Management of a project to move a highway control center to a new location
Need
Move a highway control center that had become too small to a new location. Design, build and transfer to the new center with the constraint of maintaining a 24 by 7, 365 days per year operation. Budget: 1.3M€ – Deadline: 13 months – 70 sub-contractor companies.
Response from Net’sFive
The project was extremely complex and involved numerous companies as sub-contractors. During a very detailed project setup phase we paid particular attention to the definition of the project strategy and to the identification of risks and the corresponding mitigating actions. We put in place a very rigorous weekly project control mechanism using Post-Its (our “Pert-it” method). Regular communication of “project flashes” provided all stakeholders with a concise, overall view of the progress, the updated plan and the problems encountered.
Result obtained
At 6am on the planned go-live day, the night shift operators left the old control center for the last time. At the same moment, the next shift operators started work in the new control center. Everything was ready and operational and the old center was closed down. The budget, deadline and constraints were respected.
Project management assistance: A software company developed their "ERP" of modules in support of oil exploration
Need
The company decided to create new software, a true ERP that needed to integrate 4 main application modules, already developed by the company, and until then sold individually. It was the first time that the company had embarked on a project of this size (about 1 100 man days, 15 developers) and a schedule so tight (1 year).
Response from Net’sFive
We trained the whole team on our project management method and tools. These principles were put into place within the context of the project: a clear definition of objectives, establishment of teams and governance structure, identification of phases and tasks, planning and workload estimation, allocation of resources. Rigorous follow up allowed us to keep good control of the project throughout its duration.
Result obtained
“The project management tools and methodology have enabled us to perfectly control a strategic project that engaged almost all our development resources. All the milestones were respected with a serenity that really surprised me.” the Managing Director
Help in recreating the information system of a French company (1.500 people, 20 sites) after it was sold by an international group
Need
An international group had sold one of its divisions to another international group. All their information systems, except for HR, were managed internally. The sold subsidiary had to move to an ERP and apply a group template. It covered the functions of Sales, Supply Chain, Procurement, Production, Stock Management, Maintenance of industrial sites, Finance, Management Control & Reporting. Rollout was planned over 18 months.
Response from Net’sFive
The large number of projects and the project team of 68 called for strong project governance. For this we put in place project management. Project management methodology and tools were harmonized throughout the company and staff were trained. These actions enabled us to manage in parallel the various projects involved with the implementation of the new ERP within 24 months.
Result obtained
As a result of the effectiveness of the project management organization put in place:
- The gaps between the group template and the subsidiary’s needs were clearly identified
- Planning adjustments were made with the approval of the new owner
- The personnel participated widely in the acceptance phase ( 150 people)
- The training sessions were of good quality despite the volume (more than 7.500 days)
- The budgets were respected.
In addition, the communication put in place generated a real adoption of the project by the company’s staff.
Project recovery for the implentation of Business Intelligence within the information systems of a pharmaceutical company
Need
Since its launch almost a year earlier the project had been drifting from its initial scope and objectives. No one in the company could clearly define what still needed doing or define a realistic end date. Our objective was to identify the causes of dysfunction and to redefine the project with a quick and effective plan.
Response from Net’sFive
The project audit covered all aspects: initial set-up (definition of scope and objectives, organization and governance, risk analysis, plan, …), project control (frequency of meetings, control tools, …), acceptance procedures. The three root causes were quickly identified:
- Project scope creep, additional functionality was requested and taken into account before those that had already been developed had been accepted
- A blurring of roles between the different parties, development and users
- Schedules based on a non-exhaustive list of tasks
The proposed solution was quickly adopted:
- Clear definition of the functional scope. All new requests to be treated as part of an additional package or version.
- Clear definition of the different roles and governance
- Creation of a realistic schedule which incorporated an exhaustive list of tasks
Result obtained
The project was quickly put back on track. The new schedule was respected. The company was so convinced by the method that they asked us to extend it to all their projects and to include it in their quality procedures.
