The document discusses nine case studies of companies that underwent IT transformation projects with the help of VMware Professional Services. The cases represent a range of industries and company sizes. Key lessons from each case are presented in 1-3 sentences, focusing on the challenges faced, solutions implemented, and results achieved. Overall, the document promotes the value of partnering with VMware Professional Services for customized expertise and guidance throughout the IT transformation journey.

1. Transforming IT
REAL COMPANIES, REAL RESULTS, SOLID ADVICE.

3. Government agency brings
consistency to service definition
and delivery processes
Retailer uses an honest
assessment of maturity and
readiness as a starting point
Financial services firm finds that
process change is a critical part
of cloud adoption
Healthcare provider implements
a realistic, step-by-step
transformation process
Financial services firm
discovers the importance
of organizational change
Telecom provider breaks key
transformation initiatives into
manageable phases
Consulting firm overcomes
management and stakeholder
pushback in three steps
Aircraft manufacturer
uses quick wins to secure
management support
Retailer tests new technical
capabilities and processes
with a pilot project
Featured Customers
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IT transformation is underway at most growing
enterprises, fueled by an urgent need to deliver more
and better services to a wider array of users and
devices, and to more tightly align IT capabilities with
business requirements.
The question is, why
do some operations
transformation strategies
fail while others succeed?
Why do some flounder,
stall, or derail while others
thrive and exceed
expectations?
Here are answers straight from those who know
best: VMware customers that have achieved tangible,
quantifiable success on their journey to IT as a
Service (ITaaS). The global customers featured here
represent a broad spectrum of industries and a
range of types and sizes. All of them engaged with
VMware Professional Services to provide the insight
and expertise to help them create and execute
their transformation strategies across operational
processes and organizational structures.
We present their stories from a unique perspective:
not just the challenges they faced, the solutions they
implemented, and the results they achieved, but
more importantly the lessons they learned along the
way and the advice they can offer.
Success on the Road to
Operations Transformation

4. Define exactly what
a “service” is.
A service is about more than technology.
A large government agency undertook an IT transformation initiative to become
more service-centric. However, at the outset of the project IT leaders realized that
there was no consistent understanding among service owners exactly what
a “service” is or what’s entailed in delivering a service.
Working with VMware Professional Services, the agency developed a consistent and
repeatable process for defining cloud-based services. IT staff stopped focusing on
the technical requirements of service delivery and started thinking about response
times, availability levels, support requirements, staffing needs, performance metrics,
and so on. In other words, they started thinking like true service providers.
Equally important, the agency learned how to take full advantage of the VMware
software it had already purchased. Utilization rates grew exponentially; skeptics
became staunch supporters; and the new service definition process was passed
along to other government agencies.
Government agency found that consistent
service definition was the key to repeatable,
high-quality service delivery.
01
LESSON
INDUSTRY
Government
CHALLENGE
Inconsistent service delivery practices
Underutilized VMware software
investment
SOLUTION
Formalized service definition process
Redefinition of key roles
and responsibilities
Training and knowledge transfer
to improve utilization rates for
VMware software
RESULTS
Exponential increase in utilization
rates for VMware® vRealize™ Operations
Deployed existing 50 licenses and
purchased several hundred more to fully
leverage vRealize Operations capabilities
Broad adoption of new processes among
other government agencies

5. Honestly assess your
operational readiness.
To reap the rewards of the cloud, you need to organize for the cloud.
A retailer in the fashion industry wanted to harness the efficiencies of the private
cloud model to accelerate everything from development to website performance.
However, the move to the cloud impacted current IT processes, roles and responsibil-
ities, and organizational structures—and IT had no idea how to reorganize for the
cloud or build a cloud-based Center of Excellence.
With help from VMware Professional Services, the company created a solid
strategy and road map for moving to the cloud model—including an open, honest
assessment of its current cloud maturity level and the impact on operations and
skill levels across IT.
The readiness assessment identified gaps and presented a series of recommend-
ations for filling them. Armed with a comprehensive roadmap, the retailer was
able to evolve to the cloud model, accelerate time-to-market, get support from
all stakeholders to ensure a smooth transition—and make better use of the
vRealize Automation software it had purchased.
Retailer discovered that the benefits of
the cloud model are huge—if you assess and
address the needed operational changes.
02
LESSON
INDUSTRY
Retail
CHALLENGE
Wanted to harness the cloud model but
needed to consider organizational impact
SOLUTION
Detailed recommendations for evolving
to a private cloud-based operating model
Definition and documentation of
roles and responsibilities for cloud
Center of Excellence
RESULTS
Faster adoption of leading-edge
technologies such as VMware®
vRealize™ Automation
Total buy-in from all stakeholders
helped ensure a smooth transition
Renewed sense of focus and
increased agility in its business

