INDUSTRY
Government
ORG SIZE
9000
SPOKE SOLUTIONS
SPOKE SERVICES
Solution Design, Coaching & Mentoring
The Challenge
New Zealand's Ministry of Social Development (MSD), with over 9,000 employees nationwide, embarked on a mission to modernize its digital workplace. This involved migrating to Office 365 (Microsoft 365) and Microsoft Teams for enhanced collaboration and communication. However, several hurdles presented themselves:
Limited M365 Expertise: MSD lacked in-house technical knowledge on key M365 services like Microsoft Teams and SharePoint Online.
Information Management Challenges: The agency's information management (IM) team had little knowledge of how to apply IM Governance and Design to Microsoft 365.
Shift to Remote Work: The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the need for a robust collaboration platform, adding urgency and complexity.
The Solution
To overcome these challenges, MSD partnered with a trusted expert to implement a comprehensive solution:
M365 Mentorship: The IM team received tailored training on Microsoft 365 best practices, including user experience design, information architecture, and service configuration.
Technical Expertise: Spoke acted as the M365 and SharePoint technical advisor, guiding system roadmaps and migration plans.
Governance Framework: A Microsoft Teams and IM governance framework was established, ensuring compliance and security.
Standardised Templates: The first business templates for Microsoft Teams and SharePoint sites were designed for quick and consistent
Culturally Sensitive Data Management: Technical guidance was provided in developing Māori data management, respecting cultural and ethical considerations.
Objective Migration Planning: A well-defined migration plan was defined to enable a smooth transition of content from the legacy system to SharePoint Online.
The Result
MSD's collaboration with Spoke’s consultant(s) yielded significant results:
Empowered IM Team: The IM team gained confidence and competency in managing Microsoft 365.
Robust Support Framework: A clear structure with defined roles and responsibilities was established for Microsoft 365 support.
Secure and Standardized Collaboration: The governance design ensured consistent and secure use of Microsoft Teams.
Streamlined Site Creation: Business templates accelerated the creation and adoption of Microsoft Teams and SharePoint sites.
Respectful Data Management: The solution design introduced core Māori data sovereignty principles in the Information Architecture and metadata for documents and information built into templates.
Success deployment for internal teams: from proof-of-concepts, to pilot and deployment, all core services teams successfully rolled-out.
Conclusion
This case study showcases how collaboration with an M365 expert empowered MSD to transform its digital workplace, fostering a more connected and efficient workforce.
