Challenge: Regional healthcare provider’s back-office department embarked on a year-long change initiative to improve operations, cross-train customer representatives, centralize support procedures and utilize a common systems platform. Although the initiatives and programs were identified, leadership required execution expertise to implement its goals.

Intervention:  We collaborated with Director & Senior Director to execute the 1-year turn-around strategy. The team developed a program with multiple deliverables and capability milestones. Cross-department planning sessions and team meetings were facilitated. Internal staff were coached and mentored on project management best practices and in-turn modeled theses approaches to their staff.

Results:

• Organization met its goals and began broadening its services.
• Cross-training and SOP documentation prepared staff to handle a wider spectrum of support calls.
• The team was able to handle multiple billing, coding, and support issues across a larger spectrum of health care disciplines.
• The provider decommissioned several tracking applications reducing license and service fees.

Services used: Strategy Execution | Initiative Management | Change

Challenge:

Regional utility launched initiative to improve IT project delivery which included setting up a new Project Management Office. Project tracking was spread across multiple tools and lacked standards and consistent processes. IT and Business Unit Leadership lacked insight into the portfolio and its link to organizational strategy.

Intervention:

We assessed the current practices and developed a roadmap to raise the PMO’s maturity level. Activities included:

• Identifying and cataloging all active projects and requests and implementing a Project Management Information System, portfolio tool, and robust reporting infrastructure
• Establishing governance via the Project Management Lifecycle and key delivery frameworks
• Instituting Risk Management, Schedule Management, and Project Intake processes
• Implementing best practice artifacts, tools, and templates
• Training, coaching, and mentoring PMs and engaging IT team members on new processes
• Implementing Resource and Portfolio management to support the CIO and IT Leadership with Demand Management

Results:

• Moved the Project Management maturity level from 0 to 1 within 6-months
• Optimized status reports and portfolio reports enabled management to understand risks and take corrective actions
• PMs were able to provide clear updates on milestones, risks, and next actions, reducing the Bi-Weekly Status meeing from 1-hour to 30-minutes
• Eliminated 11^th hour deployment issues through improved scheduling and task ownership
• Established standard project, resource, and portfolio management practices

Services used:  Program & Project Management | Change | Initiative Management

Challenge: Leadership for a $2B government program desired richer insight into program progress and key critical milestones. Progress updates relied on task and milestones stored in 25 project schedules totaling over 100,000 tasks. Monthly reporting of KPIs, milestones, and updating the Integrated Master Schedule consumed a week of Program Controls’ time. The team also wanted to improve risk management by reviewing progress weekly rather than monthly.

Intervention:

We developed a roadmap for schedule management, real-time reporting, and integrated master schedule construction.

Implemented a 3-phase plan:
1) Migrated the 15-person project management team to a robust project management information system and reporting platform

2) Developed a cadre of dashboards/reports surfacing critical milestones, KPIs, and risks. Automated the refreshing of the Integrated Master Schedule

3) Trained and coached Project Managers, Project Coordinators, and Program Management leadership

Results:

• Program information is updated and aggregated daily vs. monthly.
• Critical program level metrics and progress reports are immediately accessible via online dashboards and reports
• Program Controls team creates monthly reports in minutes, rather than days, (a 300% time-reduction) saving hundreds of man-hours during the life of the 5-year contract

Services used: Program & Project Management | Change

Challenge: A telecom client launched a transformational journey to grow by offering new services, focusing on high customer satisfaction and leveraging its IT platform. To support the corporate goals each business function required enhancements or expanded services from IT. IT was receiving requests for strategy related activities and required senior management prioritization.

Intervention: Our team collaborated with a task force and facilitated business process workshops across the Sales, Finance, and Operations units that identified customer touch points and value-adding opportunities. The sessions led to the identification of several capabilities and technology needs that traversed business function and were critical to the strategic agenda. An IT Strategic Initiative Portfolio was created that prioritized initiatives, communicated milestones deliverables, and aligned critical resources.

Results:

• Leadership gained insight into the initiatives required to deliver strategic goals.
• IT directed critical resources toward activities linked directly to strategy goals.
• The workshops created an aura of curiosity that led to cross-department knowledge sharing and awareness of opportunities to create value for the customer and streamline processes.

Services used: Strategy Execution | Initiative Management

Challenge: Client was selected as the sole source contractor to build a large statewide fiber-optic network that was 9 months behind schedule. Project required specialized talent in project management that could 1) represent planning activities via the schedule 2) manage the scheduling process in the client’s new Operations Management tool, and 3) meet the end-client and federal government’s reporting and progress updating requirements. Client also required a 1st phase schedule deliverable 40 days after the contract was awarded.

Intervention: Our consultant served as a trusted advisor to the Construction and Client Program Managers. We worked with the client’s multiple teams to develop the master schedule, sub-schedules, and performance metrics. We also developed processes and systems to manage the largest project risk: thousands of time-constrained construction related permits. Dashboards and status reports were developed to communicate progress to all stakeholders.

Results:

• Developed 1st phase schedule allowing engineering client to showcase it’s expertise and planning acumen
• Client successfully met all TARP and client construction deliverables
• The schedule management and recommended solutions for progress dashboards and weekly reporting served as pivotal communicating mediums for multiple stakeholders
• The centralized management of permits enabled the Program Manager to proactively monitor & mitigate risks for activities that represented over $60M of budget and more than 50% of project’s construction risk

Services used: Program & Project Management | Operations Optimization