outcome, and they knew the value of enlisting the help of consultants with the time and capability to perform a thorough investigation.
“I’m always impressed by the calibre of consultants and their ability to go away and research; they’re technical experts not necessarily just in that product they are looking at. Also, they understand business requirements, not only technical requirements.”
The working relationship that Brisbane Catholic Education has with Business Aspect is one based on honest and open communication from both sides, and Bostock said that knowing the consultants are trained to look beyond the immediate is important.
“Our project team is very happy with the engagement and how it went. They felt it gave the direction they were seeking, where it was quite a difficult situation to work out the way forward.”
An additional benefit Brisbane Catholic Education identified was the access to more information from vendors, thanks to their pre-existing relationships with Business Aspect.
“It is an approach that is easier for vendors to respond to, rather than a formal RFI process which takes significant effort for vendors. There was not enough information in the public realm to understand the products, but by Business Aspect knowing the questions to ask, it enabled them to do a desktop analysis that helped guide our decisions.”
While it would have been possible to choose a product based on the market scan, Brisbane Catholic Education sees it as an advantage that Business Aspect challenged their thinking instead of taking the obvious path. Bostock said that the choice not to proceed immediately is the right outcome.
“This will most likely come through as a project next year with a wider remit than supplier onboarding. We are positioned to consider the wider requirements and pick a product suite that can meet our needs,” concluded Bostock.
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Penrith City Council wanted to ensure it was ready to seize the opportunity of Microsoft 365 (M365) Copilot while avoiding unnecessary risk.
The council wanted to plan effectively for adoption of a key emerging technology and partnered with Data#3 as a trusted partner with direct experience using M365 Copilot.
We have gathered insightful information about the potential benefits of AI, which will help us enhance the services we provide to the local community.
Jane Howard – Chief Information Officer, Penrith City Council.
Nestled between Sydney and the Blue Mountains, Penrith City Council is responsible for an area characterised by spectacular natural beauty and a buzzing arts, culture, and entertainment scene. The council supports a diverse community, providing a range of services that makes Penrith a great place to live and visit.
The council wanted to assess the potential of Microsoft 365 (M365) Copilot as a key emerging new technology to enable greater efficiency and service delivery. It was important to understand potential value as well as any risk involved.
The arrival of the highly anticipated M365 Copilot technology is set to revolutionise workplaces, putting enterprise-level artificial intelligence (AI) in the hands of employees. For Penrith City Council, Chief Information Officer, Jane Howard, it was important to understand how best council could leverage the advantages while ensuring proper data governance in this evolving landscape.
“Since this is a new and evolving technology, it’s still quite immature. As local government, we need to see tangible benefits from purchasing licenses by having the software demonstrate clear advantages.”
“There has been a lot of media around generative AI, and people have questioned how will it fit from an organisational perspective? Will it replace me in my role? Where does it fit into day-to-day operations and how it fits in the organisation and adding value means we need to understand the overall business case.”
In an organisation that provides such a broad range of services, ranging from libraries and recreation to waste management and building permits, it is unsurprising that staff roles are diverse. It made sense to Howard that approaching the introduction of Copilot would require a deep dive into the different ways employees’ roles could benefit.
“There are many types of workers in local government, and not everyone sits in front of a PC all day. We have children’s services, waste management, and people hard at work maintaining our outdoor areas. We have to know where it is showing value, because it might not be useful for everyone, and we need to invest where people will make use of this and benefit.”
M365 Copilot uses the Semantic index, which indexes every file that a user has access to in M365 the results available for Copilot to query. If a user unknowingly has access to sensitive information, Copilot may return a result that leverages that information, inadvertently raising risk.
If users are unaware of the implications of the sensitive nature of their results, they may inadvertently share further. It is, then, essential that organisations review their data governance situation to ensure permissions are correct and to prevent over-sharing.
“In local government, while some of our information is available publicly, we do have much data, like any organisation, that we must keep safe. We also need to keep our employees safe and not expose them to a situation where they have access to information that they shouldn’t.”
While managing risks is vital, the potential for boosted efficiency is significant. Any technology that enables staff to stretch the budget further represents the chance to enhance services and do more for the local population.
“Our other challenge is taking full advantage of the opportunity. We want to make use of new tools and technologies that could help us be more efficient, and focus on adding value for customers without spending that does not add value. We have to make sure the decision is right.”
One challenge of a very new technology is finding help from a partner with first-hand experience. Penrith City Council chose to seek guidance from Data#3, who have hands-on proficiency thanks to being one of the rare few organisations in Australia to take part in the Copilot for M365 Early Access Program (EAP).
“We were looking at our data and making sure we understood its location and accessibility, and wanted to engage with an organisation that could help. Data#3 have had experience with Copilot themselves, so they can share their own experiences with us.”
Focusing on the areas of information governance, organisational change management, and platform, Data#3’s M365 Copilot Readiness Assessment helps businesses understand their current situation and prepare their people and data to get the most from Copilot.
The Data#3 team conducted analysis of Penrith City Council’s M365 tenant, giving the council valuable insights into their data-sharing practices, and recommending best-practice steps to mitigate risk. Experts connected directly to the council’s M365 tenant to perform a technical analysis and led a series of six workshops, then created a readiness report, roadmap, and recommended next steps.
“The Project team is a collaboration between the ICT and the Information Management teams who are leading this initiative; and participated in the Data#3 Readiness Assessment. They thought it was really well structured. The flow from where we started at introduction to where we ended up; with a final report – took us on a journey that gave us a good grounding and an understanding of what Copilot is, what we could do in the organisation, and how to prepare for our pilot program. We’re very happy with how the workshops were presented and we gained valuable knowledge throughout.”
“Each workshop covered different aspects, an introduction, the technology architecture, our data assessment and a key workshop ensuring we understood any potential issues around sensitive data. We looked at the results around data accessibility permissions, then the users themselves, assigning different ‘personas’ around the potential way Copilot could be used. Other workshops also covered how the tool operates, opportunities around use cases, how this technology would be implemented in our environment and the configuration we would need to do.”
While the council runs a tight ship in terms of data governance, they said that due diligence is especially important when introducing generative AI. While they were pleased that the workshops did not uncover any major surprises, it was good to go into the pilot program with greater certainty.
“Our Information Management team is very astute at protecting our data assets, and we are mindful of how data is stored and structured. The workshop was useful in making us even more aware of what data we should mark sensitive.”
“Because ICT are new to the technology ourselves, working with an experienced team was helpful. We have used free tools like ChatGPT but we were interested to see how Copilot would work in our organisation with our data to give the most value. We also purchased a few licences in advance of our pilot, so the Project Team can see how it could work.”