6. Recognize the impact
on processes.
The move from physical to virtual requires changes in processes.
A major financial services firm knew how the cloud could benefit its operations,
but wasn’t sure how to modernize its IT processes, organizational structure, roles,
and skill sets. They engaged with VMware Professional Services to provide solid
recommendations and a roadmap.
The VMware team started by helping the company analyze its current processes
and identify opportunities for improvement. The consultants provided actionable
recommendations that put the organization on a path to a software-defined data
center (SDDC), including establishing a SDDC team; defining, delivering, and
measuring services; and using a phased rollout approach.
By focusing on process and organizational change, the firm not only got started on
its path to SDDC, but also was able to increase the utilization rates of software it
had already purchased, because its maturity levels increased to the point where the
advanced functionality of the products became useful in day-to-day operations.
Financial services firm saw that the old way of
doing things simply wasn’t working; focused
on process change for long-term agility.
03
LESSON
INDUSTRY
Financial Services
CHALLENGE
Internal teams lacked experience with
SDDC operations processes
SOLUTION
Actionable recommendations to
optimize IT organization/operation
for cloud environment
RESULTS
Pilot implementation of more
integrated organization model
Two-year roadmap to enable global
standardization with regional execution
Higher utilization rates for VMware
software products in which
they had invested

7. Take it one step
at a time.
The “promise” of transformation is nothing without a solid plan.
A global healthcare leader found that its growth was placing huge demands on IT,
and IT could not always keep pace. Managing and controlling demand was difficult,
and development and provisioning timeframes for new services were too slow.
Working with VMware Professional Services, the company arrived at a well-planned,
realistic transformation initiative, featuring three key phases:
1. Assessing operational maturity and benchmarking the company’s
service request process against that of industry peers
2. Evaluating the cost of provisioning and identifying opportunities
for long-term OpEx reductions
3. Creating the business case for future process evolutions
The VMware team then recommended four concrete steps for realizing the
transformational vision. The company followed these guidelines—and achieved
OpEx savings of more than €25 million and a five-year ROI of 231% with
payback in just 26 months.
Healthcare provider learned that a
step-by-step approach was the key to
turning its transformation vision into reality.
04
LESSON
INDUSTRY
Healthcare
CHALLENGE
Needed a concrete, detailed plan for
turning transformation vision into reality
SOLUTION
Identified gaps in organizational,
functional, and process areas
Detailed transformation roadmap
with step-by-step processes for
achieving vision
RESULTS
OpEx savings of €25 million
ROI of 231%, payback in just 26 months

8. Organize for IT as a
Service (ITaaS).
If you want full business value, you need full organizational support.
A financial services firm wanted to implement a complete solution for its “automate
once, deploy multiple times” concept to make its business more agile. However, it
found that excessive back-and-forth among engineers and other stakeholders was
slowing down the process.
The VMware Professional Services team helped the customer understand that the
technical requirements of faster, smoother provisioning was just one consideration;
the organizational and operational impacts were equally important.
The VMware team presented areas of focus for improved efficiency, including
the creation of a customized operating model with a high-level roadmap for
implementing organizational changes. Now the company has reduced provisioning
time from 15–25 days to 3 hours, increased responsiveness and service quality, and
enhanced the reputation and perceived value of IT.
Financial services firm learns that the
organizational impacts of transformation are
every bit as important as the technical requirements.
05
LESSON
INDUSTRY
Financial Services
CHALLENGE
Wanted to find a way to accelerate
virtual infrastructure provisioning
SOLUTION
Detailed recommendations for evolving
the organization to streamline provisioning
Definition and documentation of
processes, roles and responsibilities
RESULTS
Reduced provisioning time from
15-25 days to 3 hours
Eliminated confusion and delay, improving
responsiveness and service agility
Improved value of IT, as seen
by the business

9. Break it into
manageable phases.
Phased implementation for faster ROI.
A leading provider of telecommunications services wanted to design and build a new
software-defined data center (SDDC) to help cut OpEx and improve agility—but the
company had only six months to make significant headway toward its vision.
With the help of VMware Professional Services, the company undertook a phased
approach to the implementation. Phase One implemented a running cloud platform
and established the self-service portal with provisioning as the first available
service—within six months.
Phase Two continues to increase the company’s ability to operate, manage,
and expand its SDDC architecture. Future phases will follow, targeted to address
new requests, such as network virtualization, and drive further adoption by more
users. Net result: faster ROI, and the ability to cut provisioning requests from
weeks to minutes.
Telecom provider discovered that a phased
approach to SDDC implementation delivered
both quick results and long-term success.
06
LESSON
INDUSTRY
Telecom
CHALLENGE
Needed a more flexible architecture
to meet growing business demands
SOLUTION
Designed and implemented SDDC
for maximum flexibility and growth
Modular approach to ensure short
and long-term success
RESULTS
50 percent reduction in project
implementation time and operational
on day one—resulting in faster ROI
Reduced automated provisioning
requests from weeks to minutes
Significant OpEx reductions

