CGI helps Imagistics build IT infrastructure from scratch in record time

"Imagistics has built a solid relationship with CGI. (…)Rather than present a model for services, CGI presented flexibility. The knowledge and the people were great. They were the right people at the right time. They always took the extra step to meet our needs. "

Robert Butler, Chief Information Officer, Imagistics International Inc.

Building the IT department at newly-created Imagistics International Inc. could have been a nightmare, given the time constraints. But CGI would prove that service flexibility—working within the client's culture, cost structure and time line—made them "the right people at the right time".

Imagistics International Inc. was formed in late 2001, the result of the spin off of Pitney Bowes Inc.'s Office Systems Division. Based in Trumbull, Connecticut, Imagistics is a large direct sales, service and marketing organization offering document imaging solutions, including copiers, facsimile machines, and multifunctional products to major customers in the U.S. and the U.K. The new company operates with 3,200 employees and some 2,000 desktop users.

The Challenge
With the announcement of the spin off from Pitney Bowes - the large mail and document management company - Imagistics had only 18 months to separate from the parent firm and establish completely new operations in new location. The first thing on the agenda was to create an IT department. They needed people and an infrastructure. To accelerate the RFP process, Imagistics worked with Gartner, a research and advisory firm, to narrow the search for the right IT provider to set up the IT department and deliver quality outsourcing services. The shortlist came down to two competitors, with CGI ultimately winning the contract to provide Technology Management outsourcing services for an initial period of five years.

For Imagistics, CGI brought the capability to work within their culture. They were cost competitive and could cope with the tight deadline. According to Robert Butler, CIO at Imagistics, what really sold them on CGI was that they didn't offer an inflexible corporate delivery model, but rather tailored their services. "Rather than present a model for services, CGI presented flexibility. The knowledge and the people were great. They were the right people at the right time. They always took the extra step to meet our needs."

By the time CGI was selected in September 2001, the window for building the IT infrastructure was narrowed to six months, and decisions on the right ERP application suite to be implemented had yet to be finalized. CGI was faced with the prospect of servicing the needs of a new company with some 3,000 employees with limited resources available to transition to CGI as part of the outsourcing arrangement. The CGI team was required to fully staff an IT organization to support the company's desktop and distributed computing environment, Help Desk, network infrastructure as well as the new data center at CGI's facilities in Montreal.

The Strategy
A transition plan was devised which called for a team of some 15 CGI consultants to initiate the transfer of 120 network locations, to re-configure the network to be a stand-alone system and coordinate with other vendors.

Using standard methodologies, the CGI team was able to get the Help Desk and Lotus Notes (communications system) up and running almost immediately. Network connectivity posed a particular challenge, but CGI brought in additional resources to accelerate the process. In two months, the ERP environment was operational.

The Technology

• IBM AIX;
  
  
• Oracle 11i—ERP application, Precise, Kintana;
  
  
• CISCO, Checkpoint, Concord;
  
  
• Lotus Domino;
  
  
• Windows 2000, Active Directory, SMS, Linux.
  
  

The Results
One year later, all in IT at Imagistics was running smoothly with a 90 percent end user satisfaction rating…hard to believe, considering that when the company was spun off, Mr. Butler was the IT department. How did they do it? Remarked Butler, "The transition plan was good. In terms of the Help Desk and Lotus Notes, CGI exceeded expectations. The project management was very good; they could assemble a team quickly, were well organized and kept the project on track." What was perhaps most gratifying, in addition to successfully completing what appeared an impossible task, was the solid relationship forged between Imagistics and CGI. "Imagistics has built a solid relationship with CGI. The team really rolled up their sleeves (in setting up new IT infrastructure). They were honest when there were problems. Each time they tackled a problem in configuring the network, they accomplished the mission," Butler concluded.

Building an IT infrastructure from scratch in record time was a good start to meeting and understanding the needs and priorities of this five-year outsourcing arrangement. CGI is now supporting over 2,000 desktops distributed among 120 locations across the U.S.