Creating a Modern Workplace

“If someone is trying to find the perfect donor, technology shouldn’t get in the way; it should only enable and enhance it.”

4 years ago their workplace and technology infrastructure was very different. Typically, platforms were put in, but then not replaced. This made modernisation challenging as their former Chief Digital & Information Officer explains: “ When you’re coming in as a CIO or a technology leader, it’s really difficult to talk about data futures, analytics, AI when the email is not working. We didn’t have Wi-Fi, we didn’t have email on mobile’s, we didn’t even have laptops.”

Flexible Working

From the start, the team were very clear their transformation should focus on people. In other words, employees should have the tools to do the job, from wherever they need to be. When the COVID-19 health crisis struck their planned move to Azure Virtual Desktop, coupled with the introduction of Microsoft Teams was timely. Both helped the charity to carry on its critical work during the pandemic.

Hybrid Working

With the help of Telefónica Tech, the charity put Microsoft Teams video conferencing into every single meeting room. This high-quality meeting room experience has made a significant difference. Danny Attias explains: “When a workshop or big meeting is coming up, employees can choose whether to come in or not, based on their circumstances, and not based on the quality of interaction.”

Evergreen Agility

Thanks to tech investment over the last 5 years, the charity now has a well-maintained workspace that is patched and always up to date. Their technical team has been upskilled in the new cloud-based technologies and there is great pride in keeping the environment evergreen. The automated approach to configuring devices is also benefitting employees; for example, if an employee receives a new laptop, they simply log in to a “vanilla build” and half an hour later they can work.

“It was a difficult journey that we didn’t do alone. Telefónica Tech helped us coordinate the maze of activities to get everything modernized. Microsoft has been a huge support as well, and the relationship between Telefónica Tech and Microsoft also helped a great deal”

Danny Attias, former Chief Digital & Information Officer, Anthony Nolan

Looking to the future

“Now that we’ve got a good security baseline, and we’ve got a good infrastructure baseline, it’s about really enhancing the use of our data and our digital services to transport centres, which are hospitals nationally and internationally, and to continue using AI and digital and data methods to optimise the efficiency of how we can deliver cells for those patients in need.”

Solution Summary

• Azure Migration with Azure Virtual Desktop

• Microsoft Teams

• Modern Workplace Devices

• Modern Meeting Rooms, using Microsoft Video Conferencing

Modern Workplace

There are many benefits from moving to a modern workplace, but at the heart of all of them is a better customer and employee experience