From TopDesk to Halo: How CDP Modernised Service Management in Under Three Months

The World's Environmental Disclosure System

CDP is a global non-profit that runs the world's only independent environmental disclosure system. It enables companies, cities, states, and regions to measure, manage, and disclose their environmental impact — covering climate change, water security, and deforestation.

As CDP has grown, so too have the operational demands behind it. The organisation needed its IT service management capabilities to scale alongside that growth — moving from a legacy platform to something more flexible, more automated, and built for the future.

A Platform That Had Reached Its Limits

CDP's existing ITSM platform, TopDesk, was no longer keeping pace with the organisation's needs. Key ITSM practices such as change management and problem management could not be fully implemented, limiting CDP's ability to manage risk and improve service quality over time.

The team needed a system that could be configured quickly, provide greater operational visibility to IT stakeholders, and support structured service workflows across multiple internal departments — all without adding unnecessary complexity. Scalability for future growth was equally important: whatever they chose had to evolve with the organisation, not constrain it.

A Modern Platform Built to Grow With the Organisation

After reviewing the market extensively, CDP selected Halo ITSM in partnership with Allied ESM. The implementation was focused on getting CDP live quickly, with the right foundations in place for long-term ownership and expansion.

The project delivered structured service workflows aligned to CDP's processes using Halo's out-of-the-box functionality, alongside a full migration of three years of service history from TopDesk into Halo ITSM. A customised self-service portal was deployed to serve each internal department independently, giving staff a clear, consistent point of entry for support.

Each team was equipped with individual dashboards and reporting tools, providing real-time visibility of KPI metrics. The engagement also included structured knowledge transfer as part of project delivery — ensuring CDP's team could own, adapt, and expand the platform themselves going forward, without the need to code.

A Scalable Foundation, Delivered in Under Three Months

CDP now has a modern, flexible ITSM platform that supports both its current operations and its future ambitions. The transformation was delivered in under three months — including the full migration of three years of historical service data from TopDesk.

• Simpler workflows and ticket routing — easier to maintain, manage, and report against
• Improved end-user experience — segmented self-service portal delivering better visibility per department
• Faster configuration — process improvements rolled out across each department
• Easier integrations — connected to existing systems using Halo's out-of-the-box integration library
• Full internal ownership — knowledge transfer delivered as part of the project, enabling CDP to adapt and extend the platform over time without external dependency

Allied ESM is proud to have delivered a successful implementation and migration for CDP in under three months. Halo is now well positioned as CDP's strategic service management platform — supporting the organisation's operational growth for years to come.