West London Mission

Centralised connectivity to ensure consistency

Roger Clark became WLM’s CEO in 2019. Prior to his arrival, there had been little coordination when it came to connectivity; different pricing models, solutions, and providers meant that the speed and consistency of services varied widely across its sites.

WLM offers essential people-facing services, and Roger knew in order for his staff to succeed, he needed to implement a more strategic approach, centralising connectivity and ensuring consistency across the charity’s various locations. Forging partnerships with suppliers that prioritised good customer service was central to this strategic vision.

Finding the right fit

Being a charity, any budgetary spending needs to be justified. With WLM’s staff and CEO’s focus being on providing support in the community and technical knowledge being limited, finding a transparent connectivity partner, who could communicate clearly and consult on different solution options was vital.

The team at Backbone Connect worked to understand WLM’s constraints, visiting their offices and explaining every step in the process: what the options were; the type of specification required, the logic around costings, and when contracts were due to renew.

“We had a tender process and Backbone Connect really stood out to us for the clarity of their communication around how they would support us,” says Roger. “I went to visit the team on- site and got a really good sense of how they operated. We felt that they were a good fit.”

The charity’s many sites are predominantly located in Victorian buildings which can present a number of challenges. However, Backbone Connect’s assessment of these sites and understanding of these buildings’ nature, meant that these challenges did not cause any unnecessary delays.

WLM could not have been happier with the project rollout, management, and customer service.

“The customer service has been great. Gianno is our main contact. His responsiveness has been truly excellent. Internally, we feel that Backbone Connect’s values are aligned to ours: to provide a solution and be really transparent about it,” notes Roger.

Staying connected during the pandemic

The pandemic increased the importance of WLM’s connectivity investment, as demands of the charity’s digital infrastructure grew.

In March 2020, WLM adopted a Business Continuity Plan which prioritised keeping residents, spaces, and staff safe. All staff meetings and support for vulnerable residents were offered via Zoom, FaceTime, WhatsApp, or on the phone, as a work from home policy was introduced for all but essential staff.

At the height of the pandemic, when uncertainty abounded in so many aspects of life, WLM could not have asked for a better connectivity partner, allowing it to continue offering its crucial services to people across London.

Fast forward two years and hybrid working is now the new normal for organisations across sectors. West London Mission’s staff continue to work remotely, and thanks to the level of connectivity provided by Backbone Connect, there has been no pressing need to return to the office full time.

“Over the last two years we’ve had to worry about a lot of things, but I’ve not had to worry about our connectivity. Backbone Connect has helped us get through the pandemic – they have been a company that I could rely on.” shares Roger.