Department of Finance (GovTEAMS)
Three phase project (Advise, Deliver, Security Uplift)
The Client
GovTEAMS is designed, delivered and supported by a highly effective Agile Product Team in the Department of Finance. GovTEAMS is a comprehensive whole-of-government collaboration service for the Australian Public Service (APS). GovTEAMS provides a secure, flexible and fast service for the APS to work across Agencies and/or with Externals. It’s built upon Microsoft Office 365 with custom Team Creation, Management and Administration functionality to ensure compliance with the Security requirements of the Australian Government.
GovTEAMS has two versions – GovTEAMS OFFICIAL for supporting content up to the OFFICIAL: Sensitive level and GovTEAMS PROTECTED that supports content up to PROTECTED.
GovTEAMS has been in operation for over 5 years, with registrations of 200,000+ APS users and 40,000+ external guests over that time. GovTEAMS has supported many, many projects, engagements and collaboration needs for the Australian Government.
The Challenge
GovTEAMS were using a service desk system that was nearing the end of its support and therefore needed to transition to a secure, modern, and strategic platform.
GovTEAMS wanted to determine if Microsoft Dynamics 365 was suitable to replace their previous service desk platform to address the product and vendor risks. GovTEAMS and The Department of Finance both use Microsoft products and so Microsoft Dynamics presented strategic and integration opportunities.
They approached the market for assistance to find out if:
- Microsoft Dynamics 365 was fit for purpose.
- Is it a viable replacement for their current service desk.
- What the work effort and timelines would be.
The decision to approach the market was driven by the desire to rapidly resolve the previous system issues, align with strategic goals of the Department, and implement a secure and robust platform that can be expanded and improved over time. In their approach, they were looking for a true strategic partner that would not only fill the capability and capacity gaps, have extensive knowledge and experience with Microsoft Dynamics 365 in the Government context and be flexible in how to co-design and co-deliver the solution.
The Solution
Rather than diving into a traditional large-scale procurement to build a complete solution, GovTEAMS adopted an iterative procurement strategy, aligned to the DTA’s Digital Service Standard.
They commenced with a discovery phase – a short engagement to confirm Microsoft Dynamics 365 aligned with their needs, co-design the scope and requirements, and to define the future phases in a modular format to provide flexibility in build and timing to integrate with GovTEAMS Agile Delivery model where changes to priority and direction can occur.
Phase one –Discovery
The Factor conducted an assessment of the GovTEAMS previous help desk solution, mapping out current functionality, integrations and security, and eliciting current requirements to ensure Microsoft Dynamics 365 was fit for purpose, confirm the technology aligned with the requirements and if it was financially viable.
GovTEAMS and The Factor worked together to design solution and MVP versions, and this informed the structure of the upcoming phases.
Phase two – MVP Build.
GovTEAMS And the Factor embraced an iterative build process, starting with out-of-the-box Dynamics 365 Customer Service functions and adjusting through configuration instead of customisation. The focus was on ensuring that the solution was fit for purpose or to change business processes where possible to fit the solution. This approach facilitated immediate benefits while avoiding premature commitments and enabled ongoing review and adjustment. The focus was on working as a single team – GovTEAMS and Factor to deliver the best solution in the timeframe and budget.
A replacement Service Desk system for GovTEAMS was completed within 7 weeks and this version was adopted as the GovTEAMS once security approvals were in place.
Phase three – Security uplift
To allow Production use of the MVP, the D365 GovTEAMS Service desk solution had to pass Department Of Finance’s security assessment against the ASD’s essential 8. The Factor worked with GovTEAMS to complete the necessary security documentation, hardening and approval process. Due to Microsoft Dynamics 365’s existing security accreditation and The Factor’s experience with Government Security systems this was a short and easy process.
The collaboration between The Factor, Excelium and the GovTEAMS project allowed for bursts of specialised support when necessary, aligning with their learn-by-doing approach, constantly revising and redesigning based on new insights and priorities. This collaboration was a deliberate, organized methodology that prioritized learning, adaptation, and gradual implementation over a rigid, all-at-once approach.
The Outcome
The GovTEAMS Service Desk Replacement and CRM project was a success due to the flexibility, experience and support from The Factor. It was a truly shared approach between The Factor and GovTEAMS and this allowed us to utilise the skills and capacity from both teams. GovTEAMS have smoothly transitioned to Microsoft Dynamics 365 for both the Service Desk and basic CRM.
What did the GovTEAMS project team have to say?
The Factor’s flexibility to support the incremental procurement approach reduced risks and made planning and delivery easier. It allowed for smaller commitments (in the view of a series of phases), clearer outcomes, and a deeper relationship, avoiding the pitfalls of conventional big bang requirements-based procurements. This flexibility allowed GovTEAMS to build and foster a pragmatic, hands-on approach to delivery. The model helped achieve success swiftly, offering a refreshing change from the norm in government engagements.
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