Azure Governance and Framework Setup for Large Not-For-Profit Organisation

Overview

A large not-for-profit needed to undergo a digital transformation to take advantage of key technology. The transformation focused on a Microsoft Azure framework covering areas such as security, governance and billing. The organisation selected Diaxion to design and provision a public cloud foundation utilising a cloud governance model.

The Challenge

Our client is a large not for profit currently undergoing a digital transformation with technology playing an increasingly key part of the transformation. They have set out to establish a cloud ready enterprise scaffold for an Azure governance and framework set up that covers common shared services, security, logging, billing, tagging and governance. The organisation needed help from a consulting partner with extensive experience in governance, cloud control mechanisms, hybrid, and public cloud specific to Microsoft Azure. Diaxion’s long history of public cloud  architecture and DevOps transformation, our ability to translate business requirements to solutions, our true vendor independence, and technical capability put us in a strong position to deliver a public cloud foundation that is controlled by a defined cloud governance model.

The Solution

The organisation engaged Diaxion in a multi prong approach to achieve their goals. Diaxion worked with the technology teams to assist with design and provision for a public cloud foundation capability using the Microsoft Azure public cloud whilst also working with the key IT stakeholders and business teams to define the requirements of the cloud governance model. 

Microsoft Azure was selected as it matched closely with current inhouse skills and existing licensing and aligned the cloud strategy to the business strategy. Diaxion’s long-established phased methodology of Discovery, Analyse and Design and Implementation was used. This allowed our team to understand the business requirements for the governance controls and the technology components for the Azure foundation deployment which were accomplished through a series of workshops with key stakeholders. Diaxion used our deep understanding of public cloud, governance and automation / DevOps to provide our client with a cloud governance model with specific recommendations on process implementation as well as a high-level design of the public cloud environment, along with a plan for the implementation and handover to the operational teams.

The Outcome

Diaxion configured the Microsoft Azure enrolment to align to the business requirements as outlined in the Discovery phase as the organisation had specific business applications that were externally facing. 

By understanding these requirements and how they aligned to the governance recommendations, Diaxion were able to deploy and configure Microsoft Azure in a fit for purpose manner allowing the proper use of technology whilst maintaining good governance around risk management, security policies and overall cloud principles.  

Utilising the defined cloud governance model, the application and infrastructure teams now had the governance and the technical ability to develop their applications quickly in a controlled, secure manner using technology that would not have otherwise been available to them without significant capital investment. Diaxion had a strong focus throughout the life of the engagement on transition to BAU activities which would follow the governance principles defined in the cloud model. 

Diaxion ensured that the operational teams involved in the day to day management of the platform were heavily involved in the Design and Delivery phases to ensure they had the capability to perform the operational tasks required of them to support the platform going forward.

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