Resource Type: Case Study

Transforming Portfolio Management at a Leading UK Financial Services Organization in Just 9 Weeks

Posted on November 12, 2024 by -

When organizations evolve their strategic planning processes, their portfolio management capabilities need to evolve as well. This was the opportunity facing this leading financial services organization in the UK, until a pioneering approach to Lean Portfolio Management transformed their delivery capabilities.

When Portfolio Scale Outpaces Process  

Like many organizations, our client had historically approached their corporate planning with flexibility rather than clear commitments. “Previously, the corporate plan was more of a directional document than an execution roadmap,” explains one project leader. This approach shifted when a new CEO arrived with a vision for more structured delivery and began asking for specific execution timelines.

The organization recognized opportunities to improve portfolio visibility and team alignment. Their existing change prioritization process needed modernization, and departments had opportunities to enhance collaboration. Most importantly, they sought better ways to track delivery and value.

After evaluating seven to nine different companies, the company chose Cprime because they felt we truly understood the issues they were facing and were going to guide them to success rather than hand them a generic PowerPoint deck and walk away.

Essential LPM: A Strategic Approach to Portfolio Management

Recognizing that traditional LPM implementations had become increasingly complex, Cprime developed a streamlined, essential approach. This new methodology, piloted in partnership with our client, focused on implementing core LPM elements in just nine weeks.

The solution included:

  • A comprehensive two-day LPM training event
  • Current state portfolio evaluation
  • Value stream identification workshops
  • Strategic theme creation
  • Portfolio canvas and vision development
  • Epic identification and prioritization
  • Implementation of a Portfolio Kanban system
  • Regular portfolio sync meetings

Following the initial nine-week implementation, Cprime guided the company through SAFe PI Planning, successfully rolling it out across nine Agile Release Trains (ARTs) involving 450 people within six months.

The Results  

“We saved them four million pounds within six weeks just because they now have full visibility into the work being done, how and why it’s being funded, and how it aligns with high-level strategy.” — Gez Smith, Cprime LPM Consultant and SAFe Fellow

The impact was immediate and substantial. Within the first two months, the client identified opportunities to optimize their portfolio that resulted in £4 million in cost savings. “We got everything in the same place and could make more informed decisions about our investments,” one stakeholder reported.

The organization experienced significant improvement in project predictability, with ARTs consistently achieving their delivery commitments after the first PI Planning. Teams developed increased confidence in their planning and execution capabilities.

The benefits were so clear that they decided to retain a dedicated space for PI Planning though it cost £50,000 annually in taxes, determining that “the conversations that we’ve had have already paid for the space just through the alignment.”

Most notably, the organization achieved comprehensive portfolio visibility. As one leader noted, “This is the first time we can actually see across the organization what all of the teams are working on.”

Could Essential LPM Work for Your Organization?

Cprime’s Essential LPM approach demonstrates how portfolio management opportunities can be addressed through a focused, streamlined implementation. For organizations looking to enhance portfolio visibility, project delivery, or organizational alignment, Cprime’s proven methodology offers a path to efficient, sustainable transformation. Like our client, we’re confident your organization can achieve meaningful results through a structured, well-planned implementation with the right approach and expertise.

Moving forward, the client now has a strong foundation for organizational transformation, providing the opportunity for even greater results through continued development of these LPM capabilities.

Explore our innovative and flexible Lean Portfolio Management solutions today!

WellStar Leverages INRY’s ServiceNow Expertise for a Tailored SPM Solution

Posted on September 25, 2024 by -

WellStar chose INRY as their preferred partner to revamp their Strategic Portfolio Management System. The objective was to bring about a significant transformation, and INRY provided support to make it happen. Through detailed workshops and collaborative sessions, INRY acquired a deep insight into WellStar’s challenges and areas of concern. INRY carefully documented the workflow and processes, identified bottlenecks, and analyzed the underlying causes of inefficiencies. This in-depth understanding was crucial in crafting a solution tailored to WellStar’s needs.

A customized solution was created to address the different challenges identified, to streamline WellStar’s workflows, enhance productivity, and cut down expenses. Given the complexity of the transformation, INRY recommended a phased implementation approach to ensure success.

The first phase involved building a solid foundation, which was crucial to the entire project’s success. Once the foundation was established, Phase 2 introduced advanced features and optimization. With this approach, INRY delivered a comprehensive solution addressing WellStar’s specific challenges while minimizing disruptions to their day-to-day operations.

