Fine-tuning the engine
How a global food company wrung all the value from its IT investments
THE SITUATION
By some estimates, your average automobile is built out of roughly 30,000 parts. Put those parts together in basically the right order and you have a car that will get you from point A to point B. But if you want that same car to run at the peak of its potential—with optimal fuel efficiency and at optimal performance levels—you need to do more than assemble the pieces. You need to optimize their performance—optimize how they work together.
The metaphor extends to IT as well. A leading global food company, operating a complex network of production facilities and employing more than 100,000 people, had, when it came to its IT infrastructure, invested in the “parts”—in a suite of advanced technology platforms designed to help it run the business. And yet the company wanted more—wanted to not just modernize those IT operations but, in the process, strengthen cybersecurity and elevate the employee experience. And to make that happen, the company knew it needed a strategic collaborator to help it manage and optimize that existing IT environment. Deloitte would be that collaborator.
The goal of said collaboration? To drive greater efficiency, scalability, and operational excellence—while facilitating business continuity and fostering ongoing innovation.
GETTING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR IT STACK?
NO EASY TASK.
THE SOLVE
Deloitte was engaged to assume responsibility for the management and optimization of the company’s selected technology stack. Our multidisciplinary team delivered a holistic transformation across several key areas:
- Workforce productivity and collaboration: Deloitte worked to stand up a better approach to managing and optimizing the company’s collaboration and productivity platforms, allowing for secure, effective communication and productivity for the workforce. To bring the professionals along on the journey, we also led user-adoption programs and provided ongoing support to maximize the value of these tools.
- Hybrid infrastructure managed services: We oversaw the operation and optimization of critical infrastructure and applications across both on-premises and cloud environments—which included thousands of physical and virtual servers—to maintain scalability, resilience, and efficient operations.
- Identity and access management: We provided a comprehensive approach to the management of identity and access systems, in the process strengthening security and streamlining user experiences across the organization.
- Cybersecurity enhancement: By applying our cybersecurity experience we were able to better protect digital assets, strengthen the security posture, and support compliance with critical food industry regulations.
- Device management: Deloitte helped the company build a better approach to managing tens of thousands of desktops and laptops, providing for secure deployment, regular updates, and ongoing device health for the distributed workforce.
All of this was accomplished by a multidisciplinary Deloitte team that was able to provide a seamless transition of services that prioritized business continuity and knowledge transfer, with a focus on operational excellence and integrated service delivery.
MAKING ALL THE PARTS OPERATE AS ONE
THE IMPACT
By the end of the transformation, the more than 400 Deloitte professionals who had mobilized across 25 domains for smooth delivery had helped the company to realize:
- Rapid optimization and management of workplace and infrastructure solutions.
- A connected and efficient IT environment for roughly 40,000 users, supporting effective collaboration and productivity.
- Standardized processes that are now driving improved operational efficiency.
- Reduced operational costs realized through targeted efficiency gains.
- An enhanced user experience defined by improved tools and support systems.
- Automated key processes that have improved productivity and are now delivering more reliable services.
- A strengthened cybersecurity posture and supported compliance with industry regulations.
And remember our metaphor? The car and its 30,000 parts? The “parts” that were part of this transformation included:
- More than 40,000 desktops/laptops and collaboration platform users.
- More than 10,000 physical and virtual servers managed across hybrid environments.
- Call center/service center operations that field 22,000+ calls a month.
- A technology stack comprising, among others:
- Cloud managed services (5,000+ virtual machines);
- Database and middleware management (1,000+ databases);
- Deloitte cyber services (full suite);
- Hybrid infrastructure managed services, including on-premises: five data centers, nearly 1,000 physical servers, 4,000+ virtual machines;
- Identity and access management tools including Azure AD and Okta;
- M365/Teams management for more than 40,000 users;
- Network management (LAN, WAN, Wi-Fi, Cloud);
- SAP Application Management Services as well as additional non-SAP managed services; and
- Service management platforms (including ServiceNow, among others).
By leveraging Deloitte’s experience in large-scale IT operations and transformation, the company was able to fully realize the value of its technology investments—demonstrating how organizations can achieve greater efficiency, security, and agility through experienced management and continuous improvement.
ONE IT “ENGINE”: FINE-TUNED FOR HIGH-QUALITY PERFORMANCE
