Client executives and trustees were struggling to understand the objectives and product direction of a proposed ‘participatory model’ and customer experience, despite considerable investment and supporter research. Impacting buy-in for a business and digital transformation that would help modernise the organisation.

The programme had been running for 5 years (through the pandemic), at considerable expense, and with little progress. The client requested guidance and advice that would provide clarity, product strategy, roadmap and decision!

• To conduct as-is analysis on product capability, IT ecosystem and customer journey, documenting current business architecture.
• To assess outcome of extensive customer research, identifying wants, needs, inefficiencies and gaps.
• Conduct requirements elicitation, prioritisation and scoping involving cross-functional stakeholders.
• Conduct solution and strategic business architecture, providing direction for to-be.
• Propose and advise on product strategy and transformation approach.
• Work with the Programme Manager to advise on resource requirements, team structure, roles, responsibilities and change management.

Guided the organisation through the importance of business capability modelling in setting the foundations of successful transformation programmes and product strategy. Understanding ‘what’ their strategy, vision and mission is, the thematic pillars supporting these and the services and goods they wish to provide are before determining ‘how’. Used this to explain the resources needed and the actions required to identify and agree a product roadmap that would deliver/enable the desired value to customers/supporters that they wanted vs what the organisation felt they needed.

• Created educational material, based on best practice, that explained programme/project structure, aligned to strategy, and the necessary roles and process required for success. Highlighted where the organisation was and what was needed to move forward and modernise. Presented to the executive team and Steering Group.
• Conducted stakeholder analysis and RACI, to ascertain their understanding and objectives of the proposed participatory model.
• Reviewed and analysed supporter research and output of co-design workshops to ascertain their wants, needs and customer experience.
• Analysed and mapped as-is product capability, IT ecosystem and user journey.
• Conducted requirements elicitation, via desktop analysis of supporter research, outcomes and cross functional SME interviews, to produce a comprehensive and accessible specification.
  • Prioritised in scope requirements, through playback and collaboration.
• Conducted strategic business architecture work, formulating specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timebound (SMART) programme objectives, aligned to objectives and key results (OKRs). Used these as a perimeter of scope.
• Conducted solution analysis and design to propose to-be, programme of work and transformation approach.
• Conducted a feasibility study into the proposed digital transformation, focusing on customer data and experience.

This approach helped reduce confusion and resistance, providing clarity on current state, desired future state, and how to get there using simple accessible language. Making sure that programmes and projects were created that aligned with the business strategy, plan and provided valued outcomes. Also, that time, work and resource was committed to projects that are SMART, with capability gaps addressed. This reduced the risk of delivering incompatible or incomplete solutions, and avoided unrealistic and/or conflicting expectations.

Analysis illustrated the current complexity of the organisations ecosystem and how rapid growth and lack of strategic thinking and alignment had resulted in a confusing supporter experience, which impacted membership and engagement. By taking a step back to realise the current state, how they’d got there and appreciate that cultural and organisational change was required before they embarked on an ill defined digital transformation, provided clarity and direction. Enabling positive behavioural change, cross functional collaboration and an aligned, viable, scalable and actionable roadmap to deliver innovation and change. Findings highlighted:

• Lack of programme objectives, business case and commitment, leading to a fragmented approach, investment and results.
• Lack of clarity and understanding around internal business and product ecosystem, need to consolidate and simplify.
• Unclear business and programme strategy and requirements.
• Conflict between the perception and reality of digital skills tools, methods and skilled resource required/available. Also, the time, cost and resources needed compared to business capability.
• Oversight of cultural change required and the impact on credibility, confidence and resistance amongst both internal and external customers and stakeholders.

By working closely with senior stakeholders (steering group, sponsor, product owner and programme team) we were able to:

• Provide clarity on business strategy, roadmap and agree aligned programme and associated project goals and objectives.
  • Propose transformation approach, incorporating  user experience (UX), A/B testing and refinement.
  • Future formation of 3 key projects and phased deliverables.
• Agree scope, document and prioritise requirements for future tender.
• Illustrate to-be and clear path from current state that encompassed target operating model, cultural change and capability development to achieve future vision.
• Educate, explaining that business change and transformation cannot be solely delivered through technology. That IT is a mechanism which supports this process.

The digital transformation was paused whilst foundations were put in place, reducing risk and cost, by adding to the already complex ecosystem that could not be navigated internally or by customers/supporters, negatively impacting organisational credibility. This focused re-direction improved confidence and influence, breaking the businesses transformation down into bite size portions that would improve agility and willingness to change. Future direction was better understood as a result with a tangible digital experience that could improve the supporter journey, participation, membership and operations on the horizon.

• business analysis
• business architecture
• Business Capability Modelling
• Business Clarity
• Business transformation
• creative problem-solving
• Co-creation
• Consultancy
• Explaining Complexity Simply
• Strategy - business, project and experiences
• Future-scoping
• Tech For Good
• Product Vision/Strategy
• solution design

• Digital Enablement
• Purpose to Portfolio

• Charities