A financial services company managing a large network of client-facing advisors was experiencing frequent system outages, causing significant disruptions to their business operations. These issues led to slow response times, increased support costs, and a poor user experience for both their internal teams and customers. The firm needed a reliable partner to streamline their support operations, reduce system downtimes, and enhance overall service quality.

The Challenge

The firm’s advisors relied heavily on stable and responsive applications to manage client portfolios and provide timely financial advice. However, recurring system downtimes were not only slowing down business operations but also risking compliance issues. Key challenges included:

• Frequent Outages: Unscheduled downtimes were severely impacting over 17,000 financial advisors, causing delays and lost revenue.
• Slow Incident Escalation and Resolution: Lack of a streamlined support process meant that issues were taking too long to resolve.
• Compliance Risks: Ensuring data security and compliance with stringent financial regulations was a top priority, but operational inefficiencies were putting this at risk.

Our Solution

D2D IT Services stepped in to stabilize the environment and establish a robust support system that would ensure smooth, uninterrupted operations. Here’s how we made it happen:

1. 24/7 IT Support Implementation: We set up a dedicated 24×7 L1 and L2 support model, providing comprehensive help desk and field services support. This ensured rapid response times and around-the-clock availability for any issues that arose.
2. Assessing and Baseline Optimization: Our team performed a thorough assessment of the firm’s existing environment to identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies. We established a baseline of operations and developed a detailed action plan to address gaps.
3. Building a Shared Knowledge Base: We created a centralized knowledge base that included solutions for common issues, system configurations, and best practices. This enabled quicker issue resolution and improved the quality and consistency of support.
4. ITIL Service Management Framework: We transitioned all support services to our ITIL-based service management framework, ensuring structured incident management, problem resolution, and continuous service improvement.
5. Technology Deployment and Governance: Our team took over management and control of all technology deployments, ensuring that each change was executed smoothly and in compliance with industry regulations.

The Results

With D2D IT Services managing the firm’s support operations, the financial services company saw immediate and measurable improvements:

• Reduced Downtimes: We minimized unplanned downtimes, ensuring that advisors could focus on their core tasks without system interruptions.
• Faster Response and Resolution: With a dedicated 24×7 support team and a centralized knowledge base, we achieved faster response times and quicker problem resolutions.
• Enhanced User Experience: By eliminating the need for after-hours call escalations, we improved the user experience for the firm’s advisors, reducing frustration and boosting productivity.
• Cost Savings: Our streamlined operations and proactive support helped the client save significantly on support costs by reducing the number of escalated tickets and overall system maintenance expenses.

Conclusion

Our structured approach to service management transformed the client’s operations, stabilizing their platform and reducing the impact of outages on their advisors. By partnering with D2D IT Services, the financial services firm was able to minimize disruptions, enhance service levels, and focus on delivering exceptional financial advice to their clients without worrying about system stability.