VerIT and COVID-19

For many businesses COVID-19 forced them do their digital transformation in weeks while DNV GL have benefited from the digitalization strategy that we had for the last four years. For DNV GL, the digital enablement we have been leveraging during the COVID-19 circumstances is a result of years of investments in developing, managing, and operating one common IT platform.

TEXT: JØRGEN GULNES

OUR IT PLATFORM

The groundwork for this IT platform builds on more than 25 years of continuous platform building. The VerIT platform has evolved from being a pure client and infrastructure platform delivered out of our own Data Centers, to become a hybrid platform consisting of services deployed in the public cloud and on-premise. Today, we use VerIT underneath all DNV GL internal IT services as well as basis for our external customer-facing services like Veracity. All Business Area production systems rely on this platform and makes it possible for end-to-end integrations with the administrative back office systems. Most recently, we have included capabilities for AI, machine learning, and robotics process automation in the platform.

The end-users in DNV GL can leverage a secure platform through different types of devices, e.g. laptops and smartphones. VerIT is managed and delivered by GSS IT.

KEY MEASURES TAKEN DURING Q1

GSS IT joined the Group Crisis team since early February with regular updates to all Country Chairs globally about VerIT platform capabilities. This made it possible for the GSS IT management team to closely follow the COVID19 outbreak and how it impacted DNV GL. Throughout this process we were able to take necessary steps to ensure resilience and scalability of the digital services. During this period, the Group CEO established weekly meetings with selected GSS IT management to closely monitor the ”VerIT Infrastructure performance resilience”.

Early in the COVID-19 outbreak we developed best practices for DNV GL end-users to work from home. This was communicated broadly with an Intranet article. Continuously we learned how end-users were able to adapt based on lessons learned in China, Singapore, Europe, and Americas. Making sure that end-users adapted to secure remote working practices was underlined in a separate Intranet article. On the technical side, we have tripled the VerIT remote access capacities globally. The Microsoft 365 productivity tools are essential to interact internally and with DNV GL customers, and GSS IT is pushing ahead with the migrations to Teams from the legacy Skype platform. The customer satisfaction shows very high scores and tells us that we can support the company in a professional way during these demanding times.

Latest, we have worked with various business stakeholders in making sure that we use the right collaboration tools and that businesses are getting the right support to do remote inspections and audits.

Making sure that end-users adapted to secure remote working practices was underlined in a separate Intranet article. On the technical side, we have tripled the VerIT remote access capacities globally.