Sustaining Operations with Responsive Application Support

The Challenge

CalMac Ferries operates the UK’s largest ferry network, providing lifeline services to island and mainland communities across Scotland’s west coast. The company depends on a complex integration platform to connect multiple core systems, from booking and payment to customer communications, ensuring services run smoothly for passengers and staff. CalMac Ferries runs over 160,000 sailings each year, carrying around 5 million passengers, underlining the scale and importance of stable, responsive system support.

This integration layer is a mission-critical part of CalMac’s operations, handling the secure exchange of data between internal and third-party systems. With high availability demands and the need to adapt quickly to operational and customer service requirements, CalMac required a trusted partner to provide responsive application support, deliver enhancements, and give independent technical assurance on other important systems.

How We Delivered Managed Support and Integration Enhancements

Through a G-Cloud contract, Talk Think Do delivers managed application support including:

• Seamless collaboration with CalMac’s internal teams and infrastructure partner to ensure joined-up service delivery
• Independent technical due diligence on another core CalMac system, providing assurance and recommendations for improvement
• Change request delivery, implementing enhancements across APIs, integrations, and application components to improve performance, interoperability, and user experience
• Planned maintenance, managing updates to third-party dependencies and ensuring ongoing compatibility with Azure and .NET frameworks
• In-hours incident management for the integration platform (P1-P4), resolving issues quickly to minimise disruption

Outcomes & Impact

• Strong working relationship built on understanding CalMac’s operational context and aligning to its service priorities
• Technical assurance to support confident decision-making on system investments and improvements
• Enhanced integration capabilities that improve data flows, stability, and operational efficiency
• Reliable day-to-day operations, with swift resolution of incidents and proactive updates to prevent issues

What This Means For You

If your organisation operates a mission-critical integration platform, the right support partner can make the difference between firefighting and future-proofing. Talk Think Do brings deep technical expertise, responsive service, and a collaborative approach, ensuring your systems stay reliable, adaptable, and aligned to your business goals.