Jason Richardson is the chief digital officer of Serco Asia Pacific, which provides a wide array of services — including IT systems integration and management, engineering, and facilities management — to governments and private organizations throughout the region. In a recent interview, he described why his group is embracing a cloud-based artificial intelligence (AI)–powered management platform and discussed its strategy for transitioning to a modern, agile environment.
Q: What IT issues did your organization want to address?
A: We deliver technology services at a hospital in Australia’s western state, which Serco Asia Pacific manages. We used to work in a traditional way. For example, we’d get a request to build a service, take inputs, and ensure we understood the requirements, and then we’d build. However, the waterfall method can be prone to failure, not through ill-intent but because it’s not a modern process.
So, three years ago, we revamped our technology strategy under the principles of honoring our past achievements while transitioning to a modernized environment that can adapt to rapidly changing technology ecosystems. Our strategy focused on four key pillars:
- Embracing cloud technology without compromising our security posture
- Transitioning to a product-driven model that fosters cross-company collaboration
- Opting for a hybrid delivery model that emphasizes career opportunities for staff and cost-effectiveness
- Accelerating innovation through AI and automation
Q: In what ways did you collaborate with BMC Software to modernize?
A: BMC Helix goes well beyond just capturing tickets and monitoring volumes and availability. The platform employs predictive AI to predict potential issues before they happen and provides outcome-based solutions while enhancing interaction experiences with technology teams.
The Serco technology team, in collaboration with BMC, has carefully crafted a “module” transition. Currently the teams are utilizing the core modules for operations and application monitoring.
We’re already seeing the expected cloud benefits of increased reliability, and there are far fewer concerns about the solution’s availability compared to the previous on-premises managed solution’s. Our teams have more time to focus on delivering best-in-class technology service outcomes for clients at the hospital. And now that the core modules are in place, the team’s focus will shift to exploring the transformational benefits of AI.
Q: How do you envision the future role of AI within your organization?
A: Exploring and embracing AI is a cornerstone of our strategy. With our cloud foundation and product-oriented ways of working, Serco’s cross-company teams are actively engaging in AI trials. We’re assessing various generative AI platforms to enhance outcomes and productivity for government services and Serco teams.
Successful AI adoption hinges on collaboration with different departments and stakeholders to ensure that our digital initiatives align with Serco’s overall strategic goals.
The future of IT service and operations management relies on a solid foundation of cloud and AI. Discover how the BMC Helix platform powers this modernization, and contact BMC today for more information.
