Strategic outsourced IT services for an automotive plant

Background

For many years, the customer has relied on outsourcing selected IT services through external partners. This approach enables the company to respond flexibly to changing business requirements, scale resources more efficiently and gain access to specialist expertise without having to build extensive in-house teams. The company launched a tender for the management of several IT domains, which we won. The scope included Project Management (PM), Project Management Office (PMO) services, management of part of the IT infrastructure, and networking services.

We also succeeded in a separate tender for the management of the customer’s Service Desk. Our team has since been responsible for delivering day-to-day IT support for staff in the customer’s office environment.

Over time, the partnership evolved into a comprehensive end-user IT outsourcing model. In addition to PM/PMO services and infrastructure management, our responsibilities now include the Service Desk, Asset Lifecycle Management/on-site support, iOS services, telecommunications, and Client Services 2nd Level, including support for selected business applications and access management processes.

The scope of services delivered goes well beyond traditional helpdesk support. Soitron provides a multi-layered operational model that combines a central point of contact, on-site support, specialised 2nd level support, a mobile platform, telecommunications services, device management, and regular service quality management.

The Service Desk acts as the single point of contact for the customer’s end users. The team receives, documents, categorises and tracks incidents and service requests via telephone, email, chat and face-to-face interactions. Many requests are resolved during the first contact or through remote support, while the team also manages communication with users, maintains the knowledge base, prepares service reports and gathers user feedback.

Asset Lifecycle Management and on-site support cover physical workplace support: hardware installations, equipment replacement and relocation, IMAC activities (Install, Move, Add and Change), preparation and handover of laptops, desktop PCs, monitors and peripherals, on-site resolution of hardware and software incidents, device lifecycle management, warehouse operations and hardware asset tracking.

Client Services 2nd Level provides more advanced technical and application-related tasks that go beyond the standard Service Desk. This mainly involves support for the Group Office Client environment, the Windows/Office/SAP client, testing and validation of new applications in line with group requirements, management of AD/O365/mailboxes, distribution groups, VPN, and network access, as well as support for specific systems.

The iOS service covers the configuration and support of Apple devices, setting up user profiles, supporting group mobile applications, planning updates, resolving advanced incidents, handling VIP requests, and coordinating DEP/MDM/ABM administration, including management of the leasing allocation and warehouse processes.

The telecommunications component of the service includes support for fixed and mobile telephony, provisioning of GSM devices, SIM cards, and accessories, support for videoconferencing equipment, and coordinating the resolution of global telecommunications incidents. The service also includes on-call support outside standard working hours whenever required by manufacturing operations.

The entire service portfolio is managed through a structured governance model comprising weekly and monthly service review meetings, escalation management, SLA and KPI monitoring, trend analysis, problem management, and continuous service improvement. As a result, the customer benefits not only from additional staffing capacity but also from a stable operating model with clearly defined responsibility for service quality and business continuity.

Another important area of cooperation is the management of Service Desk operations for the customer’s office environment. Our team supports approximately 10,000 users, providing computer administration, hardware replacement, local network support, and application support services.

We also succeeded in another tender covering OT support directly within the manufacturing environment. We provide the management and support of equipment on the production floor, where stability, rapid response times and minimal disruption to manufacturing processes are critical.

At the same time, we have extended the cooperation to include the modernisation of meeting rooms, delivering a complete solution for two meeting rooms with a capacity of more than 100 participants. The solution includes state-of-the-art technology for seamless communication – Cisco Kit Pro, a ceiling-mounted camera, a professional Shure audio system, and Aruba switches.