Sector
Professional Services (SMB)
Environment
Microsoft 365, Windows Endpoints, Cloud-Only
Engagement Type
IRIS → Managed Services
Technologies
Engagement Overview
Cybernerds was engaged to take over full IT management for a 65-person professional services firm that had been underserved by their previous break-fix IT provider. The engagement began with IRIS to assess the current state of their Microsoft 365 environment and IT infrastructure, followed by a structured onboarding into Cybernerds' managed services program with standardized configuration, proactive monitoring, and defined service level agreements.
Initial State
The organization's previous IT provider operated in a break-fix model with minimal proactive management. Key conditions discovered during IRIS included:
- ✓No device management — endpoints configured individually with no standardization
- ✓Microsoft 365 licensed at Business Premium but running at Basic-level configuration
- ✓Shared mailboxes with stored passwords rather than proper delegation
- ✓No file governance — critical business files scattered across local drives, personal OneDrive, and an unmaintained SharePoint site
- ✓No security policies — no MFA, no Conditional Access, no compliance policies
- ✓No documentation — previous provider maintained no records of configuration or credentials
- ✓Average ticket response time from previous provider exceeded 48 hours
Key Challenges
- ✓Baseline: No documentation from the previous provider — configuration state required full discovery
- ✓Credential Recovery: Multiple shared accounts, service accounts, and admin credentials undocumented
- ✓Data Governance: Business-critical files distributed across inconsistent storage locations
- ✓User Trust: Staff frustrated from years of poor IT support — skeptical of another provider
- ✓Security Exposure: No MFA on any account, including global administrators
- ✓Licensing: Business Premium licenses paid for but premium features completely unused
Solution Design — Managed Services Onboarding
- ✓Credential Audit: Full discovery and documentation of all accounts, service principals, and administrative access
- ✓Intune Deployment: Endpoint enrollment, compliance policies, and standardized device configuration
- ✓M365 Optimization: Enable and configure all Business Premium features — Intune, Defender, DLP, Conditional Access
- ✓File Governance: Migrate scattered files to structured SharePoint sites with proper permissions by department
- ✓Exchange Cleanup: Replace shared password mailboxes with proper delegation and shared mailbox configuration
- ✓Security Baseline: MFA enforcement, Conditional Access, Defender for Business deployment
- ✓Helpdesk: Dedicated support channel with 4-hour SLA for standard requests, 1-hour for critical issues
- ✓Proactive Monitoring: Monthly health checks, patch compliance, and security posture reviews
Implementation — Onboarding Execution
Onboarding was completed over three weeks with minimal user disruption. Staff received a brief orientation on the new support process and self-service tools.
- ✓Completed credential audit and secured all administrative accounts with MFA within 48 hours
- ✓Enrolled all endpoints in Intune with baseline compliance policies and device configuration
- ✓Deployed Defender for Business across all devices with centralized management
- ✓Configured Conditional Access requiring MFA and compliant devices for all tenant access
- ✓Migrated files from local drives and personal OneDrive to departmental SharePoint sites
- ✓Rebuilt Exchange Online configuration — proper shared mailboxes, distribution groups, and mail flow rules
- ✓Deployed OneDrive Known Folder Move to protect user desktops, documents, and pictures
- ✓Configured Windows Update for Business with staged deployment rings
- ✓Built implementation record documentation covering the complete tenant configuration
- ✓Launched helpdesk with Teams-based ticketing and defined SLA commitments
Ongoing Operations
- ✓Helpdesk support with 4-hour standard / 1-hour critical SLA
- ✓Monthly patch compliance and security posture review
- ✓Quarterly business review with firm leadership
- ✓New employee onboarding and offboarding automation
- ✓License management and optimization
- ✓Proactive monitoring and remediation of compliance drift
- ✓Annual security assessment and recommendations
Outcome
- ✓Full managed IT services operational with defined SLAs — replacing unreliable break-fix model
- ✓All endpoints enrolled in Intune with standardized configuration and compliance enforcement
- ✓Microsoft 365 Business Premium features fully utilized — no longer paying for unused capabilities
- ✓MFA and Conditional Access enforced for all users — eliminating the largest security exposure
- ✓File governance established with departmental SharePoint sites and proper permissions
- ✓Helpdesk response times reduced from 48+ hours to under 4 hours (standard) and under 1 hour (critical)
- ✓Complete implementation record documentation — the firm is no longer dependent on tribal knowledge
- ✓Staff satisfaction measurably improved — reported in first quarterly review
Strategic Value
This engagement demonstrated the impact of transitioning from reactive break-fix to proactive managed IT. By standardizing the Microsoft 365 environment, enforcing security baselines, and establishing responsive support with clear SLAs, the firm gained reliable IT operations and unlocked the full value of their existing Microsoft licensing — capabilities they had been paying for but never received from their previous provider.
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