Our references

Here are some of the projects involved in the project:

• Replacing VMWare with MS HyperV, and migration of all virtual servers.
• Upgrading all Windows 2008 (R2) servers to Windows 2012 or higher.
• Replacing Windows 7 workplaces (introducing Windows 10 Modern Workplace).
• Migration of SharePoint 2010 to SharePoint Online (O365).

At the end of 2019, however, it became clear that GLT-PLUS was soon to be disbanded (at the end of 2020), partly due to the phasing out of gas extraction in Groningen. From that point on, the focus of the project shifted to dismantling the IT division. That included a significant role in contract management, finance, information management and the bringing countless organizational and operational processes to an end.

We completed this complex project to the complete satisfaction of the client, working with GLT-PLUS employees and the partners in the consortium. Read this interview to find out more about the approach we took to dismantling the IT division.

About GLT-PLUS

GLT-PLUS (Groningen Long Term) was a consortium that included Stork, Worley (formerly Jacobs), Siemens and Yokogawa Europe. It was responsible for maintaining and adapting the installations that ensure the required level of gas production in the Groningen gas field. GLT-PLUS had just one customer – NAM (Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij), formed by Royal Dutch Shell and the Exxon Mobile Corporation.

During the implementation phase, EBN had already looked at the basic configuration with the supplier, but there was clearly scope for optimizing the configuration and the underlying processes, as well as the associated policy. So we decided to work together on that.

Some of the key elements in this transition project:

• Step 1: Governance. In a workshop with the M365 administrators, we looked in detail at governance – what was needed and what was desirable? EBN already had some ideas about this internally, and there was even some documentation. However, that documentation was more oriented towards internal use, and had not been shared widely throughout the organization. So we drew up a clear policy regarding the use and administration of SharePoint, Teams and OneDrive.

   

  For this organization, we focused on four key processes. The most important was strict monitoring of the Active Directory. EBN is a project-based organization with 250 employees and a whole host of external users. To prevent Azure AD contamination and keep the registers up to date, we set up a clear process for regular checks and updates, and for archiving or deleting accounts that are no longer in use. This helps keep the Active Directory manageable and up-to-date.
• Step 2: Configuration. We carried out a configuration scan with an expert team. That involved analysing all the settings and comparing them with Microsoft best practices. Any differences were documented. Not all of those differences were necessarily a problem, of course – some of them were deliberate choices. But this process allows us to review non-standard settings and double-check whether each one is logical and what impact it is having. In this way we were able to create the optimum set-up for this particular organization.

   

  The configuration scan provides extremely detailed information about all the possible settings, and forces you to reflect carefully on the recommended best processes. It goes far beyond the initial set-up that you go through with the supplier. The configuration scan is a highly effective tool for checking all the choices and processes, and optimizing manageability and impact.
• Step 3: Adoption. Although Teams, SharePoint and Onedrive had already been rolled out, users were not aware of the best way to use them. We worked on setting up tailored training sessions for users. Over a period of six weeks we organized ten online user training courses. About 80% of users signed up on their own initiative. The feedback showed that the training sessions were really valuable and that people were keen to put what they had learned into practice.

   

  We used the 'Bookings' app to sign people up for the user training courses – a standard tool from the M365 suite. The app even helps you manage the optimum group size for the training sessions, for example. Users were able to indicate whether they were interested in participating. The training sessions were well-attended and the feedback was very positive. People were really enthusiastic about M365. Employees now say that they have a much better understanding of how the organization’s documentation policy works, and how they can combine SharePoint, Teams and OneDrive.

About EBN

Energie Beheer Nederland (EBN) is an organization in the Dutch energy sector. It is an independent company with the Dutch government as its sole shareholder. EBN is involved in the energy transition and focuses on areas such as the sustainable use of natural gas, geothermal energy and CO2 storage. It has its own employees and a large number of external specialists.

A number of elements from this transition:

• Transition Experts developed a solid migration plan, engaged all stakeholders and established a governance structure with the private cloud vendor.
• We deployed local coordinators, additional SQL Server expertise and a PMO in Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines to reduce the internal workload.
• With the deployment of a Dutch, Asia-based senior project manager, we were able to build a good bridge between DB Schenker's German headquarters and the Asian operations.

