Mimecast Case Study - Transforming Professional Services Delivery
Overview
When Mimecast, a global cybersecurity and data governance leader, set out to modernize its
Professional Services Automation (PSA) platform, it needed more than just new technology—it
needed a partner that could guide a complex migration and help deliver real operational
improvements.
Working with nCloud Integrators, the company successfully implemented Rocketlane,
improved visibility across its professional services operations, and significantly enhanced time
tracking, collaboration, and customer engagement.
In this case study, Greg Collins, Customer Operations Director with Mimecast, discusses the
results achieved by working with nCloud Integrators, which included a smooth PSA migration, a
faster go-live than expected, and a platform that now supports better planning, utilization, and
customer onboarding.
The Challenge: Limitations with the Existing PSA
As Mimecast's professional services organization grew, significant limitations in its PSA platform became increasingly clear. Key capabilities such as customer communication and collaboration were missing, and core functions like time tracking proved cumbersome. Despite investing nearly three and a half years attempting to optimize the platform, the organization realized the solution was no longer meeting its operational needs. Leadership ultimately decided to explore alternative solutions—and that search led them to Rocketlane.
The Goal: A Modern PSA That Supports Teams and Customers
As the team evaluated new PSA platforms, three priorities emerged.
An Intuitive User Experience
Consultants needed a platform that was easy to navigate—one that allowed them to quickly find
projects, log time, and communicate with customers without friction. Rocketlane immediately stood out for its modern, intuitive interface, allowing consultants to adopt the system quickly and
work more efficiently.
Strong Customer Collaboration
The organization also wanted to improve collaboration between internal teams, partners, and
customers. Rocketlane’s customer portal and collaboration capabilities provided a unified
experience where customers could track project progress, receive updates, and communicate
with the delivery team—all in one place. This capability was especially valuable when working
with third-party partners, allowing everyone involved in a project to collaborate through the same
interface.
Accurate Time Tracking
“Like many organizations, we struggled with accurate time entry. Consultants were busy
delivering work and often found the process of logging time frustrating and time-consuming in
our previous system,” states Greg. “Rocketlane made this much easier. For example,
integrating with Outlook calendars allows our consultants to log time much more efficiently. It
also removed the strict requirement that someone be formally assigned to a project just to
record time.”
Mimecast has already seen a significant improvement in time tracking accuracy—and that
visibility has helped the company better understand utilization across the team.
The Solution: A Collaborative Implementation with nCloud Integrators
A key factor in the success of the project was the implementation approach led by nCloud
Integrators. From the outset, nCloud prioritized a strong discovery and planning phase and spent extensive time early in the project asking detailed questions and helping the organization clarify
requirements and priorities. This preparation proved critical.
“What stood out throughout the process was nCloud Integrators’ honesty and guidance,” continues Greg. “When our internal teams tried to include too many features in the initial rollout, nCloud helped us focus on defining a clear Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and prioritizing what absolutely needed to be in place for go-live. This focus was essential because our organization faced a tight migration deadline.”
Mimecast’s existing system was scheduled to be retired, meaning Rocketlane had to be fully
operational by the deadline—leaving no room for delays.
“nCloud Integrators acted as a strong bridge between our internal teams and Rocketlane, helping facilitate discussions and keeping everyone aligned. The project ran so smoothly that we went live with Rocketlane three days ahead of schedule,” states Greg. “In fact, the success of the project quickly gained attention internally and several project managers from other departments reached out to ask what other platforms or initiatives nCloud supports—highlighting how positive the experience had been.”
Navigating Complex Integration Requirements
One of the most technically complex aspects of the project involved integrating Rocketlane with
the organization’s highly customized Salesforce environment. Because of the level of
customization in Salesforce, the team needed to design a new object to support the data
Rocketlane required for project creation and reporting.
“This level of integration required close collaboration between our Salesforce architects,
Rocketlane’s team, and nCloud,” continues Greg. “nCloud Integrators was heavily involved in
facilitating those conversations and helping design the right architecture. Without that level of
collaboration, it would have been much more difficult to achieve the integration we now have.”
The Results: Improved Visibility, Utilization, and Planning
Since implementing Rocketlane, the organization has seen several significant operational
improvements.
Improved Time Tracking Accuracy
Previously, estimated utilization hovered around 60%. With Rocketlane, the organization now
sees utilization closer to 85%, much more aligned with industry benchmarks.
Better Operational Visibility
Rocketlane provides clear insight into what teams are working on and how projects are
progressing. This visibility allows leadership to make better decisions around resource planning,
staffing, and forecasting.
Stronger Customer Collaboration
Customers who actively use the Rocketlane portal appreciate having a centralized place to track
project updates and communicate with delivery teams. Thousands of companies are already
accessing the portal each month, and engagement continues to grow.
A True Partnership
By collaborating closely with Mimecast, nCloud Integrators made the entire project feel like a
true partnership.
“In the past, we worked with partners who came in with a predefined methodology and essentially told us, “This is how you should do it.” That one-size-fits-all approach didn’t work well for us because our processes are fairly unique,” states Greg. “nCloud took a completely different approach. They started by understanding our needs and adapting the solution to fit our environment.”
nCloud Integrators remained highly accessible throughout the project. “Early in the project, we
communicated almost daily, and as we approached go-live we returned to daily meetings to
ensure everything stayed on track. That level of engagement is something we rarely see with
implementation partners,” continues Greg. Mimecast never felt like it was navigating the implementation alone.
Looking Back: A Successful PSA Transformation
Leadership has reviewed both the platform and the results closely, and the consensus is that
moving to Rocketlane was absolutely the right decision. Equally important was the experience
of working with nCloud Integrators.
“We’re very glad we had the opportunity to work with nCloud Integrators as our partner on the PSA migration. The collaboration, guidance, and structure they brought to the project made what could have been a very complex transition feel smooth and well managed,” states Greg. If given the opportunity to work together again, the organization says they would do so without hesitation. “Overall, it was one of the most positive project experiences we’ve had,” states Greg. “In fact, the approach nCloud used—especially the structured discovery process and phased delivery—has now influenced how we approach some of our own internal projects.”