It has been a fascinating experience for the Project Team, who have been keen to put Copilot through its paces. They said it has been “very interesting” to see how people respond when getting a glimpse of this future.
“We had a large meeting of around 30 people in a hybrid format, and there was an executive assistant in the room taking minutes. After the meeting, I demonstrated to her the minutes and action items Copilot had produced. Her feedback was literally ‘Wow’. This new technology will definitely provide some real advantages for some of our personas!”
“Years ago, we used to take shorthand, then secretaries typed minutes, then we had dictation machines, then PCs, so roles will change, this is just another evolution of the way we work – as Microsoft calls it, a modern workplace.”
They said that the value of effective change management cannot be underestimated. The workshop approach helped with practical recommendations that aligned well with the council’s way of working. The group went out to ask Heads of Department to nominate team members to be involved in the pilot and said that they were “very excited” at the opportunity.
“One of the suggestions of the Readiness Assessment is to set up a Centre of Excellence, with the pilot group engaged in identifying opportunities, sharing ideas, and reporting back on things that didn’t work or worked well. They will become Copilot champions throughout the organisation if and when we decide to move this forward in the organisation.”
“Data#3 will play a part in that team, in that when we need something escalated, they can assist us with advice. We can also channel new M365 functionality around modern workplaces into that group.”
Do the Readiness Assessment and look at the underlying architecture: this will help you to understand what it means to your organisation.
Jane Howard – Chief Information Officer, Penrith City Council.
The introduction of Copilot represents an extraordinary opportunity to work more efficiently and, in the case of Penrith City Council, to enable employee focus on providing the exceptional services the community needs.
“Penrith is a growing council, with a population expected to grow 31% by 2036. Therefore we have to look at the ways we work and make ourselves more efficient.”
“It is not just about growth of resident numbers; we have the new Nancy Bird Airport in construction close by, and the Penrith area is a great destination to visit, we’re on the river and close to the mountains, so we will be welcoming more guests, too. We’re looking at ways to work smarter and more efficiently to give everyone the best we have to offer.”
After working through this initial phase, Howard’s advice is that organisations seek experienced help to embark on structured planning.
“Do the Readiness Assessment and look at the underlying architecture: this will help you to understand what it means to your organisation. If you just deployed the licences, it would be quite lacking. You need to build the hype internally, balance what is in the media, too, and set a perspective for your organisation. People will be innovative when they have the tools available.”
“Also to mention that we have been supported by Microsoft, and we were able to use our Technology Innovation Fund via Data#3. Between our vendor partner Data#3, Microsoft, and our own internal learnings, the Readiness Assessment has been a success.”
Is your organisation ready to deploy Copilot for M365? Do you fully understand how turning on AI technology like this will impact your M365 environment? We’re here to help you prepare for Copilot for M365 deployment through interactive workshops and data-driven insights.
Contact our team of specialists to get your team ready for Copilot.
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The Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) (Queensland Section) depended on disparate data sources and wanted to integrate aircraft, patient, and crew data to provide a clear picture of availability. This integration was particularly essential for day-to-day operations to ensure they could provide the ‘finest care to the furthest corner.’
“The work we’re doing ensures that pilots, nurses, and doctors have the right information. Rather than a 000-dispatcher calling multiple places to find the right aircraft, we can tell them straight away. For example, we had a critically ill patient who needed to travel to Brisbane, and we could see that the closest crew was not the best match for the patient’s needs and could immediately locate the best option,” said Nick Warwick, Data Integration and Analytics Manager, Royal Flying Doctor Service (Queensland Section).
In this video, discover how RFDS utilised the power of Microsoft Power BI, Azure Functions, Power Apps, and Flow workflows to deliver digital transformation that helps save lives.
With more apps, devices and data than ever to navigate, you need a business partner that can guide and support you throughout your IT modernisation journey. Data#3 holds the highest level of partner accreditations across the Microsoft ecosystem. With expertise that extends from the network and the cloud, to the datacentre and workplace, you can rely on our expert team to guide and advise on the best technologies to meet the demands of the changing workplace.
Contact our team of specialist today to discover how you can transform your organisation with Data#3.
Morgans needed to enhance its IT services to better support its people 24/7, by progressing to a hybrid working environment, and improving its procurement and management services.
The in-house team evaluated multiple providers and performed reviews in line with their policies to deliver a series of projects for digital transformation. Morgans selected Data#3 due to its previous relationship, demonstrable experience and shared culture.
We wanted the way we were interacting to feel like our partner was just an extension of our internal resources, and for it to feel organic as we moved to a partnership model for managed services, so Data#3 was a natural fit.
Matt Neubauer – CIO, Morgans Financial Limited
Morgans is a full-service stockbroking and wealth management network, with over 500 authorised representatives and 950+ staff servicing more than 240,000 clients across Australia.
With technology playing an ever-growing role in the organisation, Morgans needed a true partner that would help them to harness their full potential. They wanted to work with someone they could trust to handle the day-to-day, while they focused on business growth activities.
From modernising and improving efficiency to providing new services, the IT team at Morgans is on a continuous quest to fulfil its role as a business enabler. For CIO, Matt Neubauer, it is important that while overcoming the everyday challenges of managing IT, that they could also see the big picture and recognise progress.
“When we first worked with Data#3 some five years ago, we were running Lotus Notes, we were developing systems in-house, we had a data centre four times the size we see today. It was very much an internal cloud environment, and cloud wasn’t a thing then.”
Rather than source technology partners for every individual project, something that would lack continuity and potentially drain time and attention, Neubauer was keen to develop a more enduring relationship. Although the right technical capability was a given, it was clear that an IT provider needed to be a strong cultural match, and to mesh well with Morgans.
“We were reliant on the skills, expertise and advice of our IT partner, and we needed them to play a role in guiding our direction from a technology perspective. Technology is a never-ending story: by the time you have finished one thing, you are already looking at something else, so it is a fast-moving space. You need to have access to trusted advice.”
As the role of IT grew and evolved in the business, and users’ needs went beyond the traditional 9-5 workday, the role of the in-house IT team adjusted to match. Rather than simply add out of hours support, Neubauer evaluated how to best use the strengths of his own team, while ensuring that the day-to-day operations were covered.
“When we were looking at our capability at that point, we decided as a business what was our strategic direction and where to invest our time, funds and resources. We decided that our internal focus should be where we can differentiate, and looked at the things we could do very well that were unique to Morgans.
“When it came to managing our data, network and servers, we looked at using a partner we could trust that not only had the capability, but also the flexibility to scale when needed.”
