IT Service Review for Stephens Scown

by | 6 Dec 2017 | Articles, Our Experience, Review

IT Service Review for Stephens Scown

A detailed review of the firm’s IT Service Hosting

Executive Summary
Client challenge:
Following a recent change of IT suppliers Stephens Scown had suffered from several system outages. We were engaged to undertake a detailed review of Stephens Scown’s IT Service Hosting provision in order to:

  • gain full understanding of the causation of three recent outages and subsequent mitigations;
  • assess the services provided and capabilities of the service provided.

BDC’s Solution
To undertake a thorough review of the current situation and provide a situation analysis report with recommendations for Stephens Scown

  • Assessing the suppliers capabilities and suitability.
  • Detailed assessment of recent major incidents.
  • Reviewing day to day support processes.
  • Ensuring service delivered is as per contractual obligations.
  • Ensuring the infrastructure is configured and maintained correctly.
 Engagement impact

  • Improved understanding of the causation of the major incidents.
  • Identification and formal recognition of supplier relationship issues.
  • Increased knowledge of suppliers processes and procedures.

“We needed to conduct an audit of the backend services and processes provided by our supplier. The supplier was un-cooperative and Kevin was met with much resistance. Kevin’s perseverance and patience paid off and he was able to acquire the information needed for his report.

In difficult circumstances, Kevin demonstrated a high degree of professionalism and commitment to achieve the desired outcome for his client. As a result of Kevin’s report we are better placed to manage the supplier.”

Dean Mostert, Director of ICT, Stephens Scown

Our Approach

The initial phase of the project was to undertake a thorough review of the situation which entailed:

  1. An initial evaluation of the service provision by reviewing documentation including tender responses and contracts.
  2. Investigations into the impact of the system outages by reviewing supplier reports, Stephens Scowns reports and interviewing members of staff.
  3. Visits to the supplier’s site were undertaken to:
    • interview staff and to investigate their services;
    • review the supplier’s organizational and technical processes
    • assess the supplied infrastructure;
    • investigated in greater detail the recent key incidents.
  4. Identified and engaged a non-competitive third party to undertake a “hands-on” technical assessment of the configuration of the infrastructure.

This work resulted in a detailed report which:

  1. Summarized the supplier’s capabilities and considered these against their obligations.
  2. Covered more subjective issues such as:
    • the supplier’s ownership of the overall solution;
    • management of subsequent problems;
    • client-supplier relationships.
  3. Concluded with a list of useful recommendations.

The independent review report was supplied to the firm and was subsequently shared with the supplier