Shanks Waste Management brings business intelligence support to Malta

Shanks Waste Management and Digica have recently completed a service review in Malta with 6pm Ltd's support team and described the company's service delivery as one of the most effective they have come across in 20 years.

"Although our partnership with 6pm is relatively young, their contribution to our IT operations has already been very significant. Their Business Objects expertise, flexible and dedicated approach to our current challenges has allowed us to quickly improve our IT service," said Clive Morley, head of ICT, Shanks Waste Management Ltd.

Shanks Waste Management are one of the largest waste and resource management companies in UK with operations in Belgium and Holland. In total, the company operates over 100 sites and employs over 3,000 people.

Shanks channel all their support and maintenance requirements through a third party - Digica, a leading provider of managed IT services to the corporate mid-market and the public sector.

Last January Shanks embarked on a major migration from Business Objects 5 to XI. It was during this process that Shanks recognised that they would have to bring another partner on board to support Digica in the Business Objects space.

Shanks engaged 6pm (www.6pmmalta.com) on a pilot project to assist with the migration of the reports, with a view to potentially using 6pm for all their BO support and consultancy requirements.

By March the client had the confidence to make a significant longer term commitment to 6pm in the form of a support contract for their Business Objects environment.

"We had been working with Shanks for several months when they gave us the opportunity to provide support for their Business Objects environment. Our subsequent award of the support contract was not only a significant order for our Malta-based support group, it also underlines the quality of the work already delivered to the client," explained Steve Wightman, chief operating officer, 6pm Ltd.

The 12-month contract kicked off on May 1 of this year. All support calls are still logged and managed through Digica to provide a seamless and transparent service.

"We view the 6pm team as a part of Shanks' IT set up and they are now working with us, helping to formulate and implement our business information strategy for the future," Mr Morley continued.

6pm was established in Malta in 1996. Today the company is one of the largest, leading IT companies on the island with revenues in excess of £6 million. The company has become an indispensable business partner for several organisations, including Leicester City Council, Fujitsu, CapGemini, Centurion, Focus, Checkfree, BT and Toyota GB.

6pm has recently submitted an application to the Malta Financial Services Authority to float the company on the Malta Stock Exchange. The company's prospectus is currently being reviewed. Subject to approval, the company targets to float during the last quarter of this year.