The IT skills shortage added weight to the decision to seek a managed services solution to fit the Morgans business environment. While 76 percent of Australian businesses are looking to hire skilled IT staff in 2024, half are finding themselves having to outsource overseas, with cyber security leading the hard-to-fill areas of expertise.
“We looked at the times we needed to cover, and we would have had to double our team to facilitate it, because we can’t cover both out of hours and business hours. We were not willing to compromise on keeping it onshore.
“We wanted all of the capabilities and resources to fit, we needed data sovereignty to remain in Australia, and we wanted company culture that matched ours. We wanted the way we were interacting to feel like our partner was just an extension of our internal resources, and for it to feel organic as we moved to a partnership model for managed services, so Data#3 was a natural fit,” explained Neubauer.
Morgans has significantly benefited from Data#3’s expertise across several business transformation projects, incorporating a suite of technology from Cisco, Microsoft, and Veritas to better support the hybrid workplace.
Leveraging the depth of knowledge and experience within this partnership, the strength and value of their relationship have become evidently invaluable. From migrating to Microsoft 365 and implementing Windows 10 to deployment of a Cisco Meraki SD-WAN and adoption of Microsoft Surface devices, the in-house IT team and Data#3 teams have worked shoulder to shoulder towards common goals.
“This gave us confidence when we were proposing a managed services partnership. We have similar values, and we are both Queensland based, so there is a lot of alignment there. The board felt very comfortable using Data#3 as a partner because they had already shown we would be in safe hands,” recalled Neubauer.
The transition to a managed services model was a process that Neubauer felt required experience and a well-designed process. As it was, the collaborative approach and tested Data#3 methodology meant that for most of the business, the managed services handover was a non-event.
“With each new development in our technology journey, it was as if the business didn’t know anything had changed. Someone working in one of the branches would be none the wiser. That was exactly what we hoped for – it is like when you turn on the tap and there is no hot water, you might curse the plumber, but you don’t thank them for every day it works perfectly. It is the same with IT, it is when something is wrong that you hear about it, so when it is quiet, we are happy.”
For the in-house IT team, though, Neubauer noted there were some more noticeable outcomes, including reduced stress and more time to focus on high value business enhancement activities.
“The biggest measurable difference was a reduction in incidents, especially those caused by patching limitations. These often crop up out of hours, and with the size of our team, we didn’t have people looking at patching on weekends and early mornings. Data#3 flags those things as they occur and by the time we walk in, most are already remediated.”
“It is great to avoid that Monday morning firefighting, because that sets the tone and used to consume time. Which also meant our people sometimes had to wait to access systems they needed to do their jobs.”
Amidst an increasingly complex cyber security landscape and facing ever more sophisticated threats, this important security measure was among the improvements that Neubauer was clear should not be underestimated. Central to the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) Essential Eight measures, prompt patching greatly reduces vulnerabilities and cuts the window of opportunity for cyber criminals.
“It is becoming critical really in terms of the breaches we are seeing in different vertices, and once again we are very comfortable with Data#3’s security posture and the investment they are making to protect their customers’ data.”
Procurement, too, is an area where the Morgans team has welcomed Data#3’s expertise. Having access to a wealth of specialists has helped to make sure that investments are well planned and that the financial business can get the best return for its technology spend.
“We do our own research and keep a finger on the pulse of what’s happening in the market, but it is so fast moving that we can’t be across it all. Another value that Data#3 has given is that they are a large business with specialists in different vertices, so we can engage and get them to do a market scan, or to do research on our behalf. We have done this a number of times when we have not known the solution but can articulate what we need to achieve,” said Neubauer.
“Then, when we have worked out the right outcome, they work with a range of vendors, and can negotiate to get us the best return on investment and manage our assets efficiently.”
For me, Data#3 is the epitome of the concept of a trusted partner. They are always someone we can call when we are looking at the next stage of growth, or when facing an emerging challenge. They will put Morgans first, give us sound advice, and recommend the appropriate path for us.
Matt Neubauer – CIO, Morgans Financial Limited
To get the optimal outcome from an ongoing relationship, especially in a managed services scenario, Neubauer said that a true partnership is necessary. That, to him, means feeling that they want Morgans to achieve a successful outcome just as much as he does, and will place that above their short-term goals.
“For me, Data#3 is the epitome of the concept of a trusted partner. They are always someone we can call when we are looking at the next stage of growth, or when facing an emerging challenge. They will put Morgans first, give us sound advice, and recommend the appropriate path for us.”
On occasion, that approach has meant that Data#3 has sometimes chosen not to take on a project, instead connecting Morgans with their extensive network of technology partners.
“There have been some instances where we haven’t used them based on the advice they have given. For example, when we have been working on a technical solution that isn’t one of their strengths or in their wheelhouse, our account manager will call out that it isn’t one of their specialities and will recommend a partner with the right specialised skills for the project. There are a lot of vendors who are keen to get whatever business they can, even if outside their skillset, which leads to subpar results.
“If Data#3 is engaging on a project, they won’t accept anything below an excellent outcome, what they commit to achieving, they will make good on that commitment.”
The true test of a partnership, concluded Neubauer, is knowing that you have an extended team of resources that are every bit as much there for you in difficult moments as they are to share in your successes.
“Data#3’s strength boils down to the definition of a solid partner, someone that you can call when things don’t go well and they’ll pick up the phone, they’ll be in your corner to make things right with a mutually agreeable outcome. They will go to bat for you.”
“Our Data#3 Account Manager has been on some internal calls for Morgans looking out for Morgans’ interests even if they are not necessarily of benefit to Data#3. They are collaborative, transparent, and they tell things as they are,” concluded Neubauer.
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At Data#3, our core purpose is to enable customer success through a company-wide strategic approach to customer experience. By aligning with world-leading vendor partners like Cisco, we enhance our ability to guide customers confidently through their technology journey, establishing a solid foundation to future-proof their digital transformation.
In this video, John Tan (Data#3 Chief Customer Officer), David Impellizzeri (Data#3 Customer Success Team Lead), and Emma Crome (Cisco Success Programs Manager) sit down to discuss how our partnership with Cisco helps drive successful outcomes for our customers.
At Data#3, our partnership with Cisco is built on a strong foundation, allowing us to deliver top-notch connectivity and security platforms that enhance user experiences. Cisco’s focus on forming enduring partnerships aligns seamlessly with our approach, enabling us to understand our customers’ needs and offer solutions that lead to their success.
The Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) (Queensland Section) was dependent on disparate data sources and wanted to integrate aircraft, patient, and crew data to give a clear picture of availability.
