Case Study: Project Prioritization

“We have limited funds, how should we spend them?”

The Problem

For a major healthcare organization, there wasn’t a good way to manage and prioritize IT project requests. With project demand greater than resources, it was imperative to find a different way of prioritizing and approving projects. The “squeaky wheel” approach was not cutting it.

The Approach

It took Leadership. With the sponsorship of executive leadership, advisory committees were formed based on major lines of service. A standard project intake process with weighted criteria aligned with strategic goals and objectives was pioneered. Organization champions communicated the change – a new standard method for requesting projects. We didn’t stop there – continued refinement of the weighted criteria with input from the advisory committees led to improved decisions.

The Result

Funding for the most critical initiatives using both qualitative and quantitative evaluation criteria was implemented. Initiatives were presented using a standard process by the sponsoring champion. A project portfolio was created to provide visibility of approved projects, those in wait and those that didn’t make the cut. A benefits realization dashboard was also delivered to showcase how project investments paid off.

Case Study: Project Management Office

“We have the green light, now how do we deliver?”

The Problem

A decentralized model for the delivery of projects was in place with varying degrees of project delivery success. Projects funded were not delivered and results were not always consistent.

The Approach

It started with the team. A formal Project Management Office was established, centralizing project managers, business analysts and testing leads. The team created methods, templates and processes that were “right-fit” for the organization. Skills were assessed and training was delivered to build a high performing team that provided the needed consistency in project delivery.

The Result

A sound foundation for the project management lifecycle was delivered – from project initiation to close out. Project sponsors and key stakeholders had improved consistency in project delivery – they knew what to expect and they could measure project delivery success.

Case Study: Program Management – ERP

“Too many systems, too little time”

The Problem

Too many handoffs from one department to another and the disparate systems in place were not promoting smooth work transitions. Duplicate entry of information, manual processes, and lengthy processing time were the status quo. Legacy systems were highly customized; making it difficult to manage changes and upgrades. It was time for better a system.

The Approach

The first step was to pull together the end users. They defined the requirements needed to select an integrated ERP system replacing standalone financial, HR/Payroll and Supply Chain legacy systems. Guiding principles were defined to support improved integration which were used to redesign workflows and department roles. If the work shifted, so did the people doing the work. System customizations were eliminated; business processes flexed to take advantage of best-fit system features. End users were kept abreast of what was changing; change champions were the project cheerleaders. Inefficient practices were replaced with improved standard work workflows..

The Result

We implemented a non-customized ERP system, designed and configured by the end users supporting finance, HR, payroll and supply chain operations. Departments and workflows were streamlined and throughput was significantly improved. Financial close took less time, employees were onboarded with fewer errors, paper time cards were eliminated and purchasing reinforced best pricing agreements.

Case Study: Business Process Transformation

“How do we easily pay for the things we just purchased?”

The Problem

The paper shuffle is not a happy dance, yet everyone in the organization seemed to be doing it. Vendors were not always paid timely, multiple invoice copies were made just in case invoices were lost and manual coding created a great deal of rework to correct errors. Each department had a different process they were following to pay their bills which elongated the payment lifecycle.

The Approach

We prepared an inventory of the Accounts Payable processes, invited end users to participate in designing an improved and standard way of paying their bills.   Technology was introduced to automate standard workflows and remove manual processes. Invoice images were stored and made available enterprise-wide which eliminated the need to store invoice copies.

To ensure improvements were made continuously, a phased rollout approach to departments was planned. The teams’ expertise increased over time, allowing for more complex invoice processing to be successfully managed for later rollouts.

The Result

Standards for invoice processing were put in place. Rework due to coding errors was reduced by 75%. Paper storage costs reduced by 50% and number of late payments due to processing time was reduced by 80%.