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Our Customers
Housing Case Studies

Raven Housing Trust

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Customer Summary

From: Sean Brown, IT Service Delivery Manager

Raven Housing Trust is a social housing provider based in Redhill, Surrey. They own or manage more than 7,000 homes and are committed to investing in homes and neighbourhoods to develop local communities where people want to live. The majority of their customers rent their homes from us, however, they also have customers who either own the lease to their homes or own their own homes on a part-rent/part-buy basis. They are proud of their purpose - Building Homes, Changing lives.

Raven Housing have been a customer of Exponential-e since 2017.

How does the solution / technology / service (use the most appropriate) Exponential-e provide benefit your organisation and your customers?

We use laptop as a service with Exponential-e. This allows us to easily replace user's devices quickly in the event of a hardware fault which is especially useful because we operate a work from anywhere policy so if a user lives a long way from our office we can still get replacement devices out quickly. It also helps us from a cost perspective because we are no longer buying devices ad-hoc, the laptops are all consistently budgeted for.

What qualities do you believe are important in a technology partner?

The ability to respond quickly and appropriately when things go wrong.

How do you see the future of your partnership with Exponential-e evolving?

Next on our agenda will be a redesign of our corporate network, possibly moving away from the VPLS we use at the moment. Our laptops are also due for upgrade next year.

Could you share a "stand-out" moment where Exponential-e excelled?

We have started a project to migrate services away from Exponential-e's datacentre into Azure. Pankaj did a fantastic job scoping out the project and while Exponential-e were more expensive than one of our other partners, we opted to work with you because of the great work Pankaj did in designing the proposal.

Are there any individuals at Exponential-e you feel consistently go above and beyond?

As mentioned before Pankaj has always been seen as extremely competent which helps us trust what he is recommending. The management team of Ed, Terence and Neil Smith beforehand have all been very responsive and helpful whenever we've needed them to be.

Our Customers
Company Healthcare Case Studies PACS

Exponential-e & Solent NHS Trust

blog-header-exponential-e-solent-nhs-trus_20241007-154902_1

Transforming end user support for more than 4,000 NHS staff

About Solent NHS Trust

Solent NHS Trust offers a growing range of community and mental health services across Southampton, Portsmouth, and parts of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

The Challenge

Having previously outsourced their end user support to the same provider for more than twelve years, Solent made the decision to revamp this entire function, considering ongoing issues around data visibility, unpredictable pricing, and lack of integration between different aspects of the service. The goal for this project would be to deliver seamless IT support services for more than 4,000 end users across Solent's full range of sites, while simultaneously reducing costs and conducting a full device refresh.

It was decided that the new support function would be divided amongst several technology partners, in order to take full advantage of their individual capabilities. Throughout the tender process, Exponential-e's deep commitment to digital transformation in healthcare and willingness to work closely with Solent's own teams to develop a tailored solution in response to the most specific requirements made them a clear stand-out. As a result, they were selected as Solent's sole technology partner for network and end user support.

Solution 

The first areas of the contact went live in December 2022, after several months of close collaboration with Solent's own team to ensure a smooth transition, following the switch-off of the incumbent supplier's services in March of that year. This required a considerable amount of hands-on support, including out of hours, to ensure more than 4,000 staff were able to retain access to the Citrix VPN, avoiding any disruption to day-to-day operations.

As part of a wider hardware refresh, more than 4,000 new laptops were provisioned over the course of ten weeks, replacing much of the legacy technology that was still in use, including across several remote sites. An end user survey was conducted to help maximise adoption and ensure any opportunities for improvement could be identified and acted upon. With more than 2,000 responses, this provided Exponential-e with a rich pool of actionable data with which to design and optimise the new support operation.

Critical to the success of the new support function was the design and implementation of a robust IT Service Management platform, powered by ServiceNow®. By creating a domain separated instance within Exponential-e's managed service offering, Solent would not need to design and deploy the new ITSM platform from scratch, ensuring it would be ready to use on designated go-live date. At the same time, moving the function from CAPEX to OPEX allowed for greater cost control, while minimising the initial expenditure.

In order to meet Solent's specific requirements for their ticketing system, this solution was based on the Exponential-e's defined ITIL-aligned standards and service workflows, with an agreed scope for further customisation and hands-on support from Exponential-e's technical specialists included in the contract. The resulting platform combining the advantages of a proven, well-established solution with the highest levels of control and flexibility in terms of the final implementation and its ongoing development.

Following a successful transition to the new end user support function and the rollout of the ITSM platform, Exponential-e have continued to develop the operation in direct response to Solent's evolving requirements, ensuring business-critical issues can be resolved as quickly as possible. This has included recruiting extra service desk personnel, and implementing out-of-hours cover, while expanding the team's roaming tech hub to ensure all sites are properly supported. Time-to-resolution has been set out in robust SLAs and KPIs, with specific processes and escalations in place to manage high-impact events, and dedicated response engineers in place.

To optimise the efficiency and accessibility of service desk agents, Exponential-e designed and implemented an appointment-based system, ensuring staff who required hands-on IT support could access it as quickly as possible. This has since helped reduced walk-ins for IT-related issues from around 600 per month to less than 30.

The months of work put into establishing this foundation has since allowed Solent and Exponential-e to establish a culture of ongoing improvement, driven by direct collaboration daily, with Exponential-e now established as a trusted partner.

Every point of contact with end user support is tracked and monitored, and end users can provide real-time feedback on their experiences. This has resulted in 75% of tickets logged being resolved at the first point of contact, which, in turn, raised end user support's NPS score from 57, in the first live month of operations, to 90, with a 20% increase in users willing to offer feedback. Since then, the team has built on this success, recently hitting the milestone of more than 5,000 gold ratings.

This partnership continues to evolve, with ongoing collaboration between teams from both organisations ensuring IT can continue to play a key role in delivering world-class service quality to citizens across every region in which Solent is active.

Solution benefits

  • More than 4,000 laptops setup and deployed across multiple sites
  • Access to Citrix VPN delivered for more than 4,000 dispersed staff
  • A highly flexible, fully integrated ITSM platform, with the industry-leading ServiceNow® solution delivered as a managed service
  • Underpinned by Exponential-e's own enterprise-class network
  • 75% of IT support tickets resolved at the first point of contact
  • Walk-ins for IT-related issues reduced from around 600 per month to less than 30, helping reduce waiting times for support services
  • 20-second pickup time regularly beaten by service desk personnel, now averaging 9 seconds wait time per call
  • An increase in average monthly NPS from 57 to 90, with a 20% increase in end-user adoption
  • More than 5,000 gold ratings from end users
  • Network resiliency and stability to critical locations, with full integration into third-party networks, enabling cross-collaboration with partnering NHS trusts across the Integrated Care System in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight 

Exponential-e's support and expertise has transformed the way IT is viewed across our organisation, with staff across all our sites making active use of the available tools and systems in every aspect of their work. The speed with which any issues have been resolved, and the team's willingness to think outside the box – particularly when it came to rolling out the new ITSM platform – have more than fulfilled our initial goals for network and end user support, with ample opportunities for further improvement.

