Texaport assists Edinburgh charity with Digital transformation

The challenge

Before partnering with Texaport, VOCAL’s IT systems were no longer fit for purpose. As a temporary measure, their previous provider migrated essential files to Microsoft 365 SharePoint and upgraded VOCAL’s phone system to enable remote access. While these steps aimed to maintain continuity, they quickly proved unfit for long-term use.

Phone calls frequently dropped out, making it difficult for VOCAL’s team to deliver the support their clients relied on. Meanwhile, the SharePoint setup implemented by the previous provider created an overly complex file structure. Many team members were unable to access key documents, leading to inefficient workarounds and growing frustration across the organisation.

These issues persisted for over a year, despite VOCAL’s continued efforts to work collaboratively with the provider. It eventually became clear that the organisation needed a more capable, forward-thinking IT partner to support future growth and ensure reliable service delivery.

A new solution

By November 2021, not much had changed. VOCAL knew they needed a new solution and invited us to tender.

Critically, VOCAL wanted an IT partner that would support them in changing and growing safely.

VOCAL's requirements for a new partner:

• A full migration to cloud servers, business applications, and new mobile devices so the team could easily work from anywhere.
• A telephone system they could rely on.
• Robust security they could have confidence in.
• A system that would let them change how they deliver services and scale as demand levels shift.
• A responsive, supportive partner that would give them the IT infrastructure and strategic support they need today and into the future.
• A supportive, responsive IT service desk so they could always work productively.
• Costs that were suitable for a charity's budget.

A modern IT infrastructure delivered by a reliable and supportive IT partner

Across the span of the project, we have completely transformed VOCAL's IT infrastructure, including:

• Safely decommissioning the old on-premise server.
• Moving all data, files, and business applications to SharePoint, so the VOCAL team could easily access what they needed from anywhere.
• Assisting with setting up a new SharePoint filing convention that made it quick and easy for team members to find what they needed.
• Implementing Microsoft Teams and its telephony features as a single internal and external communication hub. This enabled team members to make and answer calls using their company devices and headsets, whether working in the office or remotely.

Now, we provide ongoing IT management services to keep VOCAL’s team productive and their systems secure. Using Microsoft Entra ID, we manage all VOCAL's users, devices, and desktops. This vastly reduces the risk of cybercriminals accessing VOCAL's network by ensuring that all machines and people accessing the system have the correct permissions and meet security requirements. Plus, we ensure other cyber security mechanisms are in place and working effectively around the clock.

The results

Daily IT frustrations have been eliminated for the entire VOCAL team, who now enjoy working from anywhere without using process workarounds. What's more, they can now place calls without worrying about being cut off. Overall, day-to-day work is now more streamlined and productive.

The senior team can relax knowing that security and compliance are taken care of. Plus, with a more flexible IT infrastructure, they have more freedom to make impactful strategic changes and feel confident in their ability to respond swiftly to external events.