Having worked together previously, the RFDS (Queensland Section) identified that Data#3 had the capability to tackle a highly complex data integration project, working through rigorous proof of concept stages to completion.
When we could say we had the systems and processes in place that were trustworthy and reliable enough to get our operations centre up and running, it was a huge milestone.
Nick Warwick – Data Integration and Analytics Manager, Royal Flying Doctor Service (Queensland Section)
The Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) is a charitable organisation that delivers primary healthcare and 24-hour emergency services to rural and remote Australians. Supported by a vast number of volunteers and supporters for more than 90 years, the RFDS holds a special place in the heart of the nation.
As one of the largest aeromedical organisations in the world, the RFDS faces unique operational hurdles. The crews and aircraft at the frontline work beyond the reaches of consistent data connectivity, so providing service involved considerable manual effort.
Before the RFDS was founded in Cloncurry in 1928, Australians living in remote locations had to travel by horseback, cart, or even camel to reach medical help in an emergency. Since then, the fleet has grown to 79 aircraft that operate from 23 bases across Australia.
The RFDS has expanded its services to include primary health care clinics, patient transfers, research, and a host of other essential care. Data Integration and Analytics Manager (Queensland Section), Nick Warwick, said that modernising the mainly manual RFDS systems was essential to ensure the Service could continue to provide the finest care to the furthest corner.
“One of the biggest challenges is that we operate off-grid, where there is no phone data or internet. If we can get data at all, it is usually slow, with very high latency, low bandwidth, and poor connectivity.”
“In the sky, there is limited connectivity – we have satellite phones and tracking, but we’re not about to be streaming Netflix, and the cost of streaming data is prohibitive. As a result, we operated with a lot of paper-based processes, with many standalone apps operating offline,” explained Warwick.
As well as receiving much-appreciated donations from the public, the RFDS also accepts funding from both state and federal governments. Both levels of government supported the RFDS quest to modernise and innovate, and Warwick said moving away from paper-based systems represented an opportunity to improve care.
“It is all about how we can look after the patient better. Queensland Health has been moving all hospitals to electronic records, and we looked at how we provide information to the receiving hospital, and how the information we add works into that process.”
In addition to integrating patient data from multiple sources, the RFDS (Queensland Section) wanted an Operations Control Centre for the fleet that would have accurate, near-real time data about its fleet and crews. The potential for increased efficiency and faster response times was an important driving force.
“If, for example, a hospital needed a patient transferred, they would ring Retrieval Services Queensland, a service attached to the 000 centre, who would then ring around to find pilots and nurses who were available and had the right skills for the specific job,” explained Warwick.
“We wanted better situational awareness of available flight crews and availability so we could respond to calls faster. In Queensland we have 22 aircraft and 11 crews, and we’re operating 24/7 ready to do medical retrievals. Different aircraft have different capabilities; all nurses are intensive care specialists, most are midwives, and all aeromedical doctors are anaesthetists or intensive care experts. We always need to make sure we send the right combination of specialists when responding to calls.”
There are many considerations for dispatchers. Some aircraft have cargo doors, necessary for certain situations, or have capacity of multiple stretchers, while others may be better suited to landing on outback dirt strips. The dispatcher must rapidly assess and make decisions based on patient needs, location, pilot, and crew skills and even the aircraft itself.
“We had a duty tasking officer whose job it was to advise Queensland Health from the moment of the request, organising everything that was needed for the best patient outcome from assigning the right aircraft and crew, through to making sure that the receiving hospital was ready for them and had a bed reserved.”
Much of the needed information that documented aircraft capabilities and crew skills was held offline, so the tasking officer would have to manually look through hard copy information in multiple locations before an aircraft and crew could be sourced. A task that required manual checking of every piece of information, often with several phone calls.
“We were depending on paper-based processes and stand-alone systems, with someone figuring out what aircraft had what capabilities, and remembering it all in their head. We asked ourselves, how do we get our records all available electronically, and get our systems talking? The goal was to get the right information to the right person at the right time,” outlined Warwick.
“We couldn’t find anything commercial off-the-shelf that would do the job of emergency and flight planning for an airline where we have no advance knowledge of where we’ll being flying to on any given day.”
The RFDS (Queensland Section) began to automate some processes, extract simpler data, and load it into their data warehouse. They gained the ability to run some reports however they were not in real time. They still needed to integrate patient and aircraft data, and to find a way to display the information. All this needed to be managed within a strict budget, as the RFDS team was very conscious of their responsibility to get the most from every dollar of funding.
“We had to find all the bits of information and get them into a spot we could use. Prior to coming on board, Data#3 had done some work with the RFDS around data processing strategy to produce reports. We were initially looking at Azure Data Factory and had done discovery work, and we chose to work with Data#3 and their partner Lynkz for a proof of concept to show if it would work and prove beneficial,” explained Warwick.
“As we evaluated the cost, we realised that Azure Data Factory would not be the right tool, and the team identified that Azure Functions applications would be better suited. We rebuilt the prototype, and it exceeded performance and costing expectations.”
Azure Functions is a serverless solution that allows you to write less code, cut infrastructure requirements, and reduce costs. With the needed resources residing in the cloud, and streamlined development, the affordability factor soared.
Part of the limited proof of concept, for a single view of aircraft information, was the build of a simple dashboard displaying real time details. Even then, Warwick said that getting the go-ahead was “by no means a given”, and the project was put through a strict approval process to ensure that it offered significant value to patients and staff.
“Azure Functions was a much better cost of operations model for us, and we continued to build out the model and started hooking up new systems and looking at the quality of data. It was a real collaborative effort between RFDS, Data#3 and Lynkz,” said Warwick.
As more systems were integrated, some were determined to be no longer fit for purpose, and alternatives were considered for functions such as flight manifests and tracking.
“Data#3 helped us to design and build a new manifest system, and we chose a new partner for a flight tracking system that sends API calls. The capability of our system is now far more advanced than we had previously.”
A key moment was the launch of the RFDS (Queensland Section) Operations Control Centre. This was made possible when key systems were integrated successfully and marked a milestone on RFDS’ commitment to growth in innovation.
“We can now see exactly where we are, whether any of the crew has limitations we need to be aware of, we can see their location, and no longer have to make calls to know where people are, the information is just there. When we look at the board, we can see information about aircraft maintenance needs, and understand the current situation.
“At a glance, we know which aircraft is loaded with NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) equipment, or which staff are available with the right specialist skills. If we’re asked a question, we can just look up and see it on a big display board that shows real time information,” Warwick said.