Dawn Day, Head of Digital Delivery, Solent NHS Trust


It's time for the public sector to have its own digital revolution

Technological innovation is transforming the way public sector organisations across the UK engage with citizens and deliver critical services whenever and wherever they are needed. In this exclusive report, we consider the impact of these developments, and explore how organisations can accelerate their own digital journeys, ensuring exceptional citizen outcomes are the norm.
Click to read It’s time for the public sector to have its own digital revolution
Tags:
ServiceNow healthcare ITSM managed IT public sector
Our Customers
Hotels Case Studies

Fuller Smith & Turner PLC

Fuller Smith & Turner PLC Satament

Customer Summary

From: Gerry Cullen, Server & Network Supervisor 

In 1845, partnership papers between Fuller, Smith and Turner were officially signed - marking the start of something very special for London's pub and beer scene.

However, the Fuller's story had been brewing long before then.

In the late 1600s Thomas Mawson laid the foundations for a major brewing enterprise by buying The George public house in Chiswick and two adjoining cottages for £70, then later snapping up the brewhouse in Bedford House on Chiswick Mall too.

Throughout its history, Fuller's has continued to build an enviable estate of premium pubs and hotels that today numbers around 400.

Fuller's have been a customer of Exponential-e since 2022.

How does the solution / technology / service (use the most appropriate) Exponential-e provide benefit your organisation and your customers?

We benefit very highly of the network redundancy we have in place with Exponential-e, it allows our business to remain connected so that all of our managed pubs and hotels can trade and take payments

What qualities do you believe are important in a technology partner?

I think reliable and expertise and experience are key, which the team at Exponential-e have vast quantities of this

How do you see the future of your partnership with Exponential-e evolving?

I would say there is a potential in growth of perhaps taking on other products/services

Could you share a "stand-out" moment where Exponential-e excelled?

I would say the standout moment was the really sharp turn around of the support desk and them excelling in responding to any tickets we logged around circuits being down.

Are there any individuals at Exponential-e you feel consistently go above and beyond?

Ben Eustace and Terence Duff and Guled Omar
Our Customers
Pensions Case Studies

Trafalgar House Statement

Trafalgar-House

Customer Summary

From: Stephen Wright, Head of IT

For over a decade, Trafalgar House has been committed to delivering expert third-party pensions administration services. Central to our success has been our strategic focus on technology, recognising it as a critical enabler for driving the highest standards of service and client care. Technology is not just a support function; it is pivotal to everything we do, from improving operational efficiency to enhancing the experience we provide to our clients. Our continuous investment in technology is vital to maintaining our position as a leader in pensions administration. Finding the right technology partner is crucial to ensuring that our business continues to thrive. Stephen Wright, Head of IT at Trafalgar House, explains how our approach to selecting the right partner plays an essential role in our success.

How does the solution Exponential-e provide benefit your organisation and your clients?

At Trafalgar House, we understand the essential role technology plays in delivering on our strategic goals. However, we also recognise the need for expert partners to help us achieve these goals. As a pensions administration business, building the necessary in-house expertise to manage complex infrastructure, data centres, cybersecurity, and end-user computing would be costly and inefficient.

After an extensive review process, we chose Exponential-e as our technology partner in 2016. This partnership has been instrumental in transforming our IT services and ensuring that we stay ahead in an increasingly digital world. A key factor in this decision was Exponential-e's ability to provide access to specialised skills across all areas of IT delivery, from their ITIL-compliant service desk to their infrastructure and cybersecurity experts.

By partnering with Exponential-e, we can focus on our core business objectives - delivering exceptional pension administration services - while having confidence that our IT infrastructure is secure, resilient, and expertly managed. This solid technology foundation allows us to continually innovate, driving improvements in efficiency and service quality that directly benefit our clients.

The partnership has also improved our internal operations, with our team consistently giving positive feedback on the systems and services provided, demonstrating the value of having the right solutions in place.

In the end, having the right technology partner is not just beneficial; it is fundamental to our success as a business. Exponential-e enables us to leverage technology in a way that supports our mission to set the highest standards in pensions administration, ensuring we continue to deliver value and quality to our clients.

What qualities do you believe are important in a technology partner?

While having the right technology stack and infrastructure is essential for delivering an outsourced IT service, there's much more to consider when selecting a technology partner:

  • A broad range of skills and subject matter expertise - Technology outsourcing and digital transformation are strategic decisions that enable us to enhance our capabilities. This requires a partner with engineering expertise across a variety of areas including networking, server management, end-user support, and cloud solutions, alongside critical skills in cybersecurity.
  • The right expertise in the right place - It's not just about having the right skills; it's about deploying them effectively. Our technology partner must be able to deliver the necessary capabilities for projects and change management while also responding to and solving issues promptly and efficiently.
  • Demonstrable governance - In a fast-moving technology landscape, it's vital that networks, infrastructure, and systems are managed with a strong focus on governance and established procedures. Service reporting is equally important, providing regular touchpoints to assess the effectiveness of service delivery and identify areas for improvement.

At Trafalgar House, values are central to our business and one of the key reasons our clients choose to work with us. Trust, transparency, and collaboration are at the core of our approach, driving the decisions we make and the services we deliver. These values are not just internal; they are what set us apart in the industry. For this reason, cultural alignment is just as important as technical capabilities when choosing a partner. We seek partners who share our values, enabling us to have open and constructive conversations about challenges, evolving needs, and opportunities for improvement without a blame culture. This mutual understanding fosters a collaborative relationship focused on continuously enhancing our technology solutions and ways of working, ensuring long-term success for both businesses and delivering exceptional value to our clients.

How do you see the future of your partnership with Exponential-e evolving?

As Trafalgar House continues to grow and innovate, technology will be at the heart of our future ambitions. Our partnership with Exponential-e will play a critical role in helping us achieve these goals by providing the robust, agile, and secure IT infrastructure needed to support our expansion. As we strive to enhance our services and explore new opportunities, we see our relationship with Exponential-e evolving to ensure we remain at the cutting edge of technology. Together, we will continue to identify and implement innovative solutions that drive efficiency, improve client experiences, and support our long-term strategy of being the leading provider of pensions administration services. Technology is the foundation on which we build our success, and having a trusted partner like Exponential-e will ensure we are always ready to adapt and grow in a rapidly changing digital landscape.

Could you share a "stand-out" moment where Exponential-e excelled?

