Northumbria University

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Following a competitive tender for its SAP support through the government Services Catalogue (SCAT), Northumbria University chose Fujitsu as its preferred supplier.

Customer’s Challenge

Northumbria University is a large metropolitan university located in Newcastle upon Tyne, in North East England. First established as a polytechnic in 1969 and inaugurated as a university on 1 September 1992, the University’s largely modularised curriculum is delivered to just over 23,500 students, about 16,000 of whom are full-time.

A vital component of the University’s IT infrastructure is its SAP Finance system, which is used to manage all of its financial transactions and student intake. So, to ensure the smooth operation of the system, it decided to outsource the support and management of its financial database software.

Ray Jenkins, IT Services Infrastructure Manager, Northumbria University, says, “We wanted a partner who would not only ensure that our financial processes were operating at optimum efficiency, but who could also provide us with professional, up to date guidance on how to leverage maximum benefit from the system.”

Fujitsu Solution

Following a competitive tender for its SAP support through the government Services Catalogue (SCAT), the University chose Fujitsu as its preferred supplier.

Ray Jenkins explains, “While one of our main selection criteria was cost, we were particularly impressed by the professionalism of the Fujitsu team, who have continued to work closely with us ever since to put into practice what they promised.”

Under the contract, which is now in its third year, Fujitsu provides the University with a comprehensive set of SAP support services, including:

• Standard cover between 8am to 6pm, with additional cover available by negotiated agreement
• A dedicated Service Delivery Manager to organise regular service reviews and ensure continuity of service
• Central logging and categorisation of Service Desk calls by priority, on dedicated software
• A team of expert consultants, available to deal with calls logged, within agreed service levels
• The administration of change control procedures
• Recommendations for call reduction methods/activities
• The compilation and distribution of regular management reports, tailored to meet the university’s specific requirements.

“Fujitsu is providing the University with a very cost effective service, tailored to its specific needs,” says Ray Jenkins. “On a day to day basis the calls raised with Fujitsu are quickly and efficiently resolved according to their priority, enabling the University business to carry on its business as normal.”

Benefits to our Customer

The application support and management services provided by Fujitsu are enabling Northumbria University to:

• Optimise system performance – availability is maximised through the rapid identification and resolution of any issues and proactive system and service management
• Minimise operational costs – centralised management, using proven processes and procedures, provides economies of scale and reduces IT staff recruitment and training overheads
• Focus on its core business – University staff can now concentrate on more strategic requirements and value-adding activities
• Access specialist resources – Fujitsu’s comprehensive range of business and technical expertise can be made available rapidly
• Budget accurately – the managed service ensures costs are entirely visible and predictable over the contract life
• Simplify management – having a single point of contact for all service management issues reduces management time and overhead costs.

Ray Jenkins says, “Fujitsu is a very professional outfit that is committed to providing the University with a high quality and cost-effective service. There is a dedicated team continually monitoring and reporting on the system, advising us on how to improve performance, and always providing a timely response. Overall, it’s a very high class service.

“From past experience, I know that trying to maintain our SAP system in-house can prove very expensive in terms of recruiting, training and retaining the necessary staff. Instead, by working with Fujitsu we have a very reliable service, and our own people are free to concentrate on other priorities.”

Our Approach

Initially Fujitsu conducted a thorough health check of the University’s SAP 3.1i Finance system before it took over the 0800-1800hrs, 5 day a week support of the system.

Fujitsu’s experienced team of consultants has all of the necessary skills to ensure that the University receives a professional service for each and every call raised. However, to ensure that the system continues to meet the University’s evolving needs, Fujitsu also regularly reviews the system functionality against its business need, making sure any necessary changes are effectively implemented, both from a business process and technical point of view.

“Fujitsu has displayed a thoroughly professional attitude right from the start,” says Ray Jenkins. “I am especially pleased with the ease and speed with which we were able to agree and then implement our support requirements. The availability and professionalism of Fujitsu's service delivery team have been first class and the resulting hassle-free service provision has totally reinforced Northumbria's decision to award the contract to Fujitsu.”

Our Expertise

Fujitsu has a wealth of experience in managing a diverse range of IT systems in virtually every business sector. As well as making it the fourth top managed services provider in the world, its extensive knowledge has also enabled it to hone its managed service tools and processes to help customers achieve more by improving the cost effectiveness of current systems, reducing the time spent managing the existing IT estate and providing objective advice to help realise their future plans.

Fujitsu is also an SAP Global Technology Partner and has numerous SAP Service Partnerships worldwide. Fujitsu’s SAP consultants are not only up to date with the latest developments in SAP business solutions and their applications – but also have a firm business background – so that they can relate to customers’ business challenges, and focus on the practical applications of SAP solutions, supporting customers with a hands-on approach.

Ray Jenkins says, “We’d had no previous dealings with Fujitsu, but the relationship we have now is excellent. The quality of its staff and the way it conducts its business is extremely impressive. Our Service Delivery Manager is in frequent contact to ensure there are no issues, and we have regular meetings that include Fujitsu’s technical support staff as well as our Finance and IT services departments. It’s a very open and honest relationship and we certainly view Fujitsu as a trusted partner.”