Display boards are also installed in each of the RFDS locations around Queensland, so that wherever they are, crews, support staff and engineers can access accurate information at a glance.
“The work we’re doing ensures that pilots, nurses, and doctors have the right information. Rather than a 000-dispatcher calling multiple places to find the right aircraft, we can tell them straight away. For example, we had a critically ill patient who needed to travel to Brisbane, and we could see that the closest crew was not the best match for the patient’s needs and could immediately locate the best option.
“At the Operations Control Centre, we have integrated flight systems, manifests, and tasking systems plus the first of our clinical systems, so instructions can be preloaded onto the clinician’s iPad, used offline during flight and the data uploaded at the other end. We can be saving five to ten minutes per patient by passing data over, and the process can remove up to half an hour in tasking communications.”
It’s not only in the Operations Control Centre that efficiencies have been realised. Warwick noted a reduction in effort when aircraft come in for servicing. Engineers can quickly notice when an aircraft will be waiting for a few hours for a patient’s return journey or a hospital handover, thanks to the screens in each location.
“We can now show clearly which aircraft are on call, and which aircraft our engineers can work on. When an aircraft is on the tarmac, engineers can know whether they have time for routine maintenance. Now we have visibility of information, we can improve our operations and work more efficiently.”
For Warwick’s IT team at RFDS (Queensland Section), one of the key success factors was knowledge transfer, with Data#3 specialists providing documentation and helping internal resources to gain confidence in working with Azure Functions.
“We knew at the end of phase one there would be a disengagement process, and if we were successful, we would have produced what was needed and have the skills to maintain it, and this was absolutely achieved.”
We have connectivity options at every site we operate. We’re looking for ways we can improve telehealth, and how we can put equipment like cardiac monitors and diagnostic equipment where they’re of most use.
Nick Warwick – Data Integration and Analytics Manager, Royal Flying Doctor Service (Queensland Section)
With real time information available on screens at each of the RFDS (Queensland Section) locations, the project has been highly visible within the organisation. This has led to demand for additional data to be integrated as the possibilities are considered. Warwick said that the project has highlighted the core RFDS spirit.
“As an organisation, innovation is at the core of what we do. In 1928, nobody had used planes to transport sick people. We’re always looking for the best ideas. Our aircraft now have stretcher loading systems to go straight from the aircraft to ambulance. We have connectivity options at every site we operate. We’re looking for ways we can improve telehealth, and how we can put equipment like cardiac monitors and diagnostic equipment where they’re of most use.”
As an organisation, the RFDS is ever conscious of spending funding wisely, and this impacts the way that technology projects are approached. This makes proof of concepts especially important, and Warwick said that “we’ll give it a go but stop if it doesn’t work”, something that requires a supportive technology partner.
“Data#3’s biggest strength was their attitude. The account manager saw us as a relationship, and had a professional, constructive approach based on mutual respect. They could see what we were trying to do, and their attitude was that we will find a way together to make it work,” praised Warwick.
“If we had more work, there was always give and take, and they were able to find another person.”
Looking to the future, the RFDS has plans to roll out additional services that are much needed by the remote and rural Australians they serve. Warwick said that as well as increasing demand for primary care and dental clinics, the health practice now offers youth mental health care, maternity health, and operates a system of medicinal chests that he hopes will be integrated, so that status can display for the operations centre staff.
“We’re considering projects around geospatial technology, so that when someone calls needing help, we can get lifesaving medications to them from the medicinal chests faster than an aircraft can arrive.”
Given the RFDS spirit of innovation, it is unsurprising that Warwick sees modernisation efforts less as a project with a start and finish and more as an ongoing progression where there will always be opportunities to improve services as new technologies emerge. There’s “no endpoint” when striving for the best patient outcomes. Still, he said it’s also important to reflect on the advances already made.
“When we could say we had the systems and processes in place that were trustworthy and reliable enough to get our Operations Control Centre up and running, it was a huge milestone.”
An organisation in the energy industry wanted to create a modern network infrastructure that would support its increasingly mobile workforce.
Managing a network at more than a hundred sites meant that the in-house IT team was used to working on very large, complex projects. Data#3, also a trusted Cisco partner, had demonstrated capabilities in managing large, multi-site network modernisation projects, and this made them a reliable choice.
The highlight is that our technology is more secure, and the mobility for our users has improved dramatically.
As an organisation in the energy industry performing the essential role of delivering energy to the general population in homes, businesses and communities, having the right technology to better support business objectives is essential.
Although the organisation’s existing Cisco network infrastructure had performed reliably, the changes in work practices as well as the COVID-19 pandemic meant there was a greater demand for secure, mobile capabilities for users. With this in mind, the organisation identified an opportunity to modernise its networks and create a better user experience while further supporting a highly agile workforce.
Having a vital role in providing power to local communities means there are rigorous processes are in place to ensure that best practice. In the IT team, this means building and maintaining a secure, efficient environment that enables the large workforce to perform at their best. When it came to renewing the organisation’s network, the energy organisations The Manager for Cyber Security said that considerable planning was involved. It was also standard practice to prepare well ahead for the end of each technology cycle.
“The project was started by the previous manager to modernise our environment and technology, and it was determined we should move to Cisco Meraki as the older technology was getting towards its end of life.”
“If we didn’t consider modernising our environment, we would have run the risk of not having the right support and maintenance we needed. Subsequent security threats in our wireless network would have been unacceptable.”
Changing work practices were factored into the decision. Enabling a more seamless mobile experience was a priority, whether for staff moving between the 100-plus sites, or working from home.
“Previously, people mostly worked with a desktop or laptop at a workstation, but we planned a move to a more mobile, wireless environment. We worked on another project rolling out Windows 10, and we wanted to build on this to take advantage of the wireless environment, so that people could pick up their devices and walk around the building, or any site throughout our multiple companies.”
The few staff travelling between sites previously were accustomed to connecting manually to different networks, but this could be challenging, with different systems in place at different locations. Unsurprisingly, this resulted in additional support calls, and there was clear room to improve on the user experience.
Support was not made any easier for the team by the lack of visibility in the complex network environment, so a better view of network traffic was needed. Consolidation of the wireless environment would bring greater consistency, making management simpler and more effective.
The Data#3 project team consisted of a senior project manager, project administrative support, six consultants, and a network of regional electrical partners who worked closely with the in-house IT group and Cisco to develop and implement a detailed plan to modernise the network. The solution included deployment of 1,089 wireless access points, 632 switches, and more than a hundred routers. Using a combination of Cisco Meraki switches and indoor and outdoor access points, as well as Cisco Catalyst 9000 Series switches and Cisco Integrated Service routers, the infrastructure was designed to give maximum performance and visibility.
