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Shaping the future > Consultancy > Technology Management
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In Perspective
Technology Management |
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"Our
people thrive on challenges. There won't be many situations they haven't
experienced, or problems that they haven't seen and solved before"
As a consultancy, we have our
fair share of employees that have held senior positions in IT and business teams
within the professional services sector.
This experience and knowledge is a core foundation of our Technology Management
Service and is often called upon by our clients to help better manage their IT
function. This service can range from managing a small piece of development
work, to managing complex infrastructure change, to advising the board on
overall strategy and operational aspects of its IT provision.
We are often asked to help organizations improve their strategy by ensuring IT
aligns to the needs of the business. When necessary, we will also help to
mediate if the relationship between the business and IT function has broken
down.
Outsourced service provision is an attractive option for small to medium size
firms, but can be a difficult contract to manage if no internal IT consultative
resource remains in place. When this occurs, the responsibility for IT
often falls in the lap of the executive board or the Financial Director.
Our experience proves these gaps can be better filled by experienced individuals
on an interim basis. This is especially relevant for organizations that due to
their size or income are unlikely to employ a full time IT director/manager.
Our people thrive on challenges and
there won't be many situations they haven't experienced or problems that they haven't seen and solved before. | |
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In Detail |
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Baseline Technology Management Service
360° Consultancy Pod (Baseline TMS) |
| If we worked with an outsource company, how would you liaise with them on our behalf?
To start with we'd undertake an initial review of your outsourced contract, this would include:
- Monthly meetings to assess reports on the status of the contract, covering reported incidents and other key performance indicators (KPIs);
- Raising issues related to performance, style, etc. that required some degree of change; and
- Pursuing those issues to a satisfactory conclusion.
How would you stay in touch with the needs of our business teams?
We'd liaise with the business to identify needs, issues and report status - this would include:
- Regular meetings with representatives of senior management - primary individual and others as required;
- Regular meetings with representatives of business units and central support departments - probably quarterly; and
- Telephone calls as required.
How would you report to members of the board?
Attendance at board meetings - this would include:
- Preparation of an IT status report;
- Physical presence;
- Provision of advice on strategy, etc; and
- Follow up reports on particular areas.
Give examples when we would need to consider extending the baseline service?
Examples may include:
- Dealing with an existing outsource contract that requires major work to bring it back into line;
- One-off project management e.g. office move or communication systems replacement; and
- Detailed research into vendors and/or their systems.
What if we decide to keep the IT function in-house, can you still help?
An internal IT team should operate in the same manner as an outsource company; service levels should be agreed by the business and be part of an approved IT strategy that aligns itself to the organization and its overall objectives. Often dissatisfaction in the IT service can be pinpointed to an operational and communication breakdown between IT and the business. A 360° Consultancy Pod for a Baseline Technology Management Service applies equally for an internal team or an IT outsource company, our approach and methodology remain the same. | |
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In Action | |
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Scenario - 360° Consultancy Pod
Technology Management Service
Requirement
Having outsourced our IT function we recognize we need help to better manage the relationship with our service provider to ensure optimized service delivery. We need assistance to interpret and translate, and indeed challenge, the perceived needs of the business in-line with new market developments. Our business is professional services not IT and we wholeheartedly recognize the value of engaging with experts who can hit the ground running and have a track record in IT management and strategy definition. We are used to having a permanent team and need help to ease the transition to an outsourced model.
360° Consultancy Pod (Baseline TMS)
- Technology Management (Strategy - IT to Business Alignment, Interim IT Management and Supplier Management)
- Change Management (Transition Support)
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Scenario - 360° Consultancy Pod
Technology Management Service
Requirement
Having successfully dealt with the management of our internal IT function i.e. PCs on desks and a robust email system, we now need to consider what applications we need to provide for the firm to support our continued growth and information management requirements. Having prioritized our needs, we now require assistance to select and procure an appropriate solution to help us manage our electronic documents and paper filing in the context of our client instructions and our corporate activity. We need to be confident that this solution will provide us with a platform to explore new service initiates related to information provision and third party collaboration.
360° Consultancy Pod (Vendor Selection)
- Technology Management (Project Management)
- Solution Discovery (Document Management)
- Vendor Selection (Document Management)
- Change Management (Transition Support)
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Scenario - 360° Consultancy Pod
Technology Management Service
Requirement
Our business is expanding and we are moving from a single office set-up to a multiple office operation and need to be sure we have a telecommunications strategy and infrastructure, along with the necessary partnerships, to meet the needs of the firm over the coming years. The field of telecommunications has advanced massively and we recognize that it's not just about purchasing the latest switchboard technology. We need to understand how we are going to define a strategy. The strategy needs to be flexible and be able to support the firm’s future growth plans, while providing us with a robust business continuity plan. We require an external consultant who can make sense of the operational challenges faced by businesses today, but in the context of our business, and obviously our markets. A consultant that also possesses the knowledge and expertise to advise on what is best for us taking into account our operational and business needs. We are clear that this is not just a technology project.
360° Consultancy Pod (Vendor Selection)
- Technology Management (Project Management)
- Solution Discovery (Technology and Communications)
- Vendor Selection (Telecommunications)
- Technology Management (Supplier Management)
- Change Management (Transition Support)
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