While it might sound like a cliché, we strive for excellence every day, and Exponential-e shares this mindset. They have supported us through numerous transformation projects, helping us redefine how we deliver IT services to our team members and clients. Rather than highlighting a single moment, I'd say that their consistent delivery of exceptional service stands out. This is reflected in our 'voice of the customer' feedback, where 98% of responses over the past 12 months have been positive.

Whenever we face a service issue or incident that could impact our ability to serve clients, Exponential-e has consistently provided the responsive support we need. This reliability, especially in critical moments, is one of the standout aspects of their service and a key reason for the strength of our partnership.

Are there any individuals at Exponential-e you feel consistently go above and beyond?

Our relationship with Exponential-e is based on teamwork and collaboration. Everyone involved in delivering IT services plays an important role in our success, and we greatly value the contributions of the entire team.

That said, I have an especially strong working relationship with Neil Smith, our Service Manager. Neil does an exceptional job of coordinating all the components of Exponential-e's service delivery, ensuring everything runs smoothly. Additionally, we work closely with the Service Desk

team and various subject matter experts, all of whom provide a high level of support and expertise. The collaborative efforts of these individuals have been instrumental in delivering the service excellence we expect.
Our Customers
Education Case Studies

Royal Holloway Statement

Royal Holloway Statement

Customer Summary

From: Mel Gomes - Head of IT Commercial Management and Contracts

Royal Holloway University was founded over 170 years ago by two Victorian social pioneers who wanted to make a difference. Formed from two colleges, these were among the first places in Britain where women could access higher education, so their rich history is deeply rooted in providing equity in opportunity, transforming lives through education and creating positive change.

Fast forward to the present day, Royal Holloway is one of the top 30 UK universities, according to the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024.

RHUL has been a customer of Exponential-e since 2019.

How does the solution / technology / service (use the most appropriate) Exponential-e provide benefit your organisation and your customers?

Royal Holloway was founded over 170 years ago, with the aim of transforming lives with education.

It now serves over 12000 students and over the last 5 years has been consistently ranked in the UK's top 30 universities, in that period Exponential-e have won a number of contracts including merging Microsoft Teams during the pandemic to help students collaborate, also installed Azure Virtual Desktop, transformed our telephony as well as being a trusted Cyber partner. The IT Services team build the foundations for which underpins the university, and we have a digital program which is continuously looking to deliver a seamless service to staff and students. All of our partners including Exponential-e are a vital part of that.

What qualities do you believe are important in a technology partner?

I look for technology partners that are transparent in their business model, as well as their deliverables and obligations to us and how they are going to deliver their services. I want a service that delivers value, innovation, and continual improvement. Exponential-e explain what they're working towards, they look to continually improve the service, they give us wider thinking from different verticals and sectors and most importantly they listen to feedback and act on it.

How do you see the future of your partnership with Exponential-e evolving?

The Higher education sector has been under a lot of pressure recently, student fees are worth 30% less now than they were in 2017. What I want from a partner is to reduce total cost ownership so we can work together to provide services in the most efficient way possible.

Could you share a "stand-out" moment where Exponential-e excelled?

During the pandemic, Exponential-e helped us move to a single tenancy in a very short space of time, that was critical for us and most importantly did it on the terms I required which mitigated the risk and took the fear out of the business.

Are there any individuals at Exponential-e you feel consistently go above and beyond?

Neil Smith joining the Account team has really helped Royal Holloway, we have multiple services on different contracts and different technical service owners and Neil brings that all together.

Our Customers
Healthcare Case Studies Blue Light Service Desk SIAM Communications Critical National Infrastructure

Ambulance Radio Programme (ARP)

Ambulance-Response-Programme-ARP-Establishing-a-world-class-digital-foundation-for-emergency-services-across-the-UK

Establishing a world-class digital foundation for emergency services across the UK

About the ARP

The Ambulance Radio Programme (ARP) delivers mission-critical communication and mobilisation technologies to ensure effective communication between Ambulance Service Trusts, the NHS, and other emergency responders across the UK. 

The Challenge

There are currently two major programmes being implemented by ARP across the UK. The Control Room Solution (CRS), which is utilised by ambulance services across England and Scotland, ensuring critical communications between the emergency control room dispatchers and operational crews are completely seamless. The Mobile Data & Vehicle Solution (MDVS) will replace legacy communications equipment for the English and Welsh Ambulance Service Trusts.

Both programmes required a secure, resilient, and highly available IT infrastructure as the underlying foundation, for which ARP selected Exponential-e as their trusted technology partner. 

The programme has lots of moving parts, and a lot of key users and stakeholders - all with unique needs and ways of working. ARP needed a team, processes, and technologies which could be used to create a common service, capable of integrating with each Ambulance Trust and user organisation.

Mathew Baker, IT Service Manager, ARP

The Solution 

Exponential-e delivered a fully centralised, UK-based service desk, available 24/7, and continues to work with ARP's own teams to identify new opportunities for service improvements and process optimisation.

Over the course of several years, the partnership between ARP and Exponential-e has continued to evolve and is now in a strong position to take on further challenges. A particular focus is the digitisation of processes and onboarding of multiple new solutions to further optimise the availability and delivery of emergency services nationwide.

Solution benefits

  • A 24 / 7, UK-based service desk for all IT-related questions, concerns, and incident management
  • A partnership built on trust, consultation, and service quality, driving ongoing improvements
  • Hands-on engagement and integration with other suppliers  


It's time for the public sector to have its own digital-revolution

The public sector's digital journey is accelerating at an unprecedented rate, with leading-edge technology transforming the way critical services are delivered across the country. This exclusive report from Exponential-e explores the challenges and opportunities involved, and explains how public sector organisations can be part of this digital revolution.
Click to read It’s time for the public sector to have its own digital revolution
Tags:
ARP Mobile Data & Vehicle Solution mission-critical communication
Our Customers
Healthcare Case Studies HSCN Healthcare

Bromley Healthcare

Bromley-Healthcare-A-full-stack-deployment-for-a-leading-South-east-London-healthcare-provider-delivers-the-digital-foundation-for-exceptional-patient-care

A full-stack deployment for a leading South-east London healthcare provider delivers the digital foundation for exceptional patient care

About Bromley Healthcare

Bromley Healthcare is a community healthcare provider in South-east London, offering communities across Bromley, Bexley, Greenwich, and Lewisham with a range of world-class services, clinics, and health programmes, while empowering clinicians to deliver the very highest standard of care.

The Challenge

To optimise the availability of its services, enabling clinicians to engage with their patients through an evolving range of channels, Bromley Healthcare has continued to invest in its own network, spanning all its sites across South-east London. However, with its existing infrastructure beginning to show its age and a significant proportion of reported IT issues directly related to network performance, it became clear a new digital foundation was required.