“It was a big project, definitely large and complex, but not the biggest we’ve done. The project took around 18 months in all, and we now have all sites upgraded, which is no small undertaking,” described the Manager for Cyber Security.
“We took a collaborative approach. Data#3 did the running up of the equipment, but didn’t have to go to all the locations, we shared the responsibility, so sometimes it would be just Data#3 and sometimes it would be just us.”
The approach varied according to location. While some smaller sites could be cut over during business hours, in the larger offices, it was necessary to work outside 9-5 in order to minimise disruption to staff. While the Manager for Cyber Security said that Data#3, as a Cisco Gold Partner, had a “very high rating” for technical expertise, they maintained that skilled, experienced project managers are equally vital in large, multi-site undertakings.
“My advice is to get a good project manager who understands logistics, that is the most important thing. For example, working with Data#3, we pre-staged and tested equipment before it was sent anywhere, which meant there was less need for senior people onsite – an experienced project manager understands these logistics are critical,” explained the Manager for Cyber Security.
“Everything has to be staged, packaged, shipped, and unboxed, the site has to be ready for it, plan where the boxes will go, and what happens with the boxes that are removed – it is the logistics that will kill you.”
The IT team is appreciative of the simpler management and increased visibility of the modernised network environment. The clearer view of network traffic allows the organisation’s team to better understand and predict organisational needs, and to anticipate issues, so that they can act more proactively in providing capacity and in preventing problems. The visibility, and the ability to define access based on client, identity, and intent, are especially a benefit in terms of meeting stringent security requirements. Importantly, access control is seamless and consistent between the many locations.
“The Cisco Meraki technology enables us to provide a more robust security process for wireless and roaming.”
While the project was planned before the world was faced with a global pandemic, the increased capacity for staff to work from home quickly showed its worth. The combination of the network modernisation and a remote work project proved essential.
“We had 4,000+ employees, and previously fewer had asked to work from home,” said the Manager for Cyber Security.
For users traveling between locations, the ease of getting onto the network at each new location meant they could simply pick up their work without wrestling with separate sign-on process, and without calling the helpdesk. Whether working on a laptop or corporate mobile phone, at each new site, the network recognised their device and assigned the correct access levels, even when they had moved from one location to another. The users have access to their familiar corporate applications wherever they go.
“I regularly travel for work, and since the deployment I’ve been able to connect to the wireless seamlessly wherever I am. It doesn’t matter which company network we now use; they are consistent. Our executives can travel around the state and connect at any spot easily and securely.”
“The two large projects we completed took the pain of logins away. This was originally a pain point going between different companies because cabling and networks were structured differently,” said the Manager for Cyber Security.
While the choice of the modern Cisco network technology was relatively simple due to its combination of reliability, manageability, and performance, there were other considerations that were important in selecting the best solution. Data#3 procurement specialists were able to help make the project happen within the right budget. “We have a strong cost management focus. Cisco offered an Enterprise Agreement and a bundle package that made it financially palatable for our current management to support.”
I regularly travel for work, and since the deployment I’ve been able to connect to the wireless seamlessly wherever I am. It doesn’t matter which company network we now use; they are consistent. Our executives can travel around the state and connect at any spot easily and securely.
– Manager for Cyber Security, Organisation in the energy industry
For the wider organisation, much of the success of the project is down to communication, and a strong project manager that their in-house team worked with well.
“We met with the senior project manager weekly, and had a monthly account meeting with Data#3. There were ad-hoc meetings as well. It was a luxury to pick up the phone to call people if I had a problem, and they would respond positively,” said the Manager for Cyber Security.
“We have such a collaborative partnership with Data#3, and they do multiple activities for us, not just on Cisco technology but also Microsoft, and some security pieces. They are able to focus on what we need, they have good quality quoting and processes, and strong expertise.”
The greatest icing on the cake, has been the improvement to user experience while also improving security.
“Our highlight is that the technology is more secure, and the mobility for users has improved dramatically. They can pick up their laptop or phone and head into another room, go home, come back into the office, and voilà! They are connected.”
“With this project, they can use any device, anywhere,” concluded Manager for Cyber Security.
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The Department for Education wanted to achieve a smooth transition to a new managed service provider that would offer greater transparency and a true partnership.
The Department for Education chose Data#3 as their managed service provider (MSP) through a competitive tender program. Established systems and customer references played a key role in the decision.
The highlight was the proactiveness of Data#3, the way they went about the engagement was positive and professional, and the process they used was highly effective.
Simon Chapman – Assistant Director, Digital Architecture and Operations, Department for Education South Australia
The South Australian Department for Education (The Department) provides education, training and child development services to support children, young people and families as they reach their learning goals.
The Department was nearing the end of its contract with an existing Managed Services Provider (MSP) and sought a future partnership that would serve it well through an exciting phase of transformation in education services.
In a state that spans vibrant cities as well as rural and remote communities, striving for excellence in education is both challenging and rewarding. Innovative use of technology is seen as a tremendous opportunity by the Department. The busy in-house team is passionate about raising the bar of technology in the education sector, something Assistant Director, Digital Architecture and Operations, Simon Chapman said he could “talk about all day.”
To dedicate efforts into providing the best services within the Department and to schools, the team depended on a managed service provider. When that contract neared its conclusion, it was seen as an opportunity for progress.
“We were looking for someone we could have a long-term strategic relationship with. We were keen to find value-adds that a service provider could bring to education to support modern learning,” said Chapman.
“Government is complex, and every agency is different, with unique processes around each area. There is a phase of building up knowledge and understanding the environment of the customer for a managed service provider. We needed those dedicated resources who would understand us and the way we work.”
Any change to existing managed service arrangements needed to be handled with care, in order to avoid any disruption to the Department’s vital work. With this in mind, Chapman scrutinised the approach to transition in each tender response.
“We were on a previous whole of government arrangement with a different provider and we needed to know that there was a plan in place that could make that happen smoothly,” said Chapman.
To verify suitability and experience, the Department for Education team did its homework, diligently following up references to get a sense of how well potential partners would mesh with the in-house team. Chapman was keenly aware that there could be no loss of focus on the important work of supporting South Australia’s school communities.
“Our approach was that we needed this to be a partnership to truly achieve a successful transition. We knew we needed dedicated resources and a proven process.”
Beyond the immediate challenge of transitioning between providers, the Department saw any managed services agreement as an opportunity to access a broader knowledge base, with an opportunity to free the busy in-house team from day-to-day activities. Overall efficiency gains, increased insight, and improved resolution times were also high on the wish list.
