Centralising back-office for a Sydney utility's shared-services model

Following a strategic priority set at the executive level, a Sydney-based utility needed to centralise all back-office activities into a single point of contact for staff. The high-level blueprint combined the support capabilities of eight separate business teams into one shared services centre. The catch: the recently implemented ITSM tool needed assessment, and the service catalogue had to be communicable in plain business language - not IT jargon.

The IT stream focused on transitioning the IT Service Desk into the new shared-services model, supported by guidance on toolset selection and the design of the required service workflows. SMS mapped workflows for each catalogue item, developed a reusable workflow template that was adopted across the other streams, and supported the creation and curation of the knowledge content required for the new model.

Phase one of the shared-services program was delivered on time and within budget. It remains in place today. The IT transition stream was held up as the model for other business unit transitions to align with. Customer satisfaction climbed across the board as the shared-services centre delivered a consistent level of service from day one.