CIO's view: don’t get complacent around cloud

Tell us about a recent project that required an external IT provider.

We recently completed a seven-month project with US contact centre software provider Aspect. We wanted Aspect to enable new channels of customer engagement and provide a communications platform that would enable us to obtain greater customer insights and enable omni-channel by integrating their product with our existing CRM system. 

What was Aspect’s role?

We were the lead integrator and Aspect was the specialist in its software. While there were other suppliers for parts of the solution, we relied on Aspect to provide us with knowledge about best practice from other customers around the world. 

What does an IT supplier have to do to win your business?

We need our suppliers to demonstrate an understanding in capability. We also want to understand the people who will work with us, who they are and what they’ve done before. The supplier has to fit with us culturally and we are looking for long-term relationships. 

We’ll share our strategy with them so they can understand where we’re coming from. This also has the benefit of allowing our suppliers to understand what may interest us in future purchasing opportunities. 

Is it all about price?

If we’re looking at a solution, we first look at our technology roadmap based on what business capabilities we need to see and what options are available. We’re not just looking at whether the solution will deliver our immediate needs, but whether it will support our capability development plan over future years.

Can you tell us about the last time an IT provider impressed you?

InFocus recently went above and beyond. There was a fault in the Mondopad [a giant touch tablet], and within 24 hours InFocus provided me with a new one at no extra cost. 

They focused on their service to me, to make sure the technology worked. And they followed up with a call to make doubly sure. That struck me as a change from the technology salesman who used to come at it from a product perspective; now they come at it from a customer satisfaction point of view. 

How is cloud affecting Hydro Tasmania’s IT investment?

We’re moving forward, looking at cloud services, investigating market-proven and mature test beds while evaluating providers. Many providers can give us customised offerings to fit our plans more easily and with more rapid development times than if we undertook a massive IT project using only internal capability.

We’re not moving down the path of a monolithic program in our retail organisation; we’re using that start-up mentality to see what we can get out of the cloud instead.