Major Outsourcing Digital Transformation
The Situation
Situation
I was Head of Service Management within a large financial services organisation undergoing a significant technology transformation. The business wanted to modernise its IT operating model, improve service quality, and reduce costs across a £30 million IT budget. This involved a complex outsourcing programme affecting multiple suppliers, internal teams, and business-critical services across several European locations.
Task
I was responsible for leading the service management workstream throughout the transformation. My objective was to ensure a smooth transition to the new operating model while maintaining service stability, managing supplier relationships, establishing effective governance, and delivering the anticipated business benefits.
Action
To achieve this, I:
- Established a robust service management framework to support the transition and ensure operational readiness.
- Introduced governance structures that created clear accountability between internal stakeholders and outsourced partners.
- Developed service performance measures and executive reporting, providing leadership teams with visibility of service outcomes and risks.
- Worked closely with suppliers to align operational performance with contractual commitments and business expectations.
- Implemented a structured service transition approach across multiple regions to minimise disruption and reduce risk.
- Engaged regularly with senior executives and business stakeholders to maintain confidence, manage expectations, and ensure alignment with strategic objectives.
- Embedded continual improvement practices to drive value beyond the initial transformation.
Result
The programme successfully delivered a 25% reduction in IT operating costs against a £30 million budget, generating significant financial savings for the organisation. Throughout the transformation, service performance remained stable, with availability consistently maintained above target for three consecutive years. The new operating model improved supplier accountability, strengthened governance, and created a more scalable service management capability that supported the organisation’s long-term business strategy.
The Task
I was responsible for leading the service management workstream throughout the transformation. My objective was to ensure a smooth transition to the new operating model while maintaining service stability, managing supplier relationships, establishing effective governance, and delivering the anticipated business benefits.
The Action / Approach
To achieve this, I:
- Established a robust service management framework to support the transition and ensure operational readiness.
- Introduced governance structures that created clear accountability between internal stakeholders and outsourced partners.
- Developed service performance measures and executive reporting, providing leadership teams with visibility of service outcomes and risks.
- Worked closely with suppliers to align operational performance with contractual commitments and business expectations.
- Implemented a structured service transition approach across multiple regions to minimise disruption and reduce risk.
- Engaged regularly with senior executives and business stakeholders to maintain confidence, manage expectations, and ensure alignment with strategic objectives.
- Embedded continual improvement practices to drive value beyond the initial transformation.
The Result
The programme successfully delivered a 25% reduction in IT operating costs against a £30 million budget, generating significant financial savings for the organisation. Throughout the transformation, service performance remained stable, with availability consistently maintained above target for three consecutive years. The new operating model improved supplier accountability, strengthened governance, and created a more scalable service management capability that supported the organisation’s long-term business strategy.
