Resolving IT problems quickly & efficiently
When the Centre for Excellence in Leadership (CEL) moved into its own offices, the decision was made to outsource its IT support function.
As Jo Armitage, Office Manager says, “At that time, we were only a small operation and couldn’t justify investing in on-site resources. We felt that at this point outsourcing was a more efficient way forward.”
So, why IT Lab? As a government body, funded by the DfES, CEL is conscious of making the right investment. Among the companies considered at the time the decision to outsource was made, IT Lab presented the strongest case for cost and efficiency optimisation. Additional confidence was delivered in the form of personal recommendations from IT Lab’s existing clients.
And now? CEL is not only developing its own IT strategy and policy, but also its own framework and processes, based on the way it needs to work. “I’ve been impressed with the friendliness, speed and approachability of IT Lab,” says Jo. “I can speak to IT Lab’s engineer and their Helpdesk staff, and I know my problem’s being dealt with ... IT Lab really take the pressure off.”
And they do not baffle her with science. IT Lab personnel talk to Jo and her team in a language they can understand. The steps for resolving a problem are talked through in layman’s terms, so the result is quickly and efficiently reached.
Jo relates stories of the times when colleagues who work from home or on the road have had to be set up with remote access, “The feedback we have received has been very positive, queries were dealt with efficiently and we feel confident in the systems” reports Jo. “At the end of the day, it’s all about people. If you can get that right, everything else falls into place.”
In the last three years, Jo has seen CEL grow from 7 to 50 – and that is not taking into account the 30 or so people based in other locations around the country. IT Lab have played a big part in that growth.
About The Centre for Excellence
The Centre for Excellence in Leadership (CEL) was launched in October 2003, as a key national agency within the Success for All initiative, to work with sector partners to ensure world-class leadership within the learning and skills sector.
CEL’s remit is to foster and support leadership improvement, reform, transformation, sustainability and quality improvement. It serves the existing and future leaders of all providers within the sector, including FE colleges, training and work-based learning providers, adult and community providers, specialist colleges, voluntary organisations and higher education.
A ‘virtual’ organisation, CEL comprises a partnership between the Learning and Skills Development Agency and Lancaster University Management School, with the support of Ashridge Business School.
CEL provides a focus for leadership and management development, supporting colleges and providers in boosting skills development, improving learning and developing more flexible organisations through effective leadership.
In its first two years, over 450 different organisations and 5,500 participants engaged with CEL, 150 of them at an organisational level.
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