Aurizon

Aurizon

Aurizon was looking to make some significant improvements to its end-user support and IT platform support services. After winning the business, Brennan had to pivot away from the original transition plan due to the pandemic – instead, delivering the project almost 100% remotely.

The summary

Industry:

Manufacturing

Country:

Australia

Business Challenge

Aurizon was looking to make some significant improvements to its end-user support and IT Platform support services.

Solution:

Brennan assembled a core team of experienced Brennan staff and began recruitment to build out a dedicated Aurizon support team of 40+ staff within their own business – a very challenging task during a global pandemic.

Results

Brennan now supports 4,000 users and the infrastructure on which they rely. All services transitioned on time, with a significant number delivered 4-8 weeks early.

The Situation

When Aurizon, Australia’s largest rail freight operator, decided to change managed service providers, Brennan answered the call, beating out a number of global IT outsourcers to win the business. The large-scale migration of support for over 4,000 users and the infrastructure on which they rely, was managed seamlessly in very challenging circumstances due to the Covid-19 lockdown. All services transitioned on time, with a significant number being delivered 4 to 8 weeks earlier than originally planned.

The Challenge

In 2019, Aurizon decided to look at how they could transform their outsourced managed IT services, as part of a strategic plan to enable greater innovation and increased flexibility.

They were also looking for a different way to deliver IT support, for a partner that could drive innovation and continuous technology improvement – ensuring the business continued to maintain its competitive advantage, providing the speed, quality, and security their business and its customers depend on.

So, they decided to put their IT Managed Services – worth $20M over multiple years – out to tender.

A number of global IT outsourcers submitted proposals, however, Aurizon recognised Brennan’s ability to work in partnership and their commitment to developing and delivering the best possible solution.

The Solution

After being awarded the contract in early 2020, Brennan assembled a core team of experienced Brennan staff, and began recruitment to build out a dedicated Aurizon support team of 40+ staff within their own business – a very challenging task during a global pandemic. They reviewed 4,000 applicants, conducted 700 technical tests, and completed 200 interviews – the majority of which were virtual – to assemble the best possible team.

With these foundations in place, Brennan worked closely with Aurizon’s internal IT team and their incumbent to refine the plan to ensure this large-scale IT Managed Services transition would happen seamlessly, in stages, with minimal risk and business disruption.

As they embarked on the planning, they quickly had to pivot their approach to the transition to cope with COVID-related restrictions, which meant almost everything originally planned, face-to-face shadowing, onsite workshops, etc. had to be worked on and delivered remotely.

The Result

A large-scale migration is no easy task – yet Brennan delivered all services on time, with a significant number being delivered 4 to 8 weeks earlier than originally planned and with no significant interruption to Aurizon’s operations or people, all during a global pandemic.

Brennan is now providing ongoing managed IT services to Aurizon – supporting its 4,000+ users, 160+ meeting rooms, 1,000+ servers, and 1,000+ network devices around the clock.

Dave Stevens, Brennan’s Managing Director, believes the success of the Aurizon relationship comes down to the fact that both organisations have a similar approach and ethos when it comes to valuing culture, people, great service, and ongoing innovation.

“We’re thrilled with the outcome of this initial phase and are very excited about our ongoing partnership. We provide a wide range of managed services and support to Aurizon’s users and have formed a trusted working partnership that is set to last well into the future,” he says.

“This partnership comes off the back of several large recent enterprises wins for us – with clients such as Inghams, Wellways, MyCar, Audi VW and McDonald’s – and further illustrates what the enterprise market has been telling us, they want an MSP that is nimble, flexible and can provide great service at scale. It is clear they are looking for a change and we are perfectly positioned to help,” adds Stevens.

The next phase will involve maximising Aurizon’s continuous enhancement capabilities via a dedicated team which includes people on-site at Aurizon’s head office in Brisbane, as well as various regional locations.

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