How Abraxas Informatik AG Embraced the Cloud

Abraxas Informatik AG has grown to become the foremost provider of IT solutions for the public sector in Switzerland. With its headquarters in St. Gallen, Abraxas has a rich history of bridging technology and public service, offering comprehensive IT services such as consulting, software development, and digital transformation assistance.

Their clientele spans across various government agencies including tax authorities, judicial bodies and the federal administration. Abraxas’s commitment to connecting the Swiss population with their government and authorities through secure, efficient digital channels underlines their visionary approach in the IT sector.

Abraxas has not only established itself as a technological bridge between the government and the Swiss population but has also been at the forefront of introducing innovative IT solutions that have transformed how public services are accessed and delivered. Their expertise in navigating the unique challenges of public sector IT needs has set a high standard in the industry.

Despite its success and innovation, Abraxas faced significant challenges prior to adopting our officeatwork Cloud solution. For over ten years, since 2013, the company had been reliant on our officeatwork on-premise solutions. However, as technology rapidly advanced, these solutions became increasingly obsolete, leading to a host of operational issues.

The challenges were multifaceted leading to diminished performance, laborious processes in modifying and creating on-premise Smart Templates, and overall inefficiency in IT management.

Moreover, the outdated system struggled with compatibility issues, especially with the introduction of the new Windows 11 operating system. This lack of compatibility not only affected user performance but also led to a decline in overall user satisfaction. The inefficiency of the old system posed a critical barrier to Abraxas's document and content management.

The shift to our cloud-based product suite marked a significant turning point for Abraxas. Diego Bargues, in his role as System Administrator, was instrumental in transitioning Abraxas's IT infrastructure from on-premise to cloud-based systems. His responsibilities included ensuring the smooth transfer of all templates, smart templates, and content to the officeatwork cloud solution. The adoption of apps like Template Chooser, Wizard, Content Chooser, Designer, Content Uploader, Smart Template and Mail Signature strategically enhanced operational efficiency and user experience.

These apps provided customized solutions tailored to the unique needs of different departments within Abraxas. For example, the sales team gained from improved document management, while the procurement team used the apps for efficient contract creation. Integration with SharePoint enhanced template management, and Power BI integration offered valuable insights into template and content usage. Power Users found the creation of Smart Templates much easier, allowing them to generate a larger volume in less time. Additionally, the centralized SharePoint database facilitated the easy insertion of various content types (images, icons, text-blocks and slides) into various Microsoft 365 applications.

Customization extended to the dynamic email signatures as well, as department-specific requirements were needed but could all be accommodated within one template. Their latest mail signature update further empowered employees by allowing them to choose complete, partial, or no email signatures based on their specific needs and occasions. This transition was another step in Abraxas's journey towards staying at the forefront of end-to-end IT solutions in the fast-moving digital landscape.

The integration of our solutions has provided substantial beneficial outcomes for Abraxas. The transition phase, while still ongoing, has already shown promising results with higher user adoption rates. The initial learning curve associated with the new apps eventually led to a strong preference for the cloud solution over the on-premise solution. In addition, the intuitiveness of the cloud apps simplified processes significantly and created an environment of enhanced collaboration among teams within Abraxas.

A much welcome benefit was the ease of template translation within SharePoint, which streamlined operations for multilingual communications within the company. The combination of the Wizard and the efficient data management capability on SharePoint was another advantage, facilitating better, simpler and more efficient maintenance and processes.

Overall, Abraxas’s experience has been overwhelmingly positive, marking a successful transition to a more efficient, user-friendly, and versatile IT environment, along with a notable cost savings of 5,000 CHF. This transformation has not only enhanced Abraxas’s internal operations but also reinforced their commitment to embracing innovative solutions as a leading IT service provider in the public sector.