The Journey of Transformation

Phase 1: Building the Foundation for Success

In Phase 1, it was essential for INRY to gain a comprehensive understanding of WellStar’s current project and Portfolio Management procedures. The existing process and practices were reviewed along with historical data. Workshops were conducted, and existing reports were analyzed to conduct a thorough analysis. INRY was then able to identify areas where the platform was not being utilized to its fullest potential.

INRY efficiently optimized the existing ServiceNow Strategic Portfolio Management System to address WellStar’s specific requirements:

Project & Portfolio Management

Key processes like portfolio creation, financial planning, and project workspace functionalities were optimized to align with WellStar’s objectives. Deliverables included configuring portfolio and project management settings, enabling SPM processes, defining project criteria, and establishing task assignments. Custom fields, workflows, and templates were also configured to streamline project initiation, management, and closure. This ensured alignment with enterprise strategies and efficient resource utilization.

Idea & Demand Management

WellStar was shown management tools that encourage innovation, including initiating and collaborating on ideas, and evaluating them. Workflows, notifications, access permissions, and forms have been configured to accept different types of ideas based on demand.

Resource & Time Management

Efficient resource allocation and time tracking were prioritized to optimize resource utilization and project cost control. The Resource and Time Management module was configured ensuring alignment with WellStar’s unique requirements and workflows.

Seamless Integration for Enhanced Collaboration

The integrations aimed to foster seamless collaboration by integrating ServiceNow with external systems, such as Cloud Coach for EPMO integration and Outlook/MS Teams for project meeting tracking. Security protocols were maintained while configuring integration channels to ensure secure data exchange and compatibility between systems.

Empowering Data-Driven Decision-Making with Performance Analytics

INRY tailored performance analytics solutions to empower WellStar with actionable insights for strategic decision-making. Key configurations included the development of customer-specific reports, metrics, and benchmarks, enabling WellStar to measure performance against organizational goals effectively.

Phase 2: INRY Optimizes WellStar’s SPM Foundation

During Phase 2, WellStar partnered with INRY to enhance the operational and user experience of the existing system. INRY worked closely with WellStar stakeholders to identify areas for improvement in the functionalities introduced in Phase 1. User feedback was incorporated to streamline workflows, optimize data flow, and refine the user interface.

Streamlining Workflows, Empowering Users

Phase 2 focused on adding new features and aimed at improving the efficiency of existing processes. INRY organized workshops to analyze WellStar’s workflows and identify any bottlenecks and opportunities for optimization. Based on the feedback received from WellStar, INRY advised on how to enhance the existing solution. New features were introduced like defining project phases, managing approvals for scope changes, and capturing completed projects. Past project templates were leveraged to streamline resource allocation and task identification while defining clear milestones and budget allocation criteria.

Seamless Data Integration into Single System

Customer APIs have been designed to seamlessly integrate existing systems with Workday and Salesforce systems for data synchronization. The APIs have eliminated data silos, thereby ensuring that everyone is working from the same page. Workflows have been scheduled to automate data exchange between ServiceNow and external systems, which has further streamlined the data synchronization process.

Data-Driven Decisions for Improved Performance

INRY configured advanced features such as a Dashboard setup for targeted audiences, Gantt charts, and additional reports to enhance WellStar’s performance analytics, providing invaluable insights. Reports, metrics, and dashboards were tailored to WellStar’s KPIs.

This enabled the leadership team to anticipate trends, monitor project performance, and identify areas for improvement. Self-service reporting capabilities were configured which empowered users to access the data they need, customize reports based on their specific requirements, and gain insights into various aspects of their organization’s performance.

Unlocking the Key to Long-Term Success

WellStar’s clear vision and commitment to excellence have led the way for the transformation. Ensuring that every step taken is in line with WellStar’s unique goals and aspirations, INRY has provided tailored solutions and expertise. With advanced functionalities, strong governance, and the potential for automation, WellStar can navigate the everchanging healthcare landscape with confidence, ensuring delivery of exceptional care to their patients. Together, we celebrate WellStar’s remarkable achievements and look forward to continued collaboration.

Want to see similar results for your organization? Explore our flexible ServiceNow SPM solutions today.

