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For over four decades, Richmond Wellbeing has been a trusted provider of inclusive, community-based mental health services throughout Western Australia. By listening and understanding the complex needs of people, they have forged long lasting connections with the WA community, sharing the journey of recovery.
Their comprehensive range of services includes residential, outreach, and NDIS support – all designed to guide people towards recovery and a fulfilling life. Richmond Wellbeing employs 350 staff, across 15 sites in WA, from metro Perth and down to the southwest in Albany.
Struggles with
outsourced IT
Richmond Wellbeing found themselves in a tough spot. Although they had outsourced their IT to a larger Managed Service Provider, they were dissatisfied with the quality of assistance they were receiving. Outdated systems hampered productivity, and compliance gaps – including expired licences – opened sensitive data to increased security risks, raising serious concerns for client confidentiality.
A new direction: finding the right IT partner
After recognising the deep need for change, Richmond Wellbeing approached Stellar Systems for a fresh perspective. Richmond Wellbeing’s General Manager at the time had a previous successful collaboration with Stellar and recommended them as the right team for the job. According to Richmond Wellbeing CFO, Maryanne Wilson, it was clear from the very start that they had made the right decision.
“To start with, Stellar came in and quickly did an audit to understand our current IT situation. Thankfully they were able to immediately identify and address critical issues, getting us back to where we always should’ve been. We needed somebody who we could trust, communicate with, and lean on for their technical expertise. With Stellar, we got just that,” notes Maryanne.
Walk before you can run:
getting things back on track
Stellar’s initial focus was centred on ensuring critical infrastructure stability before delving into advanced changes and productivity enhancements. At this very early stage, priorities included refining communications, bolstering security, and ensuring stronger compliance. Stellar also needed to re-establish Richmond Wellbeing’s trust in their outsourced IT team across all stakeholders.
Stellar’s comprehensive approach and commitment to transparency would not only repair vital systemic IT issues, but also gave the team a seat at the table for advising and guiding the organisation to a future-proofed IT system. By actively leading the IT initiative, Stellar allowed Richmond Wellbeing to remain in the loop and gain a better understanding of what was going on and how it would impact their ability to serve the community.
Key solution objectives
Stellar’s overarching objective was to seamlessly reinstate trust in Richmond Wellbeing’s IT systems.
Beyond this fundamental goal, Stellar devised a comprehensive plan to:
- Facilitate the integration of new sites throughout WA.
- Craft a tailored communication strategy for their IP telephony.
- Initiate a progressive transition to the cloud.
- Implementation of a mobile device management (MDM) solution to aid in seamless deployment and management of their mobile phone and tablet fleet.
- Conduct backup testing and establish a robust Disaster Recovery plan.
- Overhaul video conferencing infrastructure.
- Implement enhanced security measures, including Multi-factor Authentication and streamlined single sign-on procedures.
- Strengthen compliance via systems and security measures, aligning with insurers
- Leverage M365 for a broader range of functionalities, including optimising Teams utilisation.
Implementation
Phase 1:
STRENGTHENING FOUNDATIONSStellar’s initial audit revealed critical gaps in Richmond Wellbeing’s infrastructure, particularly in backup solutions. Stellar promptly installed a robust backup system and DR plan. A comprehensive security upgrade followed, integrating advanced email security, endpoint protection, and Multi-factor Authentication for added defence. In addition to all of this, Stellar also addressed ageing server and desktop systems, strategically introducing modern architecture, ensuring seamless device updates for further improvements in performance and security.
Phase 2:
BUILDING A STRATEGIC ROADMAPWith a solid foundation in place, Stellar and Richmond Wellbeing then established a strategic roadmap for short, medium, and long-term goals. This included immediate, comprehensive changes between 6-18 months, and long-term strategies for improved user experience and a view on supporting growth.
Two dedicated team members from Stellar were deployed on-site at Richmond Wellbeing’s central office to provide a dedicated Service Desk team accessible to staff, swiftly addressing concerns and bridging the gap between IT partner and in-house team member. As an extension of this newfound transparency, face-to-face meetings between Richmond Wellbeing, and Stellar’s Managing Director, Gordon Carr, further solidified the ongoing relationship and ensured better alignment and progress towards Richmond Wellbeing’s long term IT goals.
Rock-solid IT infrastructure
Richmond Wellbeing’s collaboration with Stellar has been a game-changer, boosting confidence in their abilities and tackling key objectives. Stellar’s timely advice in internal meetings has equipped Richmond Wellbeing with the right tools to serve their clients and community effectively.
Outcomes achieved:
Maximised funding impact: Empowering Richmond Wellbeing to achieve more with limited resources, crucial for non-profit organisations.
Elevated cybersecurity: Raising cybersecurity considerations to the board level, ensuring robust protection against potential threats.
Strategic roadmap for future growth: Equipping Richmond Wellbeing with a comprehensive roadmap, instilling confidence and security in their systems.
Enhanced oversight and control: Providing Richmond Wellbeing with improved visibility into updated system operations, ensuring better management.
Restored trust across the organisation: Successfully reinstating trust with both the board and staff in the wider Richmond Wellbeing organisation.
Sustainable collaboration with Teams: Continuing effective use of Microsoft Teams across all sites in WA.
Positive staff engagement: After a 12-month employment engagement survey, staff expressed overwhelming positivity regarding the newly implemented IT systems.
Words of advice
If you’re looking for an extension to your own internal Team, Maryanne believes you simply can’t look past Stellar:
“Stellar’s proactivity, expertise, and outstanding communication have been invaluable. Trust, communication, and such a high level of technical knowledge are rare traits in outsourced IT, but Stellar has it all covered. They’re not just an outsourced IT business; they’re an integral part of the Richmond Wellbeing team,” states Maryanne.
Plans for the future
The partnership between Richmond Wellbeing and Stellar Systems is an evolving one. Richmond Wellbeing is currently transitioning to Teams calling from traditional phones and phasing out on-site servers. This shift also includes migrating critical server items to the cloud, streamlining their digital environment, so all future services will be fully cloud-integrated, ensuring a dynamic and resilient IT infrastructure. This forward-looking approach would not have been possible four years ago, but thanks to Richmond Wellbeing’s newfound trust in their IT systems and a dedication to embracing the right technology, they can now better support their staff across multiple locations.