10. Have a plan for
eliminating pushback.
Overcome the objections through up-front planning.
A major consulting firm wanted to provide showcase-quality, cost-efficient IT
services, and wanted to start by creating a lab as a service (LaaS) offering. The
problem was that the company lacked the internal experience with service-based
costing, and there was general scepticism about IT as a service (ITaaS) initiatives
among senior executives.
Understanding that a strong LaaS solution would create support for further ITaaS
transformation initiatives among business stakeholders, the VMware team helped
the company’s IT team build a strong foundation based on a three-step approach.
They recommended service workshops to help the company establish the
competence, repeatable processes, and cultural change required to transform
service delivery through informed consumption.
By focusing the company’s IT team, the VMware team equipped the company to
establish, manage, and socialize cost-based services. Today, the company is well
positioned to respond proactively to business IT needs, improving client engagements.
Management consulting firm used a three-step
process to garner business support for its
IT transformation initiative.
07
LESSON
INDUSTRY
Management Consulting
CHALLENGE
Faced pushback on ITaaS initiatives
from senior management
SOLUTION
Defined lab-as-a-service (LaaS) processes
and cost elements
Service Costing Process helped determine
end-to-end costs of IT services
RESULTS
Company can now respond proactively
to business IT needs
IT is now a showcase for client
engagements

11. Start with some
quick wins.
Support for the future requires proof points today.
A Fortune 100 aerospace and defense manufacturer saw a pressing need for
fundamental change in IT’s capabilities as a service provider. The company’s hosting
services leader wanted to transform the organization into “a new source of business
value and a source of pride.”
Winning over senior management, however, required more than a vision.
They wanted short-term wins that helped prove the long-term value.
Working with VMware Professional Services, the group commissioned a pilot
project to automate the provisioning of both Windows and Linux virtual machines.
In just six months, the VMware team implemented the pilot project and succeeded
in cutting virtual machines provisioning timeframes from 2-4 months to 24
hours or less. This and other quick successes helped convince management to
commission the transformation initiative—and set the company on the path to
saving more than $150 million.
Aerospace and defense manufacturer found
that early successes with high-dollar returns
cemented support among business stakeholders.
08
LESSON
INDUSTRY
Aerospace & Defense
CHALLENGE
Re-invent and re-energize the
hosting services organization as
a true service provider
SOLUTION
Benchmarking of current maturity levels
Pilot project to automate virtual
machine provisioning
Formalized service definitions, SLAs,
and detailed cost models
Detailed roadmap for the transition
to ITaaS
RESULTS
Provisioning timeframes reduced
from 2-4 months to 24 hours or less
Cultural change to the mindset
of a responsive, agile, high-quality
service provider
Sustainable path to realize up to
$150M in cost savings

12. Prove the concept
with a pilot.
Don’t just project. Test.
The IT department of a leading retailer wanted to support the CEO’s quest to
triple the company’s revenues in five years. This required new IT infrastructure
that would support automated provisioning and drive the business agility needed in
the face of explosive growth. The question was how to prove the value of the long-
term ITaaS initiative without excessive short-term risk.
The answer was an engagement with the VMware Professional Services to drive
the end-to-end transformation—and a key first step was to create a pilot for phase
one, automating provisioning by establishing an Infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS)
platform. Working together, the VMware team would create the strategic framework
while the technology consultants would validate the strategy through architecture
design and delivery.
As a result of the engagement, the company was able to cut the automated
provisioning process from 10 weeks to 20 minutes. IT was able to deliver new
infrastructure on time, meeting established goals; and these new capabilities
enabled the company’s team to successfully break through barriers and prove
they could deliver tangible result.
Retailer worked with VMware Professional
Services to keep IT operations humming
in the face of rapid growth.
09
LESSON
INDUSTRY
Retail
CHALLENGE
Needed to accelerate the move to
automated provisioning and a service
provider mentality
SOLUTION
Strategy, design and development
of IaaS infrastructure model
VMware-led phase one pilot: automated
provisioning as part of an IaaS platform
RESULTS
Transferred knowledge, demonstrating
paths to keep IT projects from stalling
Cut the automated provisioning
process from 10 weeks to 20 minutes

13. Learn More.
Nine different customers, nine different objectives, nine unique approaches
to IT transformation—and one consistent conclusion: Working with VMware
Professional Services pays huge dividends on the journey to the software-
defined data center and ITaaS.
How We Work with Our Customers
The depth of our IT consulting team is unparalleled, with most spending decades
in the data center cultivating deep expertise in core technologies, industry and
market insights, extensive experience from thousands of customer engagements,
and unrivaled access to VMware product and engineering teams.
Experienced VMware Operations Transformation Services consultants work with you
to evaluate your current operations environment (people, process, and supporting
management tools) to the level of detail needed to subsequently design, transform,
and validate your operational processes as well as organizational structures and
skillsets in a best practice-based VMware environment.
Learn more about specific offerings and capabilities by contacting your VMware
representative. Get started on your journey today.
vmware.com/consulting

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