Fueling the Future: How Chevron Boosted Efficiency, ROI, and Financial Alignment Using Strategic Portfolio Management

Posted on September 25, 2024 by -

As a titan in the energy industry, Chevron found itself at a crossroads. The company was grappling with siloed operations across numerous business units and geographies, difficulty aligning IT initiatives with business strategy, and inefficient resource allocation and financial tracking. Additionally, Chevron faced challenges in adapting to market volatility and regulatory changes while balancing current operations with investments in future energy solutions.

The vast, complex organization spread across continents was hindered by legacy systems that weren’t equipped to handle the agility and strategic alignment needed in today’s fast-paced energy landscape. It became clear that a comprehensive transformation was necessary to maintain Chevron’s competitive edge and prepare for future challenges.

Crafting a Comprehensive Solution Beyond Just Implementation

Cprime’s engagement with Chevron went far beyond a simple software rollout. The solution was multifaceted, addressing Chevron’s complex needs through a series of strategic initiatives. 

Strategic Portfolio Management (SPM) supported by Lean Portfolio Management (LPM)

At the core of the transformation was the implementation of Strategic Portfolio Management practices. This involved configuring systems to map initiatives directly to strategic objectives, supporting Chevron’s drive for clarity and focus. Complementing this was the integration of Lean Portfolio Management practices within their established Scaled Agile Framework® (SAFe®), which streamlined decision-making and improved resource allocation across Chevron’s expansive portfolio.

Implementing and optimizing Apptio Targetprocess

A crucial component of the solution was the implementation and optimization of Apptio Targetprocess. Cprime tailored Apptio’s tooling to Chevron’s unique needs, enabling real-time financial tracking and strategic planning. This provided unprecedented visibility into Chevron’s massive portfolio, allowing for more informed and agile decision-making.

The transformation also included a comprehensive value stream mapping exercise. This helped Chevron identify and optimize 13 key platforms, each aligning IT and business functions to specific value streams. This alignment was critical in breaking down silos and improving collaboration across the organization.

Agile transformation

To ensure the success of these new practices and tools, Cprime supported the implementation of agile practices across the organization, with a focus on business outcomes rather than just IT delivery. This was accompanied by extensive coaching and training to ensure adoption and a cultural shift across 13 integrated platforms spanning continents, and based around 25 value streams. In total, 6,600 individuals in 50 teams-of-teams were directly impacted. 

The Ripple Effect: Transforming More Than Just IT

The impact of this transformation extended far beyond improved software systems. Chevron experienced a fundamental shift in how they approached strategic planning and execution.

Greater strategic alignment and resulting ROI

The new system dramatically enhanced strategic alignment, giving Chevron the ability to directly connect individual initiatives to overarching strategic goals. This ensured that every project contributed to the company’s vision, eliminating waste and improving overall efficiency.

Enhanced adaptability

The new system allowed Chevron to adapt more quickly to market changes, regulatory shifts, and emerging opportunities in the energy sector. This agility is crucial in an industry known for its volatility and rapid technological advancements.

Real-time, data-driven insights

Data-driven decision making became a reality across the organization. Leadership now has access to real-time data and insights, enabling more informed and timely strategic decisions. This has proven invaluable in navigating the complex landscape of the energy sector.

“Our Agile transformation has revolutionized how we manage our vast portfolio. We’ve improved alignment across our digital platforms, enhanced our decision-making process, and significantly increased our ability to adapt to market changes. This strategic approach is driving innovation and efficiency across Chevron’s operations.”

— Head of Program Management, Chevron

Optimal resource allocation

Resource allocation also saw significant improvements. Chevron can now dynamically adjust resource allocation across its global operations, optimizing for both current needs and future investments. This flexibility is crucial for balancing the demands of current operations with the need to invest in future energy solutions.

Streamlined, efficient operations

Perhaps most importantly, the transformation led to streamlined operations across the board. The reduction of silos and improved collaboration between IT and business units has created a more cohesive and efficient organization, better equipped to face the challenges of the energy sector.

Looking Ahead to Continuous Improvement in a Changing World

While the transformation has been significant, Chevron’s journey is ongoing. The company is now positioned to further refine its SPM practices and expand the use of data-driven decision-making across all levels of the organization. 

Chevron is also better equipped to continue balancing current operations with investments in alternative energy sources, a crucial consideration in today’s energy landscape. The improved agility and strategic alignment allow the company to adapt more readily to regulatory changes and environmental concerns, positioning Chevron as a forward-thinking leader in the industry.

Cprime remains a trusted partner in this journey, ready to support Chevron’s evolving needs. The long-term nature of this engagement (over six years and counting!) has allowed for deep understanding and continuous refinement of the solutions.

