THE CHALLENGE
The Municipality of Culiacán faced a crucial challenge; it used legacy email based on the IMAP protocol, which resulted in unreliable communication and lacked efficient collaboration tools. In addition, their server had multiple failures, and they did not have effective tools that would allow them to manage their email, information, and contacts in an organized and secure manner on a single platform.
“The email we used had many restrictions. It really wasn't something viable because it lacked innovation as it was open source. We have many collaborators who have been with us for 20 years and we needed an intuitive tool that would allow us to learn quickly and begin to transform digitally. A tool that encompasses everything in one and we have the possibility of growing with it: finding a way to communicate beyond paper.” Lic. Andrea Vidales, IT Director
These limitations represented a pressing need for the Municipality of Culiacán, since they hindered its ability to function daily in addition to presenting a significant security problem. Therefore, it was essential to find a solution that could bring all of these requirements together in a single platform. Aware of the importance of technological transformation, the municipality of Culiacán embarked on a process that aimed to use technology as a catalyst to provide more and better services to citizens; It is at this point where the strategic alliance with Xertica and Google Workspace becomes vitally important.
THE IMPLEMENTATION
The solution for the Municipality of Culiacán was carried out expeditiously, focusing on the rapid implementation of Google Workspace licenses and communication with users. This allowed an agile knowledge transfer plan to be established to execute the 48 sessions agreed upon in the contract. In total, 1,200 licenses were implemented, giving the municipality's users access to all the Google Workspace features and tools necessary to improve their communication and collaboration.
The implementation carried out in the Municipality of Culiacán was divided into three phases: Core IT, Early Adopters and Go Live, following Google's methodology and best practices. This approach allowed the organization to adopt all the communication and collaboration tools that Workspace offers, generating a significant change in the way the municipality had been working and taking them to a new level of performance in all their daily activities related to mail, data and information management.
The process was meticulously planned by the municipality's team in collaboration with Xertica. The delivery of the licenses was carried out quickly but organized, taking into account the limitations of the legacy server. In addition, training was coordinated with the entire municipality's communication team, with the aim of reaching as many employees as possible.
Regarding knowledge transfer, a total of 48 training sessions were carried out in virtual mode. These sessions were distributed into different topics, adapting to the phases in which the process was. In this way, complete training adapted to the needs of each user group was guaranteed.
Lic. Andrea Vidales comments: “Working with Xertica was very good. We internally assigned a particular team to ensure that this transition occurred in the best way. Xertica was a great support when training us, accompanying us through these changes. Together we were able to work until we achieved the goal. “We have moved forward little by little and steadily, it is a source of pride.”
In addition, technical support was provided, with a 5x8 service schedule; This ensured that the municipality had technical assistance in the execution of daily tasks on the WorkSpace panel, as well as for resolving incidents or requests that may arise during the use of the platform.
RESULTS AND BENEFITS
The Municipality of Culiacán considers Google Workspace as an ideal tool to carry out all its daily activities. As part of the update of their technological platforms, they found in this tool a comprehensive collaboration and communication solution that allows their collaborators to carry out their functions effectively, optimizing the municipality's processes.
The results and benefits obtained were significant. The phased implementation allowed for an orderly transition and gradual adoption of Google Workspace tools; This translated into a substantial improvement in the efficiency and productivity of the municipality's daily activities, especially with regard to the management of emails, data and information. The well-planned implementation and adoption of Google Workspace as a work platform has contributed to optimizing the municipality's internal processes, promoting more fluid communication and effective collaboration between employees.
“Now that we know the advantages of working with Google Workspace, we would like to start implementing digital tools to streamline our procedures and support citizens. Give traceability to our operations and continue our path of digital transformation.” Lic. Andrea Vidales, Director of Technological Innovation and Digital Strategies of the Municipality of Culiacán.
It is important to highlight the support of Xertica during this process. Through knowledge transfer sessions where the focus was on the use of tools such as Google Docs and Google Sheet where work can be done collaboratively and Google Meet that allows collaborators to meet virtually, thus avoiding mobility between buildings and optimizing times.
For Xertica, it is an honor to be part of this enablement and to follow the path to the digital transformation of this entity that already has all the benefits of Google Workspace in its daily operation.
