Johannesburg, 01 Oct 2020
About OptiNet
OptiNet is a managed IT services company headquartered in Cape Town, South Africa, with staff located in countries across Europe, Asia and Africa. It helps customers with infrastructure, operating systems, networks, telephony and security.
Location
- South Africa (headquarters)
Challenges
- To replace end-of-life on-premises solution.
- To move into the cloud.
- To be able to handle integrations and a managed integrations service.
The challenge
OptiNet was using on-premises solution BMC Remedy, which was no longer supported as it had reached its end of life. The business was looking for a cloud-based solution that fitted with its cloud strategy and that could be part of its global footprint.
OptiNet was also looking for a tool that could handle integrations and a managed integrations service.
The IT Service Delivery Team and the Senior Management Team were tasked with finding the right ITSM/SIAM solution for the business and they also considered Jira, BMC Helix, ServiceNow and an upgrade to its BMC Remedy solution.
The decision to go with 4me was based on its functionality and value proposition.
Implementation
In phase one, OptiNet deployed service level management, time keeping, task scheduling, incident management, request fulfilment, change management, problem management and Jira Cloud Desk integration service. Phase two will see configuration management, release management and project management deployed.
The implementation of phase one took six weeks, including classroom training sessions, after a consultation period of three weeks. It was vital that the process was conducted within a tight timescale as there was a non-negotiable deadline and a firm go-live date. Alexander Pollard, Project Manager for OptiNet, says: “4me was professional and brought a wealth of knowledge and industry experience. It guided us in part of the build.”
Processes deployed
Phase one
- Service level management
- Time keeping
- Task scheduling (Health Checks)
- Incident management
- Request fulfilment
- Change management
- Problem management
Phase 2
- Configuration management
- Release management
- Project management
- Integrations
- SCIM Integration for user accounts
- Go live
Since implementing 4me, OptiNet has seen a number of benefits. Pollard says reporting is far simpler and the business has a much better view of incidents and request within the ITSM tool. “The drill-down feature reflecting CI status from the incident screen allows agents the ability to see potential high-impact failures at a glance and then to group multiple incidents,” he explains.
The dashboard functionality and the visibility offered by 4me, for example, the time tracking that enables the organisation to see the amount of time invested in non-billable initiatives, can translate into tangible savings for its clients. Since implementation, OptiNet has been able to work collaboratively with both customers and providers. The completely transparent service experience delivered by 4me has led to greater user adoption across the organisation.
Pollard says: “The team is much happier with the tool and it has been unanimously voted as the tool of choice by the technical teams.” Indeed, Pollard says he would recommend 4me to other firms looking for a new service management solution, because of the uncomplicated administration, the ease of configuration, the rapid deployment of changes and the responsiveness of the 4me team. He adds: “It was a very efficient implementation, especially given the short timeline and the client demands. We were well facilitated by 4me through their expert knowledge and professionalism.”
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