The Bigger Picture: Lessons for the Energy Sector

Chevron’s journey offers valuable insights for other organizations in the energy sector and beyond. It demonstrates that strategic alignment is crucial in navigating complex market conditions, and that even massive, global organizations can become more agile and aligned with the right approach and tools.

The transformation underscores the non-negotiable nature of data-driven decision making in today’s volatile markets. Having real-time insights is critical for making informed strategic decisions, especially in an industry as dynamic as energy.

Finally, Chevron’s multi-year engagement with Cprime underscores the value of having a consistent, knowledgeable partner through major transformations. This long-term partnership approach allows for deep understanding, continuous refinement, and sustained success.

Would you like to see similar results for your organization? Explore our flexible Enterprise Technology and Financial Management solutions.

Digital Dollars: How Ahold Delhaize USA Rewrote Its Financial Playbook

Posted on September 9, 2024 by -

The Tipping Point: When Excel Just Doesn’t Cut It Anymore

Ahold Delhaize USA found itself at a crossroads. As the digital innovation hub for one of America’s largest grocery retail groups, they were pushing the boundaries of Agile practices. However, their financial management was stuck in the past, relying heavily on manual processes, siloed data, and the ubiquitous spreadsheet.

“We had absolutely no system in place to support the transition,” recalls an Ahold Delhaize USA team member. The pain points were clear:

  1. A disconnect between agile execution and financial tracking
  2. Time-consuming manual updates across multiple platforms
  3. Lack of real-time visibility into resource allocation and utilization
  4. Difficulty in demonstrating value to their more traditional parent company

 

Moreover, the company was determined to move away from time writing, a practice they found subjective and often inaccurate. They needed a solution that could bridge the gap between their Agile aspirations and financial realities.

Crafting a Custom Solution: More Than Just Software Implementation

Cprime consultants were brought in to craft a tailored approach to Ahold Delhaize USA’s unique challenges. The solution centered around implementing Apptio Targetprocess, but it went far beyond simple software deployment. Here’s how they tackled Ahold Delhaize USA’s complex needs:

  1. Value Stream Alignment: Configured the system to allocate work directly to value streams, supporting the org’s lean budgeting structure.
  2. Automated Cost Modeling: Developed a system that ingests Jira work items and allocates costs based on team assignments, running parallel to existing time tracking for a smooth transition.
  3. CapEx and OpEx Automation: Implemented role-based automation for capital and operational expenditure splits, dramatically reducing manual management.
  4. Two-Way Integration: Created seamless data flow between Jira and Targetprocess, supporting quarterly planning and standardizing estimation practices.
  5. Custom Financial Reporting: Built custom reporting capabilities within Targetprocess to meet the client’s specific needs.
  6. Capacity and Demand Management: Developed features to analyze and forecast at both team and value stream levels.

“We hit many key pain points across planning, capacity and demand for resource management, estimating and managing budgeting from a portfolio perspective, supporting their transition to lean budgeting, and then giving them a no-pressure way to potentially adopt an automated cost model,” explains Mohammed Attieh, a Cprime consultant and Senior Apptio Solutions Architect on the project.

The Ripple Effect: Transforming More Than Just Finances

The impact of this transformation extended far beyond streamlined spreadsheets. Ahold Delhaize USA experienced a seismic shift in how they approached financial management and decision-making:

  1. Unprecedented Portfolio Visibility: Ahold Delhaize gained real-time insights into their entire $160 million portfolio, thanks to an automated system that updates every 15 minutes.
  2. Stronger Organizational Influence: The company enhanced its ability to demonstrate the value of agile practices to its parent company, potentially shaping larger organizational strategies, through comprehensive reporting and measurable outcomes.
  3. Enhanced Cross-Team Collaboration: Program managers at Ahold Delhaize now enjoy improved collaboration and alignment, leveraging new tools that facilitate priority setting and budget sharing across value streams.
  4. Data-Driven Strategic Decision-Making: The company now makes more informed strategic decisions, powered by improved roll-up reporting that connects team execution directly to portfolio-level insights.
  5. Agile Resource Allocation: Ahold Delhaize achieved remarkable flexibility in resource management, with the ability to make allocation changes throughout the year and see immediate portfolio-wide updates, thanks to the integrated, responsive system.

