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HD Geo’s mission is to ensure the ground is safe so people can build, travel, work, play and live safely. With their technical expertise, HD Geo consistently devises intelligent and innovative solutions, which has seen them work on over 2000 projects across New Zealand.
IT Partners sat down with Emily Cleland, Managing Director of HD Geo, to discuss the business decision to collaborate with the IT Partners Professional Services team. The conversation shed light on why HD Geo sought the assistance of IT Partners and how their recommendations significantly enhanced efficiency across their ever-growing team.
To effectively handle complex projects that span the length of the country, HD Geo place great importance on the value of IT in their business. Emily states, "We believe leveraging technology helps us do our jobs better”. Relying on people who are IT experts allows the HD Geo team to continue doing ‘what they’re experts in’. Emily emphasises that “For HD Geo, those experts are IT Partners”.
HD Geo uses Microsoft 365 applications to enable them to work seamlessly and securely in real-time. By leveraging this technology, they ensure uninterrupted collaboration while mitigating any potential cyber security risks that come from a dispersed workforce. Emily stated that using Microsoft 365 “regardless of where our teams are located, our business is safe”.
Despite using Microsoft 365, HD Geo saw an opportunity to modernise their team's experience and reached out to IT Partners Professional Services team to make that transition.
Through close collaboration, an in-depth analysis was conducted to identify the pain points in HD Geo's current situation and define their desired outcomes. Emily highlights, “This allowed IT Partners to come up with the solution that was right for us”. The evaluation revealed two significant challenges: the need for a standardised approach across all projects (regardless of size) and the need to minimise repetitive tasks.
A crucial project element involved effectively communicating information within the HD Geo team to align thinking and expectations. The project outcomes prompted internal transformations that required clear communication within the team. Emily notes, "The presentations that IT Partners held, helped shape our team’s perspective and get them on board with the changes."
The recommendations ensured a structured yet adaptable approach, aligning HD Geo's ‘being human, smart, and evolving’ values. The need for a standardised approach to projects involved utilising Microsoft Teams, creating dedicated teams for each project, leveraging templates, and maintaining consistent channel and form structures. Another recommendation was the use of Microsoft Power Automate to drive project efficiencies and reduce the burden of repetitive tasks.
Overall, Emily highlights that the experience working with IT Partners was immensely beneficial in improving business operations and presenting manageable options based on a deep understanding of HD Geo’s project workflow and addressing limitations effectively. Emily highlights, “IT Partners took the time to fully understand how we worked on projects and presented the recommendations without being overwhelming.”