The decision was therefore made to seek out a new strategic partner who would be able to support a full-scale modernisation project, redesigning the entire network from the ground up. Key priorities including the deployment of pervasive wireless connectivity at all sites, for both corporate and guest devices, and optimal resilience, with minimal points of failure.

Far more than just deploying the required connections, this new partnership would involve working closely with Bromley Healthcare's own network team to take full advantage of the latest advances in networking technology, both now and in the long term - to ensure these solutions could be intelligently deployed to support the highest standards of patient care. This would include providing hands-on support to staff and clinicians, ensuring they would be able to make full use of the new infrastructure's capabilities.

Having already engaged with their teams for a number of tactical services over the years, Bromley Healthcare invited Exponential-e to take part in a highly competitive tender process, where candidates were asked to showcase how they would approach solving Bromley Healthcare's unique goals for its network. Keeping an open mind about the proposed solutions, Bromley Healthcare eventually selected Exponential-e as their new strategic partner, based on the overall strength of their offering and willingness to deliver a truly bespoke, full integrated solution.

The Solution 

Working closely with Bromley Healthcare's own IT team, Exponential-e designed and deployed a full-stack Cisco Meraki ecosystem, incorporating SD-WAN, LAN, and Meraki wireless, combined with scalable firewalls, HSCN connectivity, and hosting in world-class data centres - all managed through a single pane of glass.

A key development for Bromley Healthcare's own networking team has been the implementation of application-level monitoring, allowing for full control and visibility of the entire network. This has enabled faster, more effective troubleshooting, ensuring key applications are always available to clinicians, whenever and wherever they are required. At the same time, a dedicated team at Exponential-e continues to maintain the underlying digital foundation, ensuring the network will always deliver the highest standards of performance and guarantee the integrity of critical data.

This blend of centralised control and visibility, expert support, and a fully integrated solution wrap meant that time spent on routine network management was reduced by around 75%, saving an average of 35 internal man hours per week. As a result, Bromley Healthcare's own teams have been able to refocus their attention and prioritise resources to broaden the quality, range, and availability of healthcare services across South-east London.

With the new infrastructure firmly established, Bromley Healthcare are now planning the deployment of a next-gen VPN solution, providing staff and clinicians with additional layers of flexibility in the way they work. Plans are also in place to utilise the system's inherent flexibility to make interpreting services available to clinicians via a range of channels, reducing the need for an interpreter to be physically present when required. 

Solution benefits

  • A full Meraki technology stack, with centralised control and visibility and the ability to connect to the HSCN
  • Resilient, highly secure connectivity for multiple sites across South-east London, enhancing the performance and availability of the platforms clinicians depend on
  • A fully managed service, delivering a robust foundation that frees internal teams to focus on clinician and patients' requirements An average of 35 hours per week saved on routine network management, allowing this time to be reinvested in patient care

You have to have a good network; everything else is built on it. So, it was really important to us to develop a real strategic partnership - not just supplying the lines, but providing suggestions, solutions, and best practice to drive something new and open up opportunities to make our clinicians more efficient and effective.

Patrick Montgomery
Chief Technology Officer, Bromley Healthcare

What I liked, and still like - most about working with the team at Exponential-e was that it was a genuinely two-way conversation. At the outset of this project, we were open to anything, and, put simply, their proposal was the best fit for our networking goals.

Patrick Montgomery
Chief Technology Officer, Bromley Healthcare


It's time for the public sector to have its own digital-revolution

The public sector's digital journey is accelerating at an unprecedented rate, with leading-edge technology transforming the way critical services are delivered across the country. This exclusive report from Exponential-e explores the challenges and opportunities involved, and explains how public sector organisations can be part of this digital revolution.
Click to read It’s time for the public sector to have its own digital revolution
Tags:
Bromley Healthcare network performance modernisation SD-WAN HSCN
Our Customers
Housing Case Studies Contact Centre

Sovini

The-Solvini-Group-A-UK-leader-in-social-housing-partners-with-Exponential-e-to-power-exceptional-service-quality-for-residents-across-the-country

A UK leader in social housing partners with Exponential-e to power exceptional service quality for residents across the country

About the Sovini Group

The Sovini Group delivers a growing range of world-class construction, property, and facilities services across the UK's public and private sectors, including a number of social and not-for-profit enterprises, employing more than 800 staff. One Vision Housing, part of the Sovini Group, manages more than 14,000 homes across the north-west of England, with more being built each year, and actively works to make a positive difference to the communities it is involved in.

The Challenge

Working with social housing residents across the north-west, One Vision Housing, part of the Sovini Group, rely on seamless communication with their tenants, whether that's for routine administration, scheduling maintenance, or ensuring emergencies are dealt with quickly and effectively. The need for a secure, resilient, and highly intuitive platform that would support close collaboration between advisors and communication with residents was further driven home during the COVID-19 lockdowns, when face-to-face meetings became impossible.

As a result, once lockdowns ended, the decision was made to seek out a next-gen unified communications platform that would transform the way Sovini supports their residents, replacing the legacy PBX system. Having already successfully adopted Microsoft Teams, gaining buy-in from employees across the company, the resulting RFP sought to build on this success. This meant exploring how processes could be further optimised by tools like call recording and analytics, with ample scope for future development. The employee experience was also critically important - the new system needed to be as user-friendly as possible, allowing advisors to focus on the needs of residents, especially those considered vulnerable.

Exponential-e's well-established contact centre and unified communications pedigree, comprehensive service wrap, and consultative approach that focused on Sovini's operational strategy made a strong impression throughout the tender process. As a result, they were awarded the contract, with a dedicated account team immediately beginning work to establish themselves as Sovini's key communications partner.

The Solution 

Working closely with Sovini's own IT team and customer service team leaders, Exponential-e began scoping out the new customer service platform. Service continuity was a critical priority, with measures established to ensure advisors would be able to continue working in the way they were accustomed to, while enjoying a range of additional tools to support successful resolutions. To this end, as the project specifications evolved, in-depth training was provided for staff via Microsoft Teams. Based on these conversations, comprehensive user guides were created and distributed.

Key to the success of the project was ongoing consultation around potential opportunities for improvement, which strong partnership between both organisations and the inherent flexibility and scalability of Exponential-e's contact centre has continued to support following the go-live date. In particular, the solution's ability to deliver bespoke, real-time reporting, drawing on data generated across multiple channels.

Utilising the high volumes of data generated throughout interactions with residents to optimise service quality and ensure advisors are properly supported has become a key element of Sovini's day-to-day operations. This has proven especially beneficial during interactions with vulnerable residents, as team leaders are able to monitor the quality of interactions - both live and through analytics - to ensure appropriate training is provided for advisors, and that residents are always properly supported.