“They’re in love with the fact that they can make allocation changes throughout the year,” notes Mohammed. “Within fifteen minutes, the entire system recalculates… So tremendous reporting synergy.”

“Since implementing Targetprocess and the accompanying automation, we’re seeing vast improvements across the org in terms of time savings, greater visibility into the data, and a more strategic, data-driven approach to decision-making.” — Grant Williams, Senior Finance Director TBM

Looking Ahead: The Road to Continuous Improvement

While the transformation has been significant, Ahold Delhaize USA isn’t resting on its laurels. The organization is now poised to:

  • Potentially deprecate time writing in favor of their new automated cost model
  • Expand the use of the new system across more stakeholder groups
  • Further mature their cost model for even more accurate financial tracking
  • Standardize the use of story points across the enterprise for improved estimation

And, of course, Cprime experts will be there to guide and assist.

The Bigger Picture: Lessons for the Industry

Ahold Delhaize USA’s journey offers valuable insights for other organizations grappling with similar challenges:

  • Alignment is Key: Ensuring that financial practices support rather than hinder Agile methodologies is crucial for digital innovation.
  • Automation Drives Accuracy: Reducing manual processes not only saves time but also improves the accuracy and reliability of financial data.
  • Visibility Enables Agility: Real-time insights into financials and resource allocation allow for more responsive and data-driven decision-making.
  • Change Management Matters: Successfully implementing new systems requires careful attention to cultural shifts and user adoption.

As the digital retail landscape continues to evolve, Ahold Delhaize USA’s story can guide organizations looking to harmonize their financial management with Agile principles. It’s a testament to the power of innovative thinking, tailored solutions, and the willingness to embrace change.

Would you like to see similar results for your organization? Explore our flexible Enterprise Technology and Financial Management solutions.

From Spreadsheets to Strategy: McGraw Hill’s Financial Transformation Journey

Posted on August 30, 2024 by -

McGraw Hill, a long-time leader in the fast-paced, competitive publishing industry, found themselves at a crossroads. Their financial processes, particularly in labor budgeting, were holding them back. Enter Cprime, with a mission to revolutionize how McGraw Hill managed their finances.

The Excel Labyrinth: A $145 Million Puzzle

McGraw Hill’s financial team was grappling with a complex web of Excel spreadsheets to manage their $145 million labor budget. This manual process was not just time-consuming—it was a barrier to strategic insights. Different business units were creating isolated budgets, which then had to be painstakingly consolidated. Adding to the complexity, calculations for employee benefits, merit increases, and fringe benefits were all done by hand.

The result? A budgeting process that required many hours and a lot of manual effort to maintain each quarter, and took six long weeks to finalize each year, with the budget often not published until well into the new fiscal year. This delay had a ripple effect, impacting decision-making across the organization.

 

Breaking Down Walls: The Quest for Financial Transparency

Beyond the budgeting challenges, McGraw Hill faced a critical issue: financial data was siloed within the finance department. Product managers, resource managers, and other key decision-makers lacked visibility into financial data that could inform their strategies. This disconnect between financial realities and product roadmaps was a significant hurdle to effective resource allocation and strategic planning.

Cprime’s Blueprint: Integrating Systems, Automating Processes

Recognizing these challenges, Cprime devised a comprehensive solution that would not only streamline McGraw Hill’s budgeting process but also democratize access to financial data across the organization. The plan centered around implementing and configuring Apptio Targetprocess and Apptio One to create a powerful labor budgeting solution that integrates seamlessly with other financial management and related tools.

Key goals of the solution included:

  1. Seamless Data Flow and Time Savings: Manual data entry and consolidation became a thing of the past. Cprime achieved this by creating an end-to-end automated integration between IT Planning, TBM Studio, and Targetprocess.
  2. Improved Cost Visibility and Strategic Alignment: McGraw Hill gained deeper insights into the total cost of ownership for technology investments. This was accomplished by creating a new hierarchy in Targetprocess that connected portfolio epics to business initiatives and cases.
  3. Empowered Decision-Making Across Departments: Product managers and resource managers gained access to critical financial data, enabling more informed decisions. Cprime made this possible by leveraging integration capabilities to share non-sensitive financial information through Targetprocess.
  4. Increased Consistency and Accountability in Business Planning: Ad-hoc PowerPoint presentations were replaced with a standardized approach to business cases. Cprime developed a comprehensive template within Targetprocess that captured both quantitative and qualitative aspects of business cases.

