WEBSITE TRANSFORMATION
Achievement:
Successful delivery of the initial stage of IT reorganisation improved functionality and performance of this global web platform. Succeeded in creating and deploying re-architected web delivery model to increase sales 8%.
Scope:
This venture capital-backed organisation needed to redevelop its web platform, adding new online psychometric assessment products to improve the service offered to global customers like Nokia, HSBC and British Airways. The product suite covers 50 countries, 15,000 clients and 30 languages.
The company required an external systems integrator to manage the initial stage of this crucial programme, involving up to 400 people.
What Bob did:
We delivered the initial stage of the programme to aggressive budgets and timelines, using a tightly planned strategy. We worked closely on communication, stakeholder management, technical assurance, establishing a programme office, and service management.
Influencing, motivating and managing to CIO level, he aligned the technical infrastructure with the business at every stage of the process, resulting in engagement from stakeholders across the entire organisation.
He also integrated six culturally different suppliers with diverse skillbases across India and the UK, resolving conflicts and developing long-term communication plans.
What the lead supplier said:
"As Program Manager, Bob had a very challenging responsibility. The project had an enormous scope, no written product specification of the product, stakeholders in different companies and geographic territories, and an aggressive timeline. Handling all these together can make anyone crazy!
A team of 400, five UAT environments, two load test environments, four different vendors and three different time zones are a few examples of enormity and complexity of this project. Bob was new to the business and did not have either the internal product knowledge or in house work style.
There were times when he had to make a number of crucial decisions that potentially had significant long term impact. I believe he brought a very calming effect to the SODA team overall and appeared to be a gentleman on whom one can always count. He believed in bringing synergy to the teams and contributed without putting his own interests first.” JP Dwivedi, Account Director at Perot Systems
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SOFTWARE PRODUCT RECOVERY
Achievement:Twelve months later, the company had fully recovered from the crisis and had forecast increased turnover.
Scope: Bob was brought in to resolve a crisis at a provider of financial services software solutions. The company was backed by £12m of venture capital from Barclays Bank. We were asked to assist the Chairman to deliver their flagship product and restore venture capital confidence.
What Bob did:
Radical reorganisation was carried out to realign the team structure and management reporting with the company annual forecast. We coached the Managing Director, facilitated a restructure of the Board and improved the company’s corporate governance. We helped to recover the software development of their flagship product, and by supporting C#, .Net and Agile, the product launch was brought back on track.
What the client said:
"He is one of the only people that can cut through the noise and get to the real hub of an issue." Marketing Director, Lakeview
"If the opportunity arose in the future to work with you again I would do so without hesitation.” Chief Financial Officer, Lakeview
Achievement:
Successful delivery of the initial stage of IT reorganisation improved functionality and performance of this global web platform. Succeeded in creating and deploying re-architected web delivery model to increase sales 8%.
Scope:
This venture capital-backed organisation needed to redevelop its web platform, adding new online psychometric assessment products to improve the service offered to global customers like Nokia, HSBC and British Airways. The product suite covers 50 countries, 15,000 clients and 30 languages.
The company required an external systems integrator to manage the initial stage of this crucial programme, involving up to 400 people.
What Bob did:
We delivered the initial stage of the programme to aggressive budgets and timelines, using a tightly planned strategy. We worked closely on communication, stakeholder management, technical assurance, establishing a programme office, and service management.
Influencing, motivating and managing to CIO level, he aligned the technical infrastructure with the business at every stage of the process, resulting in engagement from stakeholders across the entire organisation.
He also integrated six culturally different suppliers with diverse skillbases across India and the UK, resolving conflicts and developing long-term communication plans.
What the lead supplier said:
"As Program Manager, Bob had a very challenging responsibility. The project had an enormous scope, no written product specification of the product, stakeholders in different companies and geographic territories, and an aggressive timeline. Handling all these together can make anyone crazy!
A team of 400, five UAT environments, two load test environments, four different vendors and three different time zones are a few examples of enormity and complexity of this project. Bob was new to the business and did not have either the internal product knowledge or in house work style.
There were times when he had to make a number of crucial decisions that potentially had significant long term impact. I believe he brought a very calming effect to the SODA team overall and appeared to be a gentleman on whom one can always count. He believed in bringing synergy to the teams and contributed without putting his own interests first.” JP Dwivedi, Account Director at Perot Systems
________________________________________________________________________________________
SOFTWARE PRODUCT RECOVERY
Achievement:Twelve months later, the company had fully recovered from the crisis and had forecast increased turnover.
Scope: Bob was brought in to resolve a crisis at a provider of financial services software solutions. The company was backed by £12m of venture capital from Barclays Bank. We were asked to assist the Chairman to deliver their flagship product and restore venture capital confidence.
What Bob did:
Radical reorganisation was carried out to realign the team structure and management reporting with the company annual forecast. We coached the Managing Director, facilitated a restructure of the Board and improved the company’s corporate governance. We helped to recover the software development of their flagship product, and by supporting C#, .Net and Agile, the product launch was brought back on track.
What the client said:
"He is one of the only people that can cut through the noise and get to the real hub of an issue." Marketing Director, Lakeview
"If the opportunity arose in the future to work with you again I would do so without hesitation.” Chief Financial Officer, Lakeview