Banking

International Software Roll-Out Programme Definition

Roles Provided: Programme Architect, Programme Manager, Programme Support Manager.

One of the UK's leading banking groups needed to replace support operations and systems across its entire operations network. The system being replaced is used to support day to day banking operations across 30 countries and is the second highest volume application after Email throughout the bank.

Because of the highly-critical and pivotal nature of the application, the bank used GIOS Innovation's 'Zero-Failure Option' to design and define the delivery approaches and strategies, including integration with other systems and operations, supplier negotiations, cultural considerations, risk identification, infrastructure change planning, scheduling and budgeting.

GIOS Innovation produced integrated documentation, which is fully cross-referenced and indexed to ensure completeness of understanding across each of the corporate and overseas teams involved.

Integrated document sets included: Detailed Cost Books with Benefits Matrices, Business Case Options, Programme Definition Documents and Multi-Level Programme Plans.

Insurance

Complex Insurance Underwriting Programme.

Roles Provided: Programme Manager, Programme Integration Manager.

One of the UK's listed software houses was contracted to deliver a suite of sophisticated IT applications to a leading Lloyd's syndicate. The software house had failed to maintain the schedule agreed with the client, and Cranfield were called in to analyse the problems on behalf of the Software operation.

The main problem was identified as a management issue, and Cranfield recommended that an GIOS Innovation Programme Manager be appointed. Previously, the software house had used two in-house Project Managers, with little experience of demanding clients and complex software.

Our mandate was to find a way to halt the imminent legal action between the parties, via facilitated joint meetings, and to propose a new delivery proposal, which would be 'fail-safe', and acceptable to the client.

The main issues did stem from the use of inexperienced Project Managers, who failed to understand the importance of enjoining all of the client's key managers into the delivery process. Via the careful building of a joint management delivery team, and a plan, which took into account the client's day-to-day commitments.

We were able to re-establish the whole relationship and deliver the Programme exactly to the agreed day.

Retail & Logistics

Warehousing System Project

Roles provided: Project Architect/Manager.

Installation of 'fail-safe' 24/7 warehousing control system to manage stock control of entire frozen raw material stock for a major pet food company.

We were called in to advise on how to achieve a 'zero-failure delivery' on this highly-critical business project.

A factory employing 2,000 people relied on supply from a warehouse controlled by a 14 year old computer system. The factory was in operation for 23.5 hours per day, for the whole year, except for a one week annual closedown each Christmas.

We took over the project in July, prior to a supplier having been selected and organised a rapid but structured ITT process, integrated bespoke development of a 'back-to-back' advanced 'failsafe' system, plus implementation, testing and commissioning in a 7 day window.

The system was delivered on time, on-cost and on-quality with zero client impact.

Telecom.

Re-structuring of a Mobile Telecoms Products Delivery Programme.

A major international telecoms equipment and services company were having significant difficulties in delivering a large programme to provide their client with urgent to market products.

GIOS Innovation were asked to advise and to provide urgent and direct intervention and support to re-engineer the schedule and significantly increase the quality of the deliverables.

The programme was being badly directed on a micro-management basis by a senior executive, with a poor understanding of programme/project management and had already had two experienced programme managers resign on the basis of this direction (one external, one internal after 8 weeks). Working with an GIOS Innovation Programme Architect, who we assigned on an 'added-value' basis, we were able to work together on the following basis:

Poor quality product delivery was quickly sapping client confidence:

We therefore negotiated the assignment of a testing architect and expert testing team from a specialist supplier who were to create a new testing strategy and testing approach.

GIOS Innovation managed the testing team from mobilisation, through the whole testing lifecycle.

This delivered a more reliable and higher quality testing outcome than previously achieved.

Professional Services

Compliance & Actuarial Programme Partners

Roles Provided: Programme Architect, Programme & Project Integration Managers, Project Support Officers.

GIOS Innovation is the appointed Programme & Project Management partners for one of the world's leading compliance and actuarial consultancies.

We work with our clients partners and experts to define, design successful delivery solutions for major banks, insurers and other financial institutions.

Programmes/Projects include: Economic Capital and complex actuarial systems and approaches as well as Basel II and preparations for Solvency II.

As Programme and Project partners, we have created specialised approaches to ensure complete management of internal technical teams, together with close co-operation with both the ultimate client's technical and in-house delivery managers and teams.

GIOS Innovation also operates the company's Project Delivery Office, which ensures the co-ordination of :integrated plans & deliverables; resources, risks; issues; changes and reporting.

GIOS Innovation's Programme Architects facilitate definition workshops for both internal teams and for the clients customers.