Campbell Reith Saves £800K by Moving to Microsoft 365

Campbell Reith is an independent firm of consulting engineers with over 60 years of experience delivering innovative solutions across structural, civil, geotechnical, and environmental engineering.

From designing resilient infrastructure to supporting regeneration schemes like the award-winning Ghana District Hospitals, Campbell Reith is a trusted partner in shaping communities across the UK and overseas.

With a strong track record in tackling complex, large-scale developments, the firm sought to modernise its technology landscape and enhance business efficiency through the adoption of Microsoft 365.

The challenge

Before partnering with Valto, Campbell Reith was heavily reliant on legacy technology, including Lotus Notes for email and collaboration.

This outdated infrastructure was not only inefficient but also costly, with the firm spending approximately £800,000 annually on IT, much of which was allocated to maintaining expensive on-premise systems.

Collaborating with partners and clients was increasingly difficult due to the lack of modern tools such as Microsoft Teams and SharePoint, which limited flexibility and responsiveness.

Security concerns were also mounting, as the legacy systems lacked the robust protection offered by more modern cloud-based platforms.

Internally, the IT team expressed uncertainty about moving to the cloud and had reservations about how existing systems would integrate smoothly with Microsoft 365.

The solution

Valto delivered a strategic Microsoft 365 transformation, starting with a Microsoft 365 Strategy Workshop to map out a clear adoption plan tailored to Campbell Reith’s needs.

A phased migration approach was adopted to manage change effectively and minimise disruption.

The initial focus was on email migration from Lotus Notes, followed by the migration of working documents, implementation of Microsoft 365 security features, and the adoption of SharePoint and Teams.

A solution architect was involved early to address technical challenges and ensure a seamless transition.

Specialised attention was given to complex technical issues, including the absence of direct migration APIs from Lotus Notes, handling mailboxes exceeding 100GB, and ensuring compliance by decrypting and re-encrypting secure emails.

The migration was carefully managed to avoid performance issues and maintain business continuity.

Throughout the project, Valto worked closely with the IT team to provide training and adoption support, addressing concerns and helping build confidence in the new system.