Programme Leadership to rationalise and simplify technology, data and vendor landscape

• Our customer had a three-year vision to simplify and standardise its fragmented global Technology and Data landscape which had been built over years of acquisitions and regional autonomy.  

• They wanted to enhance efficiency and simplify their technology estate, through a global technology transformation to remove complexity, get more from the core strategic platforms and unlock significant cost savings. 

• The disparate Technology & Data systems across regions meant over 3000+ suppliers were supporting them, which was not manageable, costly and inefficient. 

• Project One was asked to structure and set up a programme to deliver against the three-year vision and expected business outcomes. 

• We structured, launched and led the transformation, merging key Technology and Data projects into an enterprise-wide transformation.  

• We created a tranche-based approach to investment case creation and implementation with overlapping tranches covering multiple projects across multiple years of delivery to allow benefits to be realised as rapidly as possible, and resources to be focused on the opportunities of greatest value.  

• We established and ran a global Programme Management Office (PMO) to drive the right level of governance for a programme of this size. We also transitioned the management of the PMO following successful set-up and after 18 months of operational management to ensure it was embedded and effective.  

• Due to the complexity of the programme, our team required experienced senior engagement to ensure all projects had credible delivery plans and that all benefits were owned and realised by the operational service lines. 

• Our team helped to address data quality issues to enable accurate cost modelling and decision-making for future technology and data rationalisation opportunities and created a dashboard which provided visibility of the TCO for the CIO. 

• Finally we led a team of internal and external resources for three years to ensure long-term sustainability, promoted a ‘simplification mindset’ across the technology teams. and delivered the financial benefits for the Group CIO and wider Executives. 

• Four tranches approved totalling a significant multi-million pound investment 

• Delivery of the financial benefits for the Group CIO and wider Executives of over £100m savings within three years. 

• Reduced complexity in the Technology & Data estate and increased alignment to strategic destination architecture.  

• Improved operational resilience by transferring critical network services away from single point of risk and improved cyber security across the factories.  

• Technology and Data landscape is now more aligned to the architecture strategy and by centralising control under the CIO it is better understood across the whole organisation. 

• The programme created a positive brand internally and across the Senior Finance Leadership community, benefitting future strategic initiatives and requests for investment.  

The Outcome (Some Specifics outcome across the Programme): 

Cloud Consolidation & Application Modernisation  

• Mass Migration & Strategic Consolidation by global exit from Data Centres to the Cloud. Strategically consolidated Cloud presence, embracing a “Cloud-Only” approach. This marked a shift towards a product-focused way of working.  

• Cloud modernisation took applications that were “lifted and shifted” onto the Cloud and transformed them to become cloud-native applications, this transformed the business services, by reducing technology obsolescence, improving resilience, and underpinning our Cyber security posture in the Cloud. 

Vendor Rationalisation  

• Transformed the technology vendor ecosystem through strategic reduction and positioning and applied a multi-tiered vendor framework. 

• Delivered the new vendor strategy by reducing the number of vendors by 30% (over 3000+ vendors ranging across different spend thresholds). This also increased the commercial leverage and reduced internal overheads. 

Network and Identify Management Consolidation  

• Delivered a unified Global Network Support contract achieving multi-million savings.  

• Transformed how access and connectivity is delivered globally for all employees and Third Parties. Rationalised the access technologies, and the Vendors that provide them, at all locations, (including remote access). 

• Reshaped the Network Access & Connectivity team to reflect the increasing depth and breadth of services needed to be provided to secure the future operating model. 

Enterprise Integration Platform Rationalisation  

• Radical transformation of Enterprise Integration Technologies moving from six to one integration platform (SAP BTP), supporting over 12k integrations and 150 million messages per month. 

• Delivery of an aggressive two-year plan to protect the benefits plan and avoid license renewals with existing platforms even though estimated to be a three-year programme. 

• Strong partnership between the customer and SI delivery teams. 

Data and Analytics Application Rationalisation  

• Decommissioned over 60 Data and Analytics applications 

• Data platforms redeveloped and rolled out to over 80% of the markets.  

• Projects delivered with a “build once, use many times” data strategy, transforming the underlying data architecture and rationalising vendors, generating savings​. 

Reimagined People Processes, Technology and Data  

• This programme has transformed the people experience, which was currently a highly complex, standalone & discreet system and data structures.  

• Through rewired technology utilising Workday, the automation of key processes in Peoples journeys, and underpinned by ‘gold standard’ data quality, Employees & Managers are now able to self-serve and benefit from reduced turnaround times and experience an increase in ‘right first time’.  

• This initiative had two primary focus areas, Process Standardisation & Automation and creation of Global Processes for standard HR & People process i.e. joiners, movers, leavers etc and Application Restructuring or HR & People technologies (excluded payroll). 

Project One value Add:  

• Effective leadership and delivery of a diverse Enterprise-Wide Programme/ Portfolio. 

• Programme Management Office capability. 

• Investment Case Creation 

• Strong management of blended team of internal and external resources 

• Uplifted internal capability to take on leadership roles 

• Effective Stakeholder Engagement and Management 

• Successful Benefit Realisation Management