The Open Data Institute (ODI) helps organisations unlock the potential of open data to solve real-world problems and create new opportunities. With multiple technology systems supporting their various initiatives, the ODI relies on robust IT infrastructure to keep everything running smoothly.

Kwaku, Head of IT, plays a vital role in managing the company’s digital infrastructure, ensuring that IT resources are used efficiently and effectively. His day-to-day work is dynamic and varied: one moment he’s handling support tickets for onboarding, the next he’s monitoring cloud infrastructure or advising internal teams on optimising their tech stack.

“My role is to look after our entire IT estate, making sure everything is working as expected. When I have a quiet day, that’s a good day - that means nothing has broken down”.

Given Kwaku's cross-functional role in leading the implementation of all new software and tools across the organisation, it was natural for the HR team to approach him when they encountered a major challenge. They were juggling five separate platforms for various HR functions, which was disconnected and resulted in hours of manual work.

All people data had to be manually entered across multiple systems, leading to frequent errors and inconsistencies. The HR team found themselves trapped in repetitive data entry cycles rather than focusing on work that could genuinely drive the organisation forward.

“We had one platform doing payroll, another for surveys, another for expenses, another for recruitment and then our HRIS system. The most concerning part was the amount of data duplication - there was so much data all over the place.” 

Simple processes like requesting time off became unnecessarily complex due to the lack of integration between platforms, creating bottlenecks that frustrated both staff and managers. From Kwaku's perspective, supporting these disconnected systems was draining valuable IT resources - both time and budget.

It became clear that the team needed to consolidate their tech stack. Rippling became the obvious choice when they could replace their fragmented systems with a single, integrated ecosystem.

Kwaku and his team replaced all five HR platforms with Rippling’s all-in-one solution, significantly reducing complexity without sacrificing functionality.

“Going to one platform was huge, not just for the HR team, but for all employees. Because they just log into one platform and can do everything from there.”

The real breakthrough came with the implementation of automatic data synchronisation across applications, eliminating the need for manual data entry, which had consumed so much staff time.

The seamless integration with their existing Google Workspace further streamlined essential processes like employee offboarding, turning what was once a multi-step, multi-platform process into a smooth, automated workflow.

“Rippling takes care of the mundane tasks in your day, so you can focus on the work that actually drives productivity.”

Perhaps most strategically, the new software positioned the ODI for future growth, unlocking future-ready features like device management that can be enabled as the organisation’s needs evolve.

“One of the deciding factors for us was the fact that Rippling can serve us for our needs today, and as we scale in the future as our needs evolve.”

• 65% Reduction in Monthly Costs: in platform expenses through consolidation
• Elimination of Manual Data Entry: Automatic synchronisation across applications removed time-consuming duplicative work
• Streamlined Operations: Integrated workflows significantly improved process efficiency
• Enhanced Productivity: Staff can now focus on meaningful, strategic work rather than mundane administrative tasks which has also boosted employee morale