From Weeks to Days: The Impact of Financial Transformation

The results of this transformation were immediate and significant:

  • Accelerated Budgeting: The budget finalization process was slashed by 66%—from six weeks to just two weeks—allowing for more timely financial planning.
  • Empowered Decision-Making: With financial data now accessible through Targetprocess, product managers and resource managers could make more informed decisions about resource allocation and project prioritization.
  • Strategic Alignment: By connecting financial data to strategy and OKRs in Targetprocess, McGraw Hill could now better align their spending with their strategic objectives.
  • Improved Accountability: The new standardized business case template in Targetprocess allowed for better tracking of ROI assumptions and budget estimates, creating a historical record that enhanced accountability.

Looking Ahead: The Road to Continuous Improvement

While the initial implementation focused on labor budgeting, McGraw Hill and Cprime are exploring further enhancements. Future projects may include integrating infrastructure costs, non-labor contract management, and cloud consumption assessment into the financial management ecosystem.

The McGraw Hill case demonstrates how the right combination of technology and expertise can transform financial management from a necessary evil into a strategic asset. By breaking down data silos and automating manual processes, McGraw Hill has positioned itself to make faster, more informed decisions in an increasingly competitive market.

As the publishing industry continues to evolve, McGraw Hill’s newfound financial agility will be a key factor in maintaining its leadership position and delivering value to students and educators worldwide.

Would you like to see similar results for your organization? Explore our flexible Enterprise Technology and Financial Management solutions!

Transforming IT Demand Management: A Global Pharmaceutical Success Story

Posted on August 26, 2024 by -

The Prescription for IT Chaos

Our client, a major player in the health sciences industry, initiated a program to drive delivery efficiency and cost optimization by insourcing hundreds of technology jobs in three IT Capability Centers globally. This central organization would support technology demands across the globe in 13 different business units. With multiple business units operating across the globe, each with its own IT department, managing the company’s technology demand management had become a labyrinth of disparate systems and inconsistent practices.

The symptoms of this IT fragmentation were clear:

  • Lack of standardized process for Demand Intake across business units
  • Poor transparency in resource demand to inform hiring activities
  • No standard processes or tools for resource allocation
  • Portfolio management lacked visibility of value delivery
  • Challenges in capacity planning and cost estimation
  • Confusion in stakeholders around how to request technology support
  • Lack of transparency to stakeholders on Demand Fulfilment

These issues weren’t just administrative headaches; they were actively hindering the company’s ability to respond quickly to market demands and maintain its competitive edge in the fast-evolving pharmaceutical landscape.

Diagnosing the Root Cause

At the heart of the problem was the lack of processes and tools to provide centralized, transparent support for the hub and spoke IT model.  The pharmaceutical giant recognized the need for a unified approach to its IT Demand Management. They needed a solution that could consolidate these disparate processes into a single, cohesive system without sacrificing the flexibility required by different business units.

Cprime’s Prescription: A Unified Demand-to-Delivery Process

Cprime’s solution was to implement a comprehensive “demand-to-delivery” process using Apptio Targetprocess, integrated with Atlassian’s Jira and other key systems. This approach aimed to create a single source of truth for all IT Demands across the organization.

Key components of the solution included:

  1. Centralized Intake: A single point of entry for all IT requests, regardless of origin or scale.
  2. Standardized Service Catalog: A comprehensive list of IT services offered across the organization, ensuring consistency and clarity.
  3. Automated Workflows: Streamlining communication, reporting, and approval processes to reduce manual work.
  4. Enterprise-wide Visibility: Enabling holistic prioritization and resource allocation across all business units.
  5. Integrated Reporting: Connecting Targetprocess with Power BI and the company’s data lake for comprehensive analytics.

A Rapid Treatment Plan

What sets this case apart is the speed of implementation. Despite the scale of the project—spanning 13 business units and involving over 200 stakeholders—Cprime and the pharmaceutical company’s team completed the initial rollout in just three months. This accelerated timeline—half the industry standard for similar projects—was crucial to meet the company’s fiscal year deadline.

The implementation team consisted of:

  • 20 core team members working across 8 time zones
  • 100 partners from 13 business units
  • 100 additional stakeholders in various forums

This diverse, global team worked tirelessly to ensure the new system was ready for the start of the fiscal year on April 1st.

The Prognosis: Early Signs of Success

While it’s still early days, the new unified demand-to-delivery process is already showing promising results:

  • Rapid Adoption: Over 2,000 users