Change Management
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Management Development
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Business Analysis
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Project Assurance
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Reference Material
CASE STUDIES
Case Study 1 - Telecoms Company – Bradford
Background
Due to the rapid expansion of this company, the number of projects and programmes incrementally increased. Where they had been managed on a rather unstructured way previously, there was a growing need to apply additional governance to the project process. In addition to the lack of structure, the projects were very IT driven and business requirements were often disjointed or largely forgotten. Business cases were non existent and scarce resource was being used on ‘pet’ projects. A number of proposals were put forward to strengthen the process, one of which was to create a small business analysis function, a role new to the Company.
Matthews Craig Consulting carried out the following on behalf of the Company.
- Defined the role of the Business Analyst including full job descriptions and people specifications.
- Created a set of industry standard role competencies.
- Designed the organisation team structure.
- Provided a basic analysis methodology, including standard templates.
- Recruited the initial team of analysts.
Conclusion
The Company were delighted with the new function and from an initial team of five this quickly grew to a team of twenty three. The role of the Business Analysts became commonly understood in the Company and they were asked to be involved in the majority of major change that was happening. The team continues to grow in a time of cost cutting elsewhere in the business.
Case Study 2 - Utilities Company – Manchester
Background
Following a number of reorganisations the Company found themselves with a group of new line Managers. Most of them were completely new to the role whilst others had been Managers before, but had had no formal training. They were keen to gain a better understanding of the role and learn the key techniques of effective management.
Matthews Craig Consulting undertook the following;-
- Completed a training needs analysis with each new manager
- Adapted the Introduction to Management course to suit the needs of the Company
- Delivered the course for eight of their new managers.
Conclusion
The course received excellent feedback and has since been highly successful in a number of other companies. Each participant felt more comfortable in their ability to undertake the role and to have some best practice techniques to take back to the work place.
Case Study 3 - Telecoms Company – London
Background
This Company had just put in place a centralised Programme Management Group to manage the entire project portfolio for the Company. Following a number of internal assessments of the project, process concern was raised at Senior Level about the business benefits of some of the projects raised. They felt there was a need to introduce some form of independent due diligence to new projects being created.
As are result Matthews Craig Consulting carried out the following;-
- Designed and developed a new front end process to assess new work coming into the group.
- Set up an independent evaluation forum to assess each new piece of work.
- Established an agreed set of quality criteria by which the work could be assessed.
- Provided supporting templates to capture the information.
- Introduced a series of management reports to measure the success of the new forum.
Conclusion
The new process was well received and quickly adopted nationally for all new pieces of work. The number of projects moving forward to approval was reduced by 30% initially and finally to 20% after a six month period. Prior to its introduction the number of projects without a sound business case was 78% this was subsequently reduced to 24%.