This complex transition was successfully executed in collaboration with DB Schenker employees and the hosting private cloud provider.

About DB Schenker

DB Schenker is the world's leading service provider in international logistics, with divisions for land transport, air and sea freight, contract logistics and supply chain management. DB Schenker supports industry and commerce from 2,000+ locations worldwide with 75,000+ employees.

A number of elements from this transition:

• The technical migration had previously been carried out by the IT supplier and reversed at the request of Wonam. In order for the migration to go smoothly, more guidance was needed in the areas of ownership and set-up.
• We started with a workshop, specifically aimed at the users within Wonam. We discussed governance and set-up extensively, and adapted our standard migration and adoption approach to fit the organisation perfectly. Management and key users were present at the workshop, as well as the IT supplier. Together, we created a constructive and future-oriented plan.
• An important success factor for the adoption within this organisation is the assignment of a Team Owner per Team within the environment. They were asked to think along with us about the set-up and elaboration of the migration, main folders and subfolders and the link to channels. We opted for a project-oriented structure, in which the Team Owner really has (and feels!) ownership of his or her components.
• Immediately after Teams became available, we trained management and users in a short period of time. We shared best practices through an on-site training, in which all sorts of tips & tricks were shared. We soon noticed that people were thinking in terms of folder structures and were very much used to the traditional file server. We chose to sync Teams with Onedrive, so that files can also be found in Windows Explorer. This ensured that people understood and saw how everything was structured. After completion of the user training, everything went into operation without a hitch.
• Implementation time, from the first workshop to completion, was four months.

The migration and adoption were successfully carried out under the direction of Transition Experts, in cooperation with Wonam employees and the IT supplier. Employees now make effortless use of the possibilities, with a clear place for Teams within the work environment.

About Wonam

Wonam is a housing organisation based in Amsterdam. They develop and manage their own residential projects in the Amsterdam and Utrecht region, specialising in residential towers with mid-range rental properties.

A number of elements from this transition:

• Very rigid planning: local management at the European locations in the Netherlands, Germany and the UK had to be converted to the new service provider within two months.
• The following phase, Asia, had different local service providers at the production facilities in China, Malaysia and the Philippines. In order to optimise the involvement and communication, our transition manager left for Malaysia for a few months, making sure matters in Asia were kept on track.
• Differences in language, time zone and culture played an important role in this transition. Expectations regarding the new service provider employees’ seniority and quality also presented some challenges. You can read more about it in this blog.

The transition was executed successfully under the management of Transition Experts, in collaboration with Nexperia employees and both the leaving and receiving IT providers.

About Nexperia

Nexperia is a semiconductor manufacturer which originated in 2017 after splitting from NXP. Nexperia’s main office is located in Nijmegen. There are also branches in Budapest and Taipei, five large production facilities in Europe and Asia and various sales sites distributed across the world.

The transition of the IT management consisted of:

• Moving the data centre locations to Sappemeer and the head office of Yokogawa Europe in Amersfoort.
• Moving the GLT-PLUS branch workplace in Sappemeer to a NAM branch in Sappemeer.
• Transfer of knowledge and responsibility for the management of the IT environment from the existing organisation to Yokogawa Europe. This also included the dismantling of the old IT organisation.
• Implementation of the adjustments and expansions in the Yokogawa ICT organisation, in order to enable the management of the GLT-PLUS environment. This concerned changes in staff, processes and technology.

The transition took place under the management of Transition Experts and was executed in collaboration with Yokogawa IT and GLT-PLUS IT employees.

GLT-PLUS is now able to make use of the knowledge, technically progressive IT facilities and innovation power of Yokogawa Europe at lower costs, as a result of this successful transition.

About GLT-Plus
GLT-PLUS (Groningen Long Term) is a consortium consisting of Stork, Worley (formerly Jacobs), Siemens and Yokogawa Europe. It’s responsible for maintaining and adapting the installations which ensure the Groningen gas field Groningen is kept at the right level.

About Yokogawa Europe
Yokogawa is one of the global market leaders in industrial automation, test and measuring equipment, information systems and industrial services. Yokogawa has supplied the complete process automation within the GLT-PLUS consortium.