This is very much an evolving process, as Sovini's teams continue to explore the full range of the contact centre solution's capabilities and how they can complement and enhance their strategies for optimising service quality across existing channels, and those in the process of being deployed (social media, for example). This includes automating routine processes (where possible and appropriate) and integration with other systems, to achieve a holistic view of the entire operation.

In this way, Sovini continue to utilise leading-edge technology as a means of enhancing the expert support and personal attention their residents have come to expect from their advisors, rather than as a substitute for it. As their teams work with their Exponential-e account team to identify and execute further improvements in the years ahead, the full potential of this new model for customer service excellence will continue to reveal itself, helping establish new standards of best practice across the entire housing sector.

Solution benefits

  • A seamless transition from the legacy PBX system
  • A highly intuitive user interface, supporting faster resolution times, and a better employee experience
  • Hands-on consultation and training from contact centre experts to maximise performance impact and project success
  •  Ongoing partnership that drives continuous improvement, with a focus on performance outcomes
  • Real-time analysis of call data drives ongoing service improvements and process enhancements
  • Data analysis and quality allows for identification of and better outcomes for vulnerable residents, including the creation of specialist training for advisors
  • Intelligent automation to minimise wait times and optimise efficiency 

As an agile organisation it is essential that our systems enable us to support our staff working remotely. This solution very much supports that as well as providing all the necessary functionality we require for a busy, customer-focused contact centre environment.

Jan Conroy
Head of Customer Services, One Vision Housing

The actual migration from one system to the other was seamless for both the customer and the team using it. Our advisors adapted with ease and much prefer the functionality of the new system. There's much more information available to them, and it's very user friendly. When you're handling calls it is important to have all the information you need at your fingertips to provide excellent customer service and this system supports that.

Jan Conroy
Head of Customer Services, One Vision Housing

If I was to sum it up, I think it's a really great partnership. It doesn't feel like a contractor and a client relationship, it feels like a partnership relationship and that works very, very well.

Jan Conroy
Head of Customer Services, One Vision Housing


Helping housing associations drive digital initiatives that transform the tenant experience, underpinned by robust data security

To succeed in a digital world where quality of service is under increasing scrutiny, housing associations need to rapidly transform by adopting modern technologies, redesigning operational processes and increasing collaboration across multiple channels. By investing in a digital future, housing associations can streamline costs, improve operational efficiency and concentrate on creating an improved tenant experience.
Click to read Exponential-e & Housing Associations
Tags:
next-gen unified communications platform replacing the legacy PBX system call recording contact centre and unified communications Sovini
Our Customers
Managed Services Professional Services Customer Service Net Promoter Score Monitoring Sports Case Studies

UK Sports Institute

blog-header-uk-sports-institute

Powering seamless communication and collaboration for the UK's leading provider of high-performance sports support services

About the UK Sports Institute

Founded in 2002 under the name 'The English Institute of Sport', the UK Sports Institute (UKSI) provides leading-edge support for athletes competing in major worldwide sporting events, delivered by some of the world's leading practitioners, in close collaboration with coaches and performance directors.

Challenges

Given the nature of its work UKSI employees have always been highly dispersed, working closely with athletes and their teams, both onsite and at a number of regional performance centres. As a result, the organisation was an early adopter of the hybrid working model, designing and developing its ICT infrastructure in order to provide all employees with maximum flexibility in terms of how and where they work.

To this end, they have always worked closely with trusted managed service providers, with key services including LAN, WiFi, and a managed service desk. This culture of constant improvement eventually initiated a full Cloud transformation, for additional levels of control and scalability, and an early move towards Microsoft Teams as the primary platform for cross-site communication and collaboration.

In order to build on these successes, the UKSI made the decision to partner with an MSP who would not only be able to maintain its existing working model, but provide a dedicated team to provide hands-on support and guidance around future opportunities for improvement. To this end, a call for tenders was put out, with an emphasis on potential partners' willingness to delve deep into the UKSI's requirements and build a strong rapport with its teams.

Solution 

Throughout a rigorous tender process, Exponential-e's readiness to work closely with the UKSI's own teams, clear understanding of their requirements and long-term business goals, and readiness to deliver truly bespoke solutions based on this quickly made a positive impression. As a result, Exponential-e was selected as the UKSI's new MSP.

A six-month handover period was established, in order to ensure a smooth transition, avoid any disruptions to employee's day-to-day work, and allow the dedicated account team time to establish themselves and get to know the UKSI's own teams, systems, and processes. This included the account team engaging directly with the incumbent supplier and working through the UKSI's comprehensive Operations Manual, in which all established systems and processes were clearly documented, while also minimising any overlap between suppliers and the extra costs that would result.

This clear communication and close collaboration between teams from both organisations ensured a seamless transition process, with Exponential-e able to take on the managed service desk function, providing employees at all levels of the UKSI with a single point of contact for any technical issues. End users reported no discontinuity between the old and news systems, ensuring disruption for all employees, wherever they were located, was avoided.

Since the final handover, the relationship between the UKSI and its dedicated account team at Exponential-e has continued to evolve. This has not been a simple case of maintaining the existing infrastructure, but also drawing on the expertise of Exponential-e's expert consultants and evolving range of professional services to develop the UKSI's internal expertise, drawing on an 'innovation fund' that was established at the outset of the contract.

This included hands-on technical support and consultancy during the change of name from 'The English Institute of Sport' to UKSI, ensuring all necessary updates within the Microsoft ecosystem had been properly executed prior to the designated launch date. Close collaboration between both teams ensured a completely seamless update across all systems, avoiding any unexpected disruptions.

Solution benefits

  • A seamless transition process, with zero disruption of established processes or day-to-day operations
  • A dedicated account team, providing hands-on support and helping maintain a culture of ongoing improvement
  • A single point of contact for all technical issues, in the form of a fully managed service desk
  • Access to world-class consultancy and professional services via a dedicated 'innovation fund'


A proven system for developing a world-class digital strategy

DX can empower your employees with always-available applications, wherever they are, and engage your customers with multiple touchpoints that can be accessed 24/7. It can also increase your company's growth, enabling you to adapt, to diversify and to transform your product to suit new market conditions.
Click to read DX Brochure
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UK Sports Institute Microsoft Teams managed service desk Microsoft ecosystem LAN
Our Customers
Government Case Studies

Watford Borough Council

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Manageability, reliability, and resilience to optimise the delivery of council services

About Watford Borough Council

Located in South-West Hertfordshire, Watford Borough Council (WBC) comprises twelve electoral wards, with an elected Mayor. Supported public-facing services include benefits, council tax, business rates, parking, planning, environmental health & licencing, refuse & recycling, tourism & leisure.
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Media Case Studies

AMC Networks

AMC-Networks-A-global-media-giant-achieves-an-effortless-move-to-hybrid-working-while-embracing-green-technology

A global media giant achieves an effortless move to hybrid working while embracing green technology

About AMC Networks

AMC Networks International (AMCNI), the global division of AMC Networks, delivers entertaining and acclaimed programming that reaches subscribers in more than 130 countries and territories and is responsible for highly acclaimed series including The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, and Better Call Saul. AMCNI consists of global brands, AMC and SundanceTV, as well as popular, locally recognised channels across various programming genres. In the UK, those channels include CBS Reality, Legend, Reality Xtra, Horror Xtra & Horror Xtra +1.