“We identified that there was room to streamline the support process and get a clearer view.”
After careful consideration against each required criteria, the South Australia Department for Education selected Data#3 as its new managed services partner. This signalled the start of an in-depth planning phase to ensure a smooth transition.
“We had weekly meetings and then, as we got closer, daily stand-up meetings between Education and Data#3’s specialised team. Each week we had progress reports from the project manager, so we knew what activities had been completed and what was coming up. This all followed our overarching plan and agreed milestones,” described Chapman.
Some aspects of the transition merited a more in-depth look, with the Department for Education team keen to make the most of a wealth of enhanced systems and services available to them. Chapman said that this proactive approach served the Department well as it strove to get maximum return on its managed services investment.
“We conducted workshops focused on discovery and explored various value-added services. One example of added value was the integration of our service desk tool, ‘ServiceNow’, with the systems of Data#3. Any requests logged in our tool became accessible to the Data#3 team through their own ServiceNow system, which saved our teams a significant amount of time as we were able to manage everything without leaving our own systems.”
The integration was about more than saving on administration effort. It also gave the Department real-time visibility of every ticket in progress or completed. Every action and comment from Data#3 engineers can be seen b y the Department’s team, who can also add their own updates. This gives a better sense of teamwork between the organisations as they collaborate towards shared goals.
“Having that visibility really improved the efficiency, and reduced resolution times to get incidents resolved,” explained Chapman.
“We get monthly reports from our Data#3 customer success manager, and that tracks the number of tickets, what’s outstanding, and whether any SLAs have been breached depending on the severity of the ticket. We’re seeing trends and we’re not seeing a spike in any type of tickets, there’s a consistent downward trend with improvement on how long each takes to resolve.”
In any transition of this magnitude and complexity, Chapman said that it is realistic to expect a few technical challenges to work through but thanks to experienced project managers both in-house and with Data#3, the project progressed smoothly.
“Anything that cropped up was dealt with on a case-by-case basis. There were some issues with discovering all assets in discovery, but we were able to mitigate that; we had an issues register to track issues and were able to put an action plan in place. Meaning there were no showstoppers, and that was incredibly important to us.”
Chapman credited staffing and processes with helping to make the transition and ongoing management a success. He pointed out that, given every government agency operates differently, consistency of resources makes all the difference.
“We all have different processes around each area, so it takes time building up knowledge to understand the environment of each customer. We like that Data#3 brings subject matter experts to each account, rather than just a pool of Data#3 resources, so we get specialised engineers who are familiar with the education sector and environment. We’re not just getting generic resources and having that first level dedicated resourcing to our account has helped familiarise them with our environment, they are not having to relearn for every request,” stated Chapman.
“There’s a learning curve and rather than having to refer to the documentation every time, we have those dedicated resources who know education, with backups when they are not available. It improves our resolution times when they don’t have to relearn our environment.”
They understand our business and help us be more adaptive to change. They are service delivery focused and have the experience as a managed service partner for a large, complex environment. The local staff are very good at building relationships and communicating to keep us in the loop.
Simon Chapman – Assistant Director, Digital Architecture and Operations, Department for Education South Australia
While there are certainly many managed services options on the market, they are far from all the same. In particular, the people, processes, and systems can vary considerably. For the Department, finding the right fit has had a clear effect on reducing resolution times, but the impact goes beyond that simple measurement.
“We’ve got someone who is a genuine close partner rather than a general managed services provider, they want to see us succeed and set about making that happen. We have a partner at a strategic level.”
“They understand our business and help us be more adaptive to change. They are service delivery focused and have the experience as a managed service partner for a large, complex environment. The local staff are very good at building relationships and communicating to keep us in the loop.”
The integration between Department for Education and Data#3 systems has served to give Chapman greater insight into his environment, and his team has been quick to put that intelligence to good use.
“We have more transparency around ticketing systems and a level of visibility we have never had before due to the monitoring tools used. We can see a greater level of improved service overall. We are also more forward looking. We can make continuous improvements and use the information for road-mapping; it helps us see what the future looks like and where we can save costs or improve efficiency,” outlined Chapman.
“In terms of ongoing costs, we’re in a much better position. They’re quite flexible about onboarding new services, around billing and invoicing.”
For other organisations looking at transitioning to a new managed services provider smoothly, Chapman’s advice is that it pays to allocate the right resources, who can focus fully on the task.
“As a project, don’t try to do it on top of the day job. Dedicate resourcing both internally and within the provider so that you get all the prerequisites and planning done and nothing is left to chance. Work with somebody who has experience and has done multiple transitions before, so you have the comfort that they know what they are doing and have the right expertise. Do talk to their other customers – we did reference checks, who reflected positive experiences of their transitions.”
Ultimately, given the importance of technology within most organisations, the role of the managed service provider is key to progress. Along with expertise, finding a strong cultural fit is worth the effort. “I think the highlight was the proactiveness of Data#3, the way they went about the engagement was positive and professional, and the process they used was highly effective. They had a collaborative approach. I was really impressed by the partnership between the Department and Data#3 to get a positive outcome: we don’t see them as a simple managed services provider, but as a strategic partner, and that is the key that has set them apart,” concluded Chapman.
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Westminster School counts cyber security among the most critical responsibilities of its IT department. The school wanted to minimise risk exposure by strengthening protection around legacy applications and systems.
The school’s IT leaders attended a cyber security session at Data#3’s annual JuiceIT event, and realised they had found the ‘missing piece’ to secure their environment.
When you get the best of both worlds, with a great product and great people, hands down it’s a winner. Data#3 and Silverfort have become trusted advisors on this matter.
Simon Matthews – Infrastructure lead, Westminster School
Nestled between the beaches and the vibrant city of Adelaide, Westminster School is a leading co-ed day and boarding school with around 1,300 students from early learning to year 12. The school is affiliated with the Uniting Church, and is known for nurturing students as they pursue their academic, sporting and artistic dreams.
Technology plays a key role in school life, both in administration and in the classroom. A period of modernisation meant that much of the school’s IT environment has shifted to the cloud, with some legacy and on-premises infrastructure remaining, presenting some security challenges.
In any organisation, protecting users and assets against cyber attacks is of high importance. The Australian Cyber Security Council (ACSC) reported a doubling of reported cyber attacks in a two-year period to June 2022, with more than two in every ten organisations impacted each year. Breaches can have a significant financial and reputational effect on organisations, but Westminster School Infrastructure lead, Simon Matthews, said that the impact on individuals is, for educators, the greatest concern.