Change management within an accounting and audit firm of 200 people
Need
An accounting and audit firm decided to replace their paper filing system with an Electronic Document Management system. After 2 years only 20% of their files were incorporated in the EDM system and a number of hurdles still had to be overcome.
Response from Net’sFive
We srarted our engagement with meetings of small groups of managers to bring out all the advantages of an EDM system, as well as an exhaustive list of things hindering its usage. For each impediment actions to limit or overcome it were identified. Next, these actions were assigned to people who supported the change. Completing the actions helped to convince those who were opposed to the change.
Result obtained
Thanks to the actions undertaken, the enthusiasm of those who supported the change remained intact and the majority of the opponents were won over. Following this the silent majority of those who were undecided also adopted the good cause. Within a few months the usage of the EDM system had gone from 20% of files to 100%.
An international firm that develops software for managing clinical trials wants to better manage implementation schedules and costs
Need
Faced with an increase in business and the sale of solutions that need important customizations, the company was looking for tools and a way of working that would facilitate the coordination of different departments with a view to reducing response times and implementation costs.
Response from Net’sFive
An assessment showed that the company had no shared methods or tools nor collaborative thinking before acting. Following our recommendations an organization of management by project was defined and put into place to manage all the activities of the company on both sides of the Atlantic.
All employees were trained in the principles of this organization, as well as in a project management method and tools. During the next six months we supported the different work groups in charge of adapting the company’s quality procedures, and we helped the company manage their on-going projects using the new approach.
Result obtained
“Today, with this organized and strong coordination of our on-going projects, we can manage more projects with the same resources. A progress that is based, undisputably, on a better anticipation and a clear definition upfront in all our quotes and projects.” the Managing Director
Implementation of an organization of management by project within a French subsidiary (2.500 people, 14 sites) sold by an international group
Need
An international group had sold one of its divisions to another company. All the IT support functions (network, payroll, accounting, sales management, …) had been managed at the group level. The subsidiary now needed to be able to manage its own information systems.
Response from Net’sFive
In order to manage a large number of projects in parallel with a limited number of resources, an organization of management by project was put in place. The project management methodology and tools used were standardized and the staff trained on them. This allowed us to manage in parallel all the projects related to implementing the new information system ( around 40 projects including the implementation of SAP, HR Access, deployment of a national and international network, …) as well as 20 related projects. All within 30 months.
Result obtained
Thanks to the effectiveness of the organization of management by project put in place:
- The contract made with the seller with respect to the calendar for progressive independence of the subsidiary was respected
- The budgets were controlled
In addition, the organizational change led to a real breakdown of stovepipes, the birth of a true team spirit and an increase in everyone’s motivation.
A publicservice wants to optimize the way it handles inquiries from professionals
Need
The organization includes a number of physical sites spread throughout its territory. One of the sites handled the vast majority of inquiries from the public with limited staffing and tools.
Response from Net’sFive
By interviewing key people we were able to prepare a clear assessment of the current situation and propose different scenarios and recommendations for evolution.
Result obtained
“We are very happy with the service from Net’sFive: speed, effectiveness and availability were key. Their expertise has provided us with a health check for our reception of the public and also identified different solutions for improvement applicable in the short and medium term.” The director of the organization
Extension of a network performance consulting offer to include application and business process performance
Issue & need
A multinational telecom operator was offering network performance consulting services but identified a requirement from clients to link network performance to business performance by including aspects of application and business process performance. This represented a new area of business for the company, so there was a special need to develop the service in a way that ensured efficient and consistent selling and delivery of the new service world-wide.
Solution from Net’sFive
During working sessions with the client we elaborated a clear modular structure for the different aspects of this complex service. We analysed and structured market, delivery and development requirements resulting in a compelling business case.
We ran workshops with practitioners involved in pilot opportunities using their input to distil best practice approaches for selling and delivery of the service. Based on this information we developed marketing, sales and delivery collaterals giving clear messages and guidance on the service. We also project managed the service development process.