Challenges

At the start of 2021, its London office was looking to downsize and promote hybrid working as an outcome of the pandemic, this coincided with an up-and-coming expiry of its building lease which presented the ideal window of opportunity.

AMCNI had always kept IT infrastructure on premise in its two onsite data centres, so as part of this move, the company wanted to relocate the infrastructure into Tier 3 data centres, which would help lower real estate costs and become more environmentally friendly. With thirteen racks of equipment having to be relocated by the end of May and with minimal disruption to all corporate applications and media storage access, the timing window to make this move was business critical.

Solution 

As an existing long-term customer, AMCNI selected Exponential-e out of several data centre providers to relocate its equipment into two Tier 3 data centres, providing redundancy for its production and DR media content. The design included over a dozen racks, with additional space made to house prebuilt IBM racks that had to be relocated in their existing configuration. Two 10Gb links were delivered between each data centre to provide resilient, high-speed capacity for large media content, with 2Gb of internet breakout for external access.

Since the downsizing of offices, AMCNI has realised a saving of approximately £1.3m on real estate costs, as well as a reduction in energy consumption and energy footprint. Staff have become more productive and invested by having the flexibility to work from home and remote locations, improving the work/life balance. AMCNI has also improved its sustainability metrics, as IT infrastructure is now located in purpose-built facilities that operate to BREEAM standards and use renewal energy sources.

Solution benefits

  • Secure, scalable hosting for high volumes of media content, with full redundancy 
  • A seamless transition to hybrid working and remote collaboration
  • A significant reduction of £1.3 million in corporate real-estate costs
  • Enhanced sustainability and increased use of renewable energy

The move to full-time hybrid working has been an excellent decision for us at all levels, but it wouldn't have been possible without the underlying technology infrastructure. We already knew and trusted Exponential-e, so they were the obvious choice to help us make the transition. Even with such a tight timeframe, they made sure the whole thing was completely seamless.

Nigel Proctor, International IT Director, AMCNI

Make it work, make it easy, make it cool.

The Media & Entertainment sector faces many unique challenges when it comes to organisations' IT infrastructure, as the drive to keep content readily accessible through multiple channels must be balanced against the need for scalability, cost control, and robust cyber security. This brochure sets out how Exponential-e utilises our full portfolio of solutions to solve these challenges, in order to transform the way world-class content is created, managed, and delivered.
Click to read Media & Entertainment
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AMC Networks data centre migration reduce infrastructure costs office downsize
Our Customers
Finance Case Studies Finance

Odum Research

ODUM Research - A leader in financial strategies embraces Cloud transformation

A leader in financial strategies embraces Cloud transformation

About Odum Research

Odum Research creates pricing, risk, and execution strategies for a wide range of financial market challenges - particularly around crypto derivatives - drawing on leading-edge technology and the collective experience and expertise of their own financial experts.

Challenges

Keen to embrace the possibilities offered by the Cloud when it came to the development of effective trading strategies, Odum were clear that they would begin their digital transformation journey with a strong knowledge base, working with a technology partner who could provide a rigorous, honest assessment of the current digital landscape, identify the hidden opportunities available, and design and deliver a Cloud infrastructure that would provide Odum's teams with maximum control and visibility over their entire estate, freeing internal IT teams to focus on service quality, while maintaining the highest standards of security and compliance.

Solution 

Following a thorough evaluation of Exponential-e's capabilities and experience working with financial organisations and their highly specific cyber security requirements, Odum selected Exponential-e as their new technology partner. This involved a series of in-depth meetings between teams from both companies - including both consultants and technical specialists from Exponential-e - in order to develop a bespoke solution wrap that would not only suit Odum's immediate requirements, but also provide ample scope to scale and evolve in response to future shifts in the digital landscape.

As part of the wider cyber security ecosystem, the decision was made to utilise the Okta platform to manage user authentications and ensure all financial data would be handled in line with all applicable regulations. Exponential-e supported the roll-out of the platform, ensuring it would be properly integrated with the wider infrastructure.

This close cooperation between teams proved crucial to the success of the final deployment, with Exponential-e's consultants working closely with Odum's own IT specialists to ensure the move to the Cloud and rollout of the Okta platform was achieved with zero disruption to day-to-day operations - vital in the fast-moving financial markets - and without compromising security or compliance.

As a result, Odum are now equipped with the technology and expertise to fully embrace the Cloud, utilising cutting-edge technology to drive ever more innovative financial strategies that help maintain their edge in a dynamic, constantly evolving sector.

Solution benefits

The support from Exponential-e made all the difference when it came to getting things up and running. We were able to make use of everything more or less straight away, and I was able to sleep a bit more easily knowing our security was all in order.

Jack Concanon, Head of Technology, Odum Research


Reduce complexity, increase speed and reliability

Exponential-e is a trusted technology partner for organisations across the Finance sector, offering innovative solutions that drive security, compliance and optimal performance at all levels.

Find out more in our Finance Brochure. 

Click to read Exponential-e & Finance
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Odum Research financial trading security and compliance Okta platform Cloud migration
Our Customers
Retail Case Studies

Costa Coffee

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Teamwork and technology drive innovation with the UK's favourite coffee retailer

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costa coffee SD-WAN retail IT Managed Services Microsoft Teams
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Healthcare Case Studies

HMPPS

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Powering HMPPS' and NHSE/I's pioneering Telemedicine Expansion Programme

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Robust cyber security A fully managed solution Microsoft licensing SystmOne
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Retail Case Studies

Nicholls & Clarke

Nicholls-and-Clarke-Group-Enabling-the-delivery-of-world-class-building-materials-across-the-entire-U_20220425-150352_1

Enabling the delivery of world-class building materials across the entire UK

About Nicholls & Clarke

Since 1875, the Nicholls & Clarke group has supplied the highest quality building materials to professionals across the UK. Based in South-East England, the group offers more than 60,000 world-class products, including bricks and mortar, tiling, stone, adhesives, ceramics, decorating products, and high-performance tools, along with an extensive portfolio of living solutions - all available for immediate delivery across the country via a self-owned fleet of 110 commercial vehicles, and supported by expert technical advice.

