Built to sustain. Built to scale.
Client: Microsoft
Program: Customer Engineering / Cloud Solution Architects (CSAs) on Global Delivery
Partnership start: 2011 (ongoing)
Scale: Hundreds of skilled CSAs deployed
Key outcomes: Internal teams gain bandwidth for innovation; scalable support for legacy/day-to-day operations
Challenge:
Microsoft needed to free core engineering teams to focus on innovation (e.g., Azure and Dynamics) while sustaining robust support for legacy systems and day-to-day customer operations.
The program required a partner who could recruit top-tier talent quickly, ramp them fast, and manage quality at scale as needs evolved.
What we did:
- Recruitment engine focused on elite engineering talent, including former Microsoft FTEs and prior JDA CSAs, supported by a streamlined hiring process.
- Accelerated onboarding with dedicated mentors/leads, structured training, shadowing, and completion of required accreditations – enabling customer engagement within the first 30 days.
- Ongoing technical and soft-skills development led by internal master trainers, plus monthly training allowances to maintain and expand certifications.
- Operational performance management in collaboration with Microsoft leadership – real-time feedback loops, adaptable staffing, and continuous improvements.
Impact:
- Substantial scale: Hundreds of CSAs deployed across core Microsoft technologies.
- Core focus: Microsoft internal teams regained bandwidth to push innovation and strategic growth.
- Ongoing partnership: Program remains integral to Microsoft support model and pivots quickly as needs change.
Why it worked
- Long-tenured operating leadership (25+ years average experience) paired with repeatable recruiting and ramp playbooks.
- Embedded collaboration with Microsoft delivery leadership to adapt the model as the business evolves.
- Training and accreditation discipline that protects quality while accelerating time-to-productivity.
- Performance management and governance that keeps delivery consistent at scale.