Result obtained
- The development of the service was very efficient, focused and goal-driven.
- Our management of the project largely contributed to its visibility, clarity and control resulting in buy-in and support from senior executives.
- The valuation of practitioners’ knowledge and experience, which forms a cornerstone of our approach, was considered a major success factor.
Transformation of reactive fault and change management services into a portfolio of proactive, value-add service management services based on ITIL
Need
A multinational telecom operator provided reactive fault and change management services in support of its various enterprise network services. With the erosion of margins in the core network business the need arose to build out the service component, both as a distinguishing factor for its overall offer and as a means to generate additional profitable revenue. This was complemented by the need to adapt the terminology and the internal processes to align with ITIL.
Response from Net’sFive
We led the overall programme and communication management and established the principles for change. In collaboration with the client we defined the selling models for different market segments and designed a new portfolio covering consulting, implementation, support and out-tasking services.
Our mapping of the current and the future offers against the ITIL framework formed the basis for the transformation planning. We project managed and lead the development of processes and tools for the marketing, sales and delivery of a number of offers in the new portfolio.
We developed high impact CxO level customer presentations and value propositions and conducted Sales trainings based on the consultative selling methodology.
Result obtained
The programme completed successfully with the launch and roll-out of the new portfolio, largely because we managed to achieve and retain buy-in and support of senior executives.
The new portfolio was a commercial success because it provided services with clear value-add to customers and the use of the ITIL framework made communication and working with the customers easier.
Long-term business planning of ICT service portfolios for incumbent operators and developers of new cities in the Middle East
Need
The economic and social development of many Middle Eastern countries posed challenges related to ICT services on several fronts, for example:
- Smart city developers needed to provide a state-of-the-art ICT service portfolio while keeping control of the costs.
- Incumbent telecom operators needed to justify pricing changes, both internally and to regulators, before introducing revised internet access offer to remain competitive.
Response from Net’sFive
Our involvement in a number of projects in this area had the following common features:
- We built the structure of the business case by identifying the major revenue and cost driver categories.
- We gathered and modelled relevant data by working with marketing, technical and operations experts to capture sales projections, manpower, infrastructure & investment needs and validated the results with all parties and affected stakeholders.
- We provided the financial analysis including depreciation and financial indicators and wrote reports for the clients’ top management and (where applicable) the regulator summarising market, revenue and cost information.
- We presented the final results to clients’ executive committees and division heads.
Results obtained
- Our single-point-of-contact approach ensured consistency of and agreement on costs and prices across all functions.
- The clients obtained clear visibility on expense planning and financial implications which allowed effective risk management prior to investment.
Selection of a new finance application for a software company
Issue & need
A SME active in the development and world-wide sales of software wanted to replace its finance application. A number of new releases had not been applied and moving to the latest version would cost as much as buying the software anew. Moreover, the existing solution was not totally satisfactory to the users and there had also been organizational changes in the Finance department.
Therefore, the company decided to start a new evaluation process to select an application better suited to its needs while respecting the requirement of strong integration with the in-house developed Intranet applications for client management.
Solution from Net’sFive
Together with the client we established a clear and detailed requirements specification taking into account the experience with the current system as well as the new needs. Based on that, we evaluated the market to identify solutions with a potential fit to the requirement specification and integrators with a proven track record of implementing them.
We sent a request for quotation containing the requirements specification and standardized response forms to these companies. The standardized responses and our evaluation tables allowed us to provide a synthesis to the client in a very short time frame. The two best candidates were then invited to present their solution. After the presentations we moderated a quick discussion allowing the client to make the final decision.
Result obtained
- The efficiency of our approach allowed the client to make the best choice in a short, well-managed time frame.
- The client could focus their involvement on the key milestones of the process while keeping total visibility of it as well as owning the final decision.
- The project was completed strictly respecting the milestones and costs initially established.