“Breaches can affect people very deeply. The vast majority of our stakeholders are under 18, so we need to do everything we can to protect our students. We have a lot of confidential information to protect, often medical details, and information around staff, and we take that seriously.”
Much of the school’s environment had been transitioned into the cloud, but the IT team was especially conscious that the remaining on-premises environment was limited in terms of identity protection, and this could have represented a risk. Finding an answer had proven problematic.
“It was the legacy on-premises infrastructure we were looking to secure, and we were not aware of a solution on the market that would cover not only the desktop, but also the whole range of common tools that threat actors use. They will target just about any service related to Windows.”
A cyber security truism is that ‘you can’t secure what you can’t see’, and here, too, there were obstacles to overcome. Visibility was limited in the legacy environment.
“We had a lack of awareness around what accounts we had that could be compromised, and service accounts were mostly where we saw problems. A lot had built up over years, staff would create a service, and over time, wouldn’t realise that the associated service accounts existed.”
While these service accounts in themselves were typically not related to sensitive data, hackers often exploit such accounts to find their way into an environment, spending months casing out an organisation and finding opportunities for lateral movement into other systems for months before they strike.
“Back in the day, we would measure threat using our firewall’s data to measure how many attempts were made. The landscape has since changed, with client devices in many places, and a completely decentralised environment. Threat actors work every device, every app, not just what is physically here.”
“As the threat landscape changes, we have to assume a breach and mitigate risk, by stopping lateral movement at that point to protect our people.”
When the Westminster School’s IT team attended Data#3’s annual JuiceIT event, one of the partner presentations especially resonated with them. Security specialists from Data#3 and partner, Silverfort, spoke about addressing the security gap that can emerge in the area of identity protection when dealing with legacy environments designed for a more centralised landscape.
“We saw the cyber security presentation, and it was a real lightbulb moment. We looked at each other and went ‘yes!’. This speaks volumes about JuiceIT and the vendors that Data#3 brings into the space; the events ensure that Data#3 customers are exposed to the best emerging security solutions available through their partners, and that is part of why the partnership with Data#3 is so critical to us.”
After discussions with their Data#3, Westminster School elected to conduct a brief proof of concept to make sure that the solution lived up to its promise.
“We wanted to run it in house to see what it would do, and how it would function, and we ran some stats. We then fast tracked it because we knew we needed to close any gap in security around our on-premises infrastructure and legacy apps,” recounted Matthews.
The Data#3 and Silverfort team addressed a blind spot that was not protected well by existing identity and access management products. The proposed solution solves the technology challenge of enforcing secure authentication on all users, resources and protocols, both in on-premises and multi-cloud environments, thwarting efforts at lateral movement by malicious actors. To do this, it uses a unified identity protection platform that gives real-time protection against attacks that use compromised privileged or unprivileged credentials. It extends Microsoft Azure multi-factor authentication (MFA) to any sensitive resources, even to legacy environments that lacked the option for MFA previously.
The discovery capabilities of this technology were among the aspects that most impressed Matthews.
“It gave us exposure to service accounts, or accounts acting as service accounts, that we were unaware of. It also lets us enforce MFA that is policy based. The service account module has been critical to see the accounts we weren’t aware of and introduce controls around them, and we can do this by a granular process to make sure we aren’t breaking things elsewhere. Where there were gaps, we knew that the Data#3 and Silverfort teams could help us realise the issue to resolve it,” stated Matthews.
“It is very simple. The additional scope we get through insights gives us really useful information and helps us to troubleshoot daily.”
For the majority of Westminster School users, there was no difference in their experience of logging on. Outside the IT department and leadership, none were aware that their security had been raised.
“There is nothing to put on our devices, no additional software on the servers, no integration pieces with SaaS or legacy applications. It just ties back into the simple all-in-one system, where we set policy to enable a type of traffic and block everything else,” explained Matthews.
“There was no user interaction, no apps deployed, no testing on client devices – just a few people may get prompted for higher access at times. No change management was needed.”
Matthews described a leadership culture at the school that is wholly supportive of cyber security measures, something he said is a “necessity” when facing a complex and sophisticated range of threats. This was helpful when proposing introduction of the new security solution, and the faith has been repaid.
“When we implemented the solution, we could instantaneously sleep better because we had that peace of mind. This is a last layer of protection to stop anything that gets past other layers – when it hits a server, for example, that stops the lateral movement.”
The level of discovery that the solution introduced, and the visibility that resulted, has given the IT team another vital tool as it strives to offer the school community the best possible protection.
“We use the Microsoft Cybersecurity Reference Architecture (MCRA) as our cyber security reference, where we go to help order our next steps. Microsoft suggests Silverfort as a method of closing gaps, which speaks volumes about their confidence. Everyone should be looking at consolidating their security stack, and given Microsoft invests $3 billion a year in security, we are confident in their recommendation,” explained Matthews.
“Our position now is that we are very comfortable with our progress. We have gone from seeking a solution for gaps to being one of the most secure school IT departments around, and that is a testament to the work the team has done.”
When we implemented the solution, we could instantaneously sleep better because we had that peace of mind. This is a last layer of protection to stop anything that gets past other layers – when it hits a server, for example, that stops the lateral movement.
Simon Matthews – Infrastructure lead, Westminster School
As a very security aware educator, Westminster School had wrestled with the common challenge of identity protection around legacy and on-premises resources, so the security solution from Data#3 and Silverfort, caused a stir among the IT team. Matthews recalls a buzz of excitement at the end of the JuiceIT event session.
“We rely on partners like Data#3 to show us the best solutions available and introduce us to emerging vendors, and they did exactly that. They are a great company to have in Australia. We walked away saying that we didn’t realise there was a solution to this problem, and that we are grateful they have JuiceIT to bring the best technology to the industry.”
While Matthews gathers information from partner activities such as Microsoft webinars and Data#3 events, he recommends that other schools facing similar challenges make sure they talk to others within the sector to share experiences.
“Talk to other schools to get recommendations and reviews. Anyone can say how good their product is, but we can give real-life experience of working with Data#3 and Silverfort. If it is not in your security stack in the next six to twelve months, or not in your budget for next year, you’ve probably still got a big gap in security.”
The final piece of the picture, said Matthews, is working with knowledgeable partners who take time to understand your environment and the outcome you’re aiming for, and have their fingers on the pulse of emerging technologies.
“When we first learned about the new solution, there was a great buzz in our office, and we were all talking about it. When you get the best of both worlds, with a great product and great people, hands down it’s a winner. Data#3 and Silverfort have become and will continue to be trusted advisors on the matter of cyber security.”
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