macquarie university - intranet implementation

Macquarie University Empowers 3,000+ Staff Through Microsoft 365 Training with SYNERGY

3,000 Staff learn Microsoft 365 with Synergy’s Cloud training Services

OVERVIEW:

Synergy was chosen as Macquarie University’s training partner for the migration to Microsoft 365, in late July 2015. Macquarie needed a training partner with Microsoft product knowledge and training certifications, as well as a working knowledge of Microsoft 365 in Education. Synergy’s team of MS certified consultants and trainers developed custom training material that directly addressed Macquarie staff needs; from Academic to Administrative staff.

Macquarie University undertook the email migration from Gmail to Office 365 for over 3,000 staff in the second- half of 2015. The project required an approach that offered a variety of training methodologies due to the differing needs of staff. The training approach accommodated a series of seminars, group training courses and hands-on labs/workshops to ensure all staff were given the opportunity to learn how Microsoft 365 would be utilised by them.

University specific training materials were developed in the traditional electronic .pdf format as well as Wiki online tutorials stored in a training site on Macquarie’s servers.

Goals / Challenges:

Hudson Scenic Studio—a renowned scenic production company serving Broadway and major theatrical productions—was running core production systems on aging, end-of-life hardware. With limited budget and growing demands, they needed a cost-effective way to modernize their infrastructure without disrupting business operations.

Their existing environment was not only limited in storage capacity but also costly to maintain due to the power, cooling, and footprint requirements of multiple physical servers. Moreover, to support business continuity, Hudson needed a more resilient infrastructure with simplified backup and recovery procedures in case of hardware failure.

Key challenges included:

• Training over 3,000 staff with varying levels of Microsoft 365 experience—from complete beginners to advanced users.

• Developing custom courseware and branded materials specific to how Macquarie would use the Microsoft 365 platform.

• Coordinating training logistics using an event management system to handle scheduling, rooms, trainers, and attendees.

• Encouraging high attendance rates across lectures, seminars, and workshops, all within a tight four-month timeframe.

• Ensuring knowledge retention post-training, with resources available for continued self-learning and onboarding.

Solution/Approach:

Synergy took a comprehensive approach, beginning with a university-wide Training Needs Analysis (TNA) to identify user profiles, skill gaps, and preferred learning styles.

• Identified “Microsoft 365 Champions” to foster peer learning and accelerate adoption.

• Nine custom courses were created, with manuals and presentation packs tailored to Macquarie’s environment.

• Delivered a blended learning model with self-paced resources, in-person sessions, and drop-in support centers.

• Assisted the university’s IT help desk and provided real-time support for staff needing assistance with device configuration or Microsoft 365 usage.

• Continuously iterated training content based on post-course feedback, ensuring sessions stayed aligned with user needs.

“We created a sustainable learning model that went far beyond launch day. Macquarie now has the resources and internal capability to continue growing with Microsoft 365.”

– Murray Campbell, Consulting Manager, Synergy

The Results:

The overall result for Macquarie University was a comprehensive program of training that introduced staff to the core features of Microsoft 365 and allowed them to hit the ground running after the launch on 14th December 2015. This assisted in a very smooth transition to the new software and allowed staff to be productive on Microsoft 365 from day one.

Course attendance increased due to positive feedback and internal referrals which resulted in a far greater reach than predicted with over 2500 trainees attending classes and many more accessing online material.

The training solution has provided for the future by allowing current staff to refresh themselves via the online courseware and training environment. Future training needs of any new staff that join Macquarie University have been catered for in the full-suite of high-quality relevant courseware.

INDUSTRY	GEOGRAPHY	CONSULTING	software
Education	Australia	SharePoint Consulting Training	SharePoint Microsoft 365

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