Leeds University Union

Customer Overview

Leeds University Union (LUU) is a £15M turnover charity embedded within the University of Leeds campus. Its mission is to help students flourish during their time at Leeds by supporting their extracurricular and academic experience, as well as their wellbeing.

LUU manages 350+ clubs and societies, provides welfare services, and assists students who face challenges during their studies. With hundreds of part-time student employees and thousands of IT users, the Union operates in a dynamic, high-turnover environment that demands robust digital infrastructure.

Service challenges

Historically, LUU’s IT services were delivered by the University of Leeds, but this meant there were no formal service level agreements (SLAs) in place, agility was limited, and the Union’s independent growth was impeded.

As LUU explored its future IT strategy, it identified alignment gaps around cyber security, resource management, and risk mitigation, prompting a decision to establish a new IT operating model to address the following:

• Lack of dedicated support and service accountability.
• Complex identity lifecycle management due to frequent onboarding and offboarding of part-time (mostly student) staff.
• Desire for greater agility and modernisation beyond the constraints of a £1B university IT environment.

An agile solution from Littlefish Group

LUU launched a competitive tender for workspace migration, networking, and cyber security services, attracting eight bidders total. Littlefish Group emerged as the preferred partner thanks to its proven expertise in cloud transformation, managed services, security assurance, and user satisfaction.

The Union pointed out how Littlefish Group’s proposal stood out for its strong grasp of the complexities involved in separating IT services from a large, intricate environment, while simultaneously supporting LUU’s ambition to innovate.

The solution included:

• Microsoft 365 tenant design and build, including Teams, SharePoint, and Exchange Online.
• Cyber security configuration and assurance review.
• Identity and Access Management (IAM) and Privileged Access Management (PAM) to streamline onboarding/offboarding.
• Service Desk support with structured onboarding and proactive monitoring.
• Migration of email and files from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365.
• Endpoint configuration, including Teams Voice setup, and disaster recovery planning.
• Littlefish also provided training for in-house administrators, ensuring LUU could manage its new environment effectively.

Positive outcomes

Since going live, LUU has seen significant improvements:

Faster resolution of support tickets through a highly responsive IT service
Littlefish introduced a structured Service Desk model with clear SLAs, ensuring issues are triaged and resolved quickly. This has dramatically reduced downtime for staff and students, improving confidence in IT support and enabling the Union to focus on delivering student services without disruption.

Enhanced ability to leverage Microsoft tools for collaboration and productivity
By migrating to Microsoft 365 and optimising its configuration, LUU now uses Teams, SharePoint, and OneDrive to streamline communication and document sharing. Staff and student employees can collaborate in real time, whether on campus or remotely, creating a more connected and efficient organisation.

A fully integrated Microsoft stack, simplifying workflows and improving visibility across platforms
Previously, fragmented systems created inefficiencies and data silos. Littlefish designed and built a cohesive Microsoft environment where applications work seamlessly together. This integration has improved reporting, reduced duplication, and given LUU better oversight of its digital operations.

Robust identity lifecycle management, reducing security risks and administrative overhead
With hundreds of part-time student employees joining and leaving throughout the year, identity management was a major challenge. Littlefish implemented advanced IAM and PAM solutions, automating onboarding and offboarding processes. This not only strengthens security but also saves significant administrative time, ensuring compliance and protecting sensitive data.