The Solution

Having already established a strong working relationship with Nicholls & Clarke as their ISP, Exponential-e was subsequently selected as their new technology partner, following a rigorous tender process. A dedicated account team was assigned, who immediately began planning for a seamless transition, with zero service disruption.

With a private WAN as the foundation, the full range of connectivity solutions utilised across Nicholls & Clarke's sites include Wi-Fi 6, a guest network, a public guest access network, and a corporate wireless network - all secured by a robust cyber security ecosystem, with compliance and PCI DSS requirements inherent to the design, and fully integrated with their own, hosted ERP systems.

Furthermore, in order to futureproof the entire infrastructure, measures were put in place to prepare for ISDN and PTSN lines being shut off in 2025, to ensure this would not affect the performance and security of Nicholls & Clarke's network, or the exceptional standard of service delivery their customers have come to expect. This involved consolidating multiple, disparate telephony solutions into a single solution, delivered over the WAN, that would provide an additional level of control and visibility over network performance and day-to-day operations.

This inherent flexibility has allowed for the successful deployment of virtual desktop environments across the entire infrastructure, providing Nicholls & Clarke's teams with a smooth transition to hybrid working, with zero disruption to service delivery, or effect on security and compliance. Recent developments have included the deployment of high-performance HP Aruba WiFi solution at their company headquarters.

Plans for further developments are already in place, with Nicholls & Clarke's account team working proactively to identify new areas for improvement and optimisation, along with providing regular reports on network performance.

Solution benefits

  • Secure, high-performance WAN, connecting 22 locations, six depot sites, and two data centres across the UK
  • Full visibility and control of the entire infrastructure and, in turn, the national supply chain
  • Optimal protection of customer data and full PCI DSS compliance
  • A fully managed service, optimising resilience, security, and performance
  • Integrated telephony and hosted ERP systems across all sites
  • Automated reporting on network performance
  • High-performance WiFi deployed at company headquarters
  • Ample scope for scalability and the deployment of new sites, with hands-on support from a dedicated account team

It's a pleasure for us to work with Exponential-e on the wide area network. It's radically changed our business in terms of how we work. Over the last month alone, just upgrading the network would have been a mammoth task, but the way we've gone about it and the way it's been delivered has been completely seamless across every one of our branches.

Narendra Joshi - Head of IT, Nicholls & Clarke

A traditional internet service provider and, later, wide area network service provider has now grown into a multi-dimensional service that has provided a lot of value throughout many areas of our business.

Narendra Joshi - Head of IT, Nicholls & Clarke

Exponential-e & Retail

Providing the technological foundation for true immersive experiences, across every channel, throughout every step of the customer journey.

Our Retail brochure offers a comprehensive overview of how we draw on a deep understanding of the sector's singular challenges, an evolving technology ecosystem, and a highly consultative approach to offer bespoke solutions that help staff deliver their best for every customer - both online and in person.

Click to read Exponential-e and Retail
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Our Customers
Hotels Case Studies

Apex Hotels

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Our Customers
Finance Case Studies

Independent investment firm

Independent-investment-firm

Developing a first-class IT infrastructure for a leading independent investment firm

The past decade has been a challenging one for the Retail sector, to say the least. Much has already been written about the impact of online shopping and streaming services on the high street, and the rise of COVID-19 and recent supply chain disruptions have only compounded the challenges facing even the most established brick-and-mortar retailers.
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IT infrastructure Hands-on support fully managed service high-performance Microsoft Teams cyber security
Our Customers
Construction Case Studies

Conisbee

conisbee-case-study-blog-banne_20211011-142220_1

Delivering high-performance connectivity and stress-free Cloud transformation for a leader in the UK's AEC sector 

About Conisbee

Operating from offices in London, Norwich, and Cambridge, Conisbee offers structural and civil engineering solutions that have supported the creation of numerous award-winning buildings – ranging from simple refurbishments to the most complex new builds – across the UK and internationally.

Challenges

Like other forward-thinking firms across the AEC sector, Conisbee have embraced the journey to the Cloud in order to optimise the overall flexibility, security, and resilience of their IT infrastructure. This journey took place in parallel with an expansion into a number of smaller regional offices, and the gradual phasing out of legacy systems, which presented additional challenges when it came to enabling seamless cross-site collaboration between teams and their clients, considering the scale and complexity of typical architectural models.

In order to manage these challenges and create an IT infrastructure that would support their ongoing growth and provide the ability to pivot in response to changes in the digital landscape, Conisbee selected Exponential-e as their Cloud and connectivity partner.

Solution 

Following an analysis of the existing legacy systems and the connectivity requirements for the new sites, end-of-life solutions were migrated to the Cloud, allowing for new cost savings and efficiencies. Furthermore, to provide a flexible platform for online communication and collaboration, Office 365 was implemented, putting a range of tools at teams' fingers through a single pane of glass. All this was underpinned by secure, high-performance connectivity, to guarantee consistency and availability for all business-critical applications.

The inherent flexibility of this new infrastructure was proven in the early months of 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic forced firms across the country to begin working remotely, in line with social distancing regulations.
Conisbee's Cloud journey continues, with the support of their Exponential-e account team. This will support effective hybrid working in the post-COVID landscape, with staff able to communicate and collaborate remotely, in the office, or on the move, accessing the critical platforms they depend on through a range of devices, with zero compromises in terms of either security or performance.

In this way, Conisbee's partnership demonstrates the value a well-considered digital transformation strategy, supported by a trusted technology partner, can bring to the AEC sector as a whole, allowing for tangible cost savings, more flexible working, and the successful delivery of the most innovative, sustainable, and enjoyable buildings.

Solution benefits

  • An efficient, stress-free Cloud transformation process 
  • High-performance connectivity for sites across the UK 
  • Disruption-free migration of legacy systems 
  • Systems deployed to enable effective hybrid working 
  • A smooth transition to remote working in response to COVID-19


An introduction to digital transformation across the AEC sector

01  A comprehensive guide to Exponential-e's portfolio of solutions and how they support the AEC sector's journey to full digital transformation

02  Proven strategies and processes, drawn directly from Exponential-e's experience with AEC leaders and numerous other sectors

03  Technology that drives future scalability, flexibility, and innovation, while allowing for full visibility and cost control

Click to read Exponential-e & AEC
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Our Customers
Construction Case Studies

Glen Howells Architects

About-Glen-Howells-Architects-Providing-a-leading-architectural-design-studio-with-a-launching-pad-for-effective-remote-collaboration

Providing a leading architectural design studio with a launching pad for effective remote collaboration

About Glen Howells Architects

Launching in 1990, Glenn Howells Architects is a leading UK architectural design studio, with a 140‐ strong creative team delivering innovative projects from offices in both London and Birmingham - all driven by the belief that our physical spaces can make a tangible difference in the lives of both individuals and communities.

