Rapid results: a new ITSM Platform in 54 days

When Ivanti announced the end of life for Cherwell, SCS JV faced an urgent challenge. More than a service-management tool, Cherwell provided crucial identity and access management for the project, controlling who could see sensitive project data across 22 live construction sites.

With more than 2,100 project staff and between 4,000 and 6,000 supply-chain users onboarded at different phases of delivery, any replacement platform had to replicate complex workflows, comply with HS2 governance requirements, and be delivered without operational disruption.

SCS JV turned to Pink Elephant for vendor-neutral guidance on platform selection and to manage the transition. What followed was an exceptionally fast and collaborative delivery: a full enterprise ITSM platform implemented in just 54 days, far faster than the typical three-to-twelve-month industry timeframe.

About SCS JV

SCS JV is a joint venture between Skanska, Costain and STRABAG. The organisation is delivering 28 miles of tunnels for the HS2 London tunnels project from Euston to West Ruislip. SCS operates across 22 construction sites. Its IT Service Desk supports 2,100 SCS project staff and 4,000-6,000 supply-chain members across the lifecycle of the project.

Challenge

SCS JV operates a five-person IT Service Desk handling around 1,000 tickets per month, supporting platforms including Intune, SharePoint, and Azure/O365. Hardware support remains with parent companies under a ‘bring your own device’ model.

Cherwell had been selected originally for its configurability, enabling SCS JV to enforce strict access controls. The system worked well, but with Cherwell approaching end of life and the incumbent support contract expiring, SCS JV faced a dual challenge: maintain Cherwell in the short term while planning and delivering a full ITSM replacement mid-project, without disrupting live construction operations.

“The speed of transition was a core part of it alongside the complexity of the access and identity piece. SCS needed a tool and a partner that could marry those things up.”
– Emily Lawrence, Pink Elephant

Replacing a legacy ITSM tool is complex at the best of times. For SCS JV, the stakes were considerably higher.

The new platform needed to:

• Replicate bespoke identity and access workflows.
• Support thousands of users at different project phases.
• Meet strict HS2 governance and audit requirements.
• Integrate into live construction operations.
• Be delivered at exceptional speed.

“Pink are not just doing Ivanti Neurons – they can do Freshdesk, ServiceNow, Halo. Pink came in at the right scope with the right quotes.”
– Kellie Hickman, IT Service Desk Manager, SCS JV

Solution

SCS JV undertook a formal tender process, reviewing around 20 ITSM tools before shortlisting four and selecting Ivanti Neurons. Pink Elephant was engaged for its vendor-neutral approach and breadth of technical expertise.

To ensure business continuity, Pink Elephant also coordinated interim hosting for Cherwell through its partner network, enabling the legacy system to remain operational until the new platform went live.

A two-week workshop phase defined the minimum viable product, producing a detailed blueprint covering workflows, identity and access, service requests and governance. This disciplined scoping, combined with strong project management, enabled rapid and controlled delivery.

Results

Despite the scale and complexity of the project, SCS JV successfully replaced its Cherwell instance with the full enterprise ITSM platform Ivanti Neurons.

The transition delivered:

54-day implementation – full enterprise ITSM platform deployed despite the scale and complexity, with zero disruption to live operations.

2,100 staff and 6,000 supply-chain users supported – with full replication of bespoke identity and access workflows from day one.

22 active construction sites – maintained stable service-desk operations throughout the transition.

100% compliance maintained – meeting all HS2 governance and audit requirements without interruption.

“Pink Elephant went above and beyond. They didn’t just say ‘we don’t host, so off you go’ – they worked with their network to make it happen.”
– Kellie Hickman, IT Service Desk Manager, SCS JV

Why Pink Elephant?

With over 40 years of experience and a global presence, Pink Elephant has longstanding expertise in ITSM and has a highly regarded reputation for forming strong, hands-on client relationships.

• Vendor-neutral consultancy.
• Deep technical expertise across ITSM platforms.
• Collaborative, consultative culture.
• Ability to mobilise trusted partner networks.
• Strong project governance and disciplined delivery.