Hitachi Solutions partner with Isle of Man Government
Amy Horne sits down with Paul Watson, Interim Head of Technology Delivery from Isle of Man Government to discuss the latest exciting collaboration with Hitachi Solutions.
Hitachi Solutions has long been a household name within the private sector, and our public sector growth only continues, as organisations demand more from their supplier base than just price. Quality outcomes are driven by highly skilled and experienced sector and technical specialists, combined with a solid and proven delivery methodology. Without these, project’s inevitably cost organisations more in the long run and fail to deliver when the organisation can least afford them to. We, therefore, take pride in our ability to ensure robust governance and engagement yet partner flexibly.
I sat down with Paul Watson, Interim Head of Technology Delivery from Isle of Man Government to discuss the exciting collaboration with Hitachi Solutions and he answered some fundamental questions about the work behind our partnership.
What were the business challenges Isle of Man Government were faced with?
Government Technology Services (GTS) provides a centralised full-service IT function for Isle of Man Government (IOMG). During the pandemic, GTS rapidly developed several systems to help manage the new services that were being created. In particular for this case study, the Travel Notification Service.
Why Hitachi Solutions Europe?
Originally, Hitachi Solutions was recommended by Microsoft as a key strategic partner that could help IOMG transition to MS Cloud, particularly in the Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Power Platform space. After several engagements for strategy planning and advice, we trusted the expertise and ethos of the Hitachi Solutions delivery teams. It perfectly matched the rapid development and iterative approach being used by GTS.
What has the solution enabled?
The Isle of Man has implemented a strict border control policy to help protect against the spread of COVID-19 on the island. As part of these measures, all visitors and residents travelling to the island must have prior permission and complete landing information on arrival.
A system was developed using Microsoft Dynamics 365 on-premise to administrate applications and issue permission. The Power App developed by Hitachi Solutions will be an important part of verification at the points of entry to the Isle of Man. Border security officers will have the ability to register new arrivals and search for any mistaken arrivals. This will ensure that people will experience a speedy entry and that security can ensure appropriate permissions are in place.
Can you give a brief insight into our working relationship?
An Hitachi Solutions developer joined the GTS development team for two weeks, learned the requirements quickly, and developed the solution. Daily “stand-ups” and reviews monitored progress and a beta solution was ready for test and deployment very quickly.
Are there any next phases for the current solution?
Evolution will include QR code issuing and discussions have begun around automating this verification to remove the need for multiple security officers.
Are there any next phases with Hitachi Solutions Europe?
Other than iteration after live use, this application is complete. Additional work for the Power Platform programme will be discussed in future. As of now, The app is not yet live but demonstrations have been very well received.
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