Challenges

Like all companies within the architectural sector, Glenn Howells Architects depend on close collaboration between team members to deliver innovative designs that draw on the full scope of their creativity. While their legacy voice system, supplemented with multiple UC platforms, had proven adequate in this regard for some time, the onset of COVID‐19, and the resulting move to remote working, meant that the system was being utilised at a scale that had never been tried before. The system quickly revealed its limitations in this regard, having no softphone capabilities outside of the company VPN, and lacking the capacity to manage the number of team members now connecting to the corporate network via personal devices each day.

Having already established a strong working relationship with Exponential‐e over the years, they were selected as the technology partner to propose and deliver a solution in response to these challenges, ensuring the deployment would be achieved with minimal disruption and ensure the entire creative team could adapt to the new working model straight away.

Solution 

Following a detailed analysis of their requirements, budget, and existing infrastructure, Microsoft Teams Calling, delivered through an as-a-Service model, proved a perfect fit for Glen Howells Architects' immediate and long-term needs.

As a Cloud-based solution, TCaaS was deployed rapidly across their infrastructure, under the supervision of a dedicated project team, who remained in regular contact before and after the deployment process to ensure its success and ensure any concerns could be swiftly resolved.

The project team were very informative, efficient, and successfully delivered a working solution to the agreed timeline. As a client, I felt I had no complaints about the delivery of the solution and support providing during and after the implementation.

Dharminder Grewal, IT Manager - Glen Howells Architects. 

This hands-on support meant that uptake of the new solution across Glen Howells Architects' creative team was achieved extremely quickly, to the extent Teams became their default tool for remote collaboration between both colleagues and clients, completely replacing the previous, disparate selection of UC solutions.

The success of this deployment helped Glen Howells maintain their dynamic creative processes and customer engagement throughout the lockdowns of 2020, while simultaneously enhancing their future agility and scalability, and strengthening their working relationship with Exponential-e. Plans are already in place for further solutions to be integrated into Glen Howells Architects' IT infrastructure, in order to build on these successes.

Solution benefits

  • A smooth, stress-free transition to remote working for the entire creative team
  • A fully integrated approach to cross-site communication and collaboration, through a centralised UC platform
  • Disruption-free migration of legacy voice and UC system
  • Optimal scalability, agility, and cost control, thanks to a Cloud-based solution
  • A strong foundation for future development and upscaling 


An introduction to digital transformation across the AEC sector

01 A comprehensive guide to Exponential-e's portfolio of solutions and how they support the AEC sector's journey to full digital transformation

02 Proven strategies and processes, drawn directly from Exponential-e's experience with AEC leaders and numerous other sectors

03 Technology that drives future scalability, flexibility, and innovation, while allowing for full visibility and cost control

Click to read Exponential-e & AEC
Tags:
Glen Howells Architects Microsoft Teams Direct Routing Unified Communications Agility scalability
Our Customers
Housing Case Studies

North Star

North-Star-Optimising-internal-and-external-communications-for-a-top-housing-association

Optimising internal and external communications for a top housing association

About North Star

Born in 2006 from the merger of the Endeavour and Teesdale housing associations, North Star is a forward-thinking housing association that not only builds affordable homes across the North of England, but helps create strong communities and personal connections wherever they operate, driving and taking part in numerous initiatives to make a lasting, positive difference in people's lives.

Challenges

In 2016, North Star was preparing to welcome the Darlington Housing Association into its group. As the plans for this merger were put into place, it became clear that the complex legacy IT infrastructure was rapidly approaching the end of its lifecycle, and as a result, potential ways to future-proof and optimise it were presented for consideration.

In particular, with the increasing complexity of legal and compliance obligations, combined with an evolving cyber threat landscape, maintaining robust security and data protection was a key priority. Furthermore, while they had a Virtual Desktop solution in place, it had proven both slow and difficult to manage, which limited staff's options with regards to remote working and omnichannel communication with colleagues and residents.

In light of these concerns, and in order to bring the IT infrastructure back in line with their long-term business goals, North Star seized the opportunity to modernise their entire IT infrastructure, for which they engaged with Exponential-e.

Solution 

Following a detailed review of North Star's goals, requirements and existing infrastructure, a full-scale Cloud migration was conducted, with the entire legacy infrastructure moved to a UK-based Virtual Data Centre, and full server replication to a second VDC, also hosted in the UK. This controlled migration process was managed by a dedicated account team from Exponential-e, ensuring the transformation was completed on time, to budget, and with minimal disruption to daily operations.

All eight North Star sites were connected with a high-performance WAN, ensuring consistent performance of the new Virtual Desktop for all teams, and - in turn - enhancing communication and collaboration.

The existing Virtual Desktop solution was completely replaced with Citrix Virtual Desktops, delivered as a fully managed service to ensure North Star's staff could begin making use of the solution's full capabilities as quickly as possible, and that any initial and future issues could be swiftly identified and resolved, without creating an unnecessary drain on internal IT teams' time and resources.

The managed services model was extended to the security ecosystem, with Exponential-e providing hands-on monitoring and drawing on cutting-edge threat intelligence to ensure the latest cyber threats could be pre-emptively dealt with and any potential weaknesses in the infrastructure could be resolved before they were exploited.

Throughout lockdown, with staff forced to work remotely, the new infrastructure proved invaluable, allowing staff and residents to remain in close contact through a range of channels, including voice, telephony, online chat, and email, with consistently high quality throughout. This not only allowed staff to remain as close to 'business as usual' as possible, but allowed residents to continue accessing essential services as easily as possible, with Exponential-e's monitoring of the infrastructure freeing staff to focus on first-class service delivery and quick resolutions.

The success of this migration represents the first steppingstone towards North Star's planned Cloud-first strategy, with a fully virtualised infrastructure providing the agility needed to effectively respond to unexpected changes in the digital landscape and the evolving needs of their residents.

Solution benefits

  • Improved control and governance at all levels
  • High-performance, omnichannel communication for staff and residents
  • Enhanced efficiency, security, and resilience across the entire organisation
  • Optimal scalability and agility, through a Cloud-based consumption model
  • A strong foundation for a Cloud-first strategy

Housing is an inherently people-focused sector, and IT infrastructure must support that. Our work with Exponential-e has proven essential in this regard, ensuring we can meet our own technology goals, while keeping our residents at the centre of everything we do.

Sean Lawless
Head of ITC and Digital, North Star


Putting technology at the heart of the tenant experience

Helping housing associations drive digital initiatives that transform the tenant experience, underpinned by robust data security.

Find out more in our Housing Associations Brochure.

Click to read Exponential-e & Housing Associations
Tags:
Cloud-first strategy digital transformation North Star Housing Associations
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