Transition to Skype for Business enhances use of Office 365 web and audio-conferencing capabilities

Overview

Our client, an American foodservice wholesaler and distributor, approached the Concurrency team knowing they wanted to move its users from Premiere Global Services, Inc. (PGi) to Skype for Business Online (SfBO). They used the program for web conferencing and telephony conferencing and, since they already owned a majority of the Office 365 suite, decided that SfBO was a better fit and more cost-effective. Realizing the substantial scope of the project, the client identified the need for organizational change management best practices, as approximately 7,000 users use the web and audio-conferencing platform. They wanted a smooth transition between the programs and sought the best preparation methods to achieve it.

Solution

The Concurrency team, consisting of an architect, engineers, and three business analysts met with the client to discuss the specifics of the migration. The first line of action was to address the dependencies the client had, such as their current use of Skype for Business on-premises for instant messaging and presence only.

Part of this process included switching the users to Skype for Business Online within Office 365 and then associating their accounts with the audio-conferencing features. This function allowed users to auto-populate a dial-in conference number directly in the Skype for Business Online meeting invitation.

Since a large number of users were to be migrated during the phased approach, the client requested assistance with organizational change management. We provided end-user training to ensure all users had a pleasant experience through the migration. Starting with the development of an email notification, our duties included drafting the communications and providing job-aid documents such as one-pagers of frequently asked questions, how-to guides, and best practices. We then held sessions to train part of the client’s staff that would serve as trainers themselves when they returned to their units. These sessions were especially helpful as the trainers took resources and materials back to distribute further after mastering the switch themselves.

While the project is still in process, we anticipate that the switch will save the client hundreds of thousands of dollars in the long run. As the transition rolls out in 5-6 waves during the course of a week, we will continue to provide support and field questions.