CIO needed to demonstrate to this FTSE 30 board the power of data to enable change and drive efficiency and business productivity. Data and enable change and improve business efficiency and productivity security were central to the IT Strategy, from here all other IT objectives would be driven as the focussed on using data to drive the business and provide a faster understanding of how demand, revenues and resources were being used. A key focus was threefold: streamline backend operations across finance, procurement and human resources, to drive new charging models for existing customers and to simplify customer engagement; sense usage of services and facilities to inform planning and resourcing to improve quality of services and how to make services relevant and to measure the effectiveness of plans and initiatives, thus allowing “within quarter” and “within month” change of tactics, rather than yearly reviews.

Although having a strong ICT team and using agile methods they lacked capabilities in taking an enterprise data and analytics architecture approach. This was further complicated by the diverse set of data required from across the business, and suppliers; ageing existing systems; numerous acquisitions (not yet integrated); and the need to provide shared access to sensitive data and contracts both inside and outside the company.

I was asked to develop the Data and analytics strategy and what is would take to deliver on that strategy. I was based in the business, working across the operational board and providing regular updates to the COO and CIO.

Demonstrating the power of data to enable change and improve business efficiency and productivity is a challenge when everyone is focussed on delivering the core business.

The assignment began by getting an end to end perspective of the use of data within the business covering systems, processes, people, technology, culture and ways of working. From face to face interviews as well as in depth reviewing documentation and data assets a prioritised list of quick win initiatives and rationale for each initiative was developed in addition to a quantitaive assessment of the data architecture, information governance and how data was inhibiting the business.
The board presentation gave approval to develop a future state model that met strategic objectives and drove efficiency across the business. This included the investment plan and roadmap with tangible benefits.

An investment plan was presented with costed intiatives to deliver a cloud based business intellignce and analytics platform, create a data and analytics centre of excellance (hiring 8 people) and funding for 6 key projects from the 36 projects identified in the 5 year roadmap.
This investment provided the foundation for data and analytics by:

• Improve access to skills, capabilities and expert availability
• Improve clarity of responsibilities and capabilities to deliver against strategic and tactical initiatives.
• Identified a framework of agreed and prioritised initiatives and opportunities to generate business value, and embed data driven decisions
• Ability to demonstrate, socialise and communicate concepts, outcomes and business cases
• Enhanced cross-business collaboration, communication and buy in and identified key improvements for sharing data to lawyers, tax advisors, shareholders and suppliers.

I then actioned the 6 projects, hiring appropriate skilled people, embed tailored project delivery approaches that aligned business and ICT working practices thus embedding the new capability in the organisation.

The business now has people and capability that have delivered projects showing how data can enable change and improve business efficiency and productivity

This value was delivered by;
– Effective delivery against planned financial targets and impact on business function personnel, releasing them to work on more strategic initiatives
– Successful, timely evidence that is measured of initiatives to drive customer demand, and the impact of transformation change
– More satisfied and engaged employees with increased retention and productivity (more so they are becoming data curious)
– More consistent and sustainable profitability and business growth, through using all data to provide risk based assessment of future costs, and the positive impact of marketing and public relations activities.
– Rationalising the application and systems portfolio, and introducing RPA synching of information across systems.
– Clarity on data ownership, process and where master copies of data, documents reside.
– Increased credibility, confidence and influence across the business
– Enabling positive behavioural change, and embedding a “what does the data say” first approach.
– Gain access to additional budget through success
– Improved business agility and ability to rapidly respond to change and opportunity
– Direct positive impact on internal and external customer satisfaction
– Viable, scalable and actionable roadmap to deliver innovation and change

Pains relieved included;
– Lack of exec sponsorship and track record
– Unclear business strategy and requirements
– Misaligned goals or departmental conflicting goals for data priorities across business and silos
– Lack of customer insight
– Poor data strategy resulting in siloed, incomplete and poor quality data
– Lack of clarity around the internal business ecosystem
– Delivering cloud based big data solutions allowed business to get early benefits quickly proving the business initiatives at a low cost pricepoint and for IT to plan and schedule the decommissioning of systems and technology, based on business anticipated profitability from using data.

• Big Data
• Data Architecture
• Data Governance
• business architecture
• business and it operational processes
• business intelligence
• Information governance
• programme management
• Business Cases

• BI & Analytics
• Digital Enablement
• Organisational Agility & Effectiveness