Company Description
A.S.T.R.I.D. is the telecommunications provider for Belgian aid and security services. (100, 101, 112, the local and federal police, ambulance services, national security, Red Cross, fire departments, private ambulance services, and civil security services.
A.S.T.R.I.D. also provides similar services for large companies that need security plans in e.g. the energy sector (Fluxys, Eandis, Electrabel) and the chemical industry (BASF).
Role of our team
Xedis implemented a management service project for A.S.T.R.I.D. This project ran from January 2008 until December 2010. Its objective was the transition of A.S.T.R.I.D. from a project-oriented to a service-oriented organization that needs to assure an excellent availability of its services to the demand of diverse customers.
Xedis determined the scope, goals and priorities with the Board of Directors of A.S.T.R.I.D. and was in charge of the implementation.
Our approach
Our approach based on IT Governance framework COBIT. The same framework formed the basis for the tactical and operational ITIL processes that were drawn in a later stage of the project.
The mission of A.S.T.R.I.D. was at is creation very broad – a result of the Belgian legislation. Therefore the management first established the company’s objectives and translated these into a Balanced Score Card. This was based on analysis of business plans, business risk analysis and a number of focused workshops with senior and middle management.
The Board of Directors and the Audit Committee were accountable for the success of the project. The methodology of reporting and follow-up were therefore proactively presented to these stakeholders. Subsequently, the critical processes within the organization were defined and drawn. These concern the strategic processes Coverage, Technological choices, Business Continuity and Continuous Improvement. The strategic objectives and risks of these processes were established and related to the Balanced Score Card.
To support the organization in a structured way, we decided to introduce ITIL-based processes. We strived for more and sustained collaboration between the different departments of engineers to avoid that the organization would end up with “islands of technology” that would not serve the customer efficiently. Agreed quality of service levels are essential to ensure good customers services.
Results
The image of ASTRID has increased thanks to the noticeable improvements in their services, for both individual customers as other stakeholders such as the government. This raise in customer and stakeholder satisfaction levels was explicitly stated in various (corporate) reports.
An employee satisfaction survey documented improved internal satisfaction. This was on the one hand the result of a better definition and assignment of roles and responsibilities and on the other hand an effect of the continuous improvement process through customer feedback. Thanks to this feedback about the results of the processes, staff feel more respected and appreciated by their customers – and thus more motivated to continue to offer high quality services.
Clear objectives for the service management are crucial to achieve the business objectives, since these services are permanently linked with the core activity of A.S.T.R.I.D. This project helped management to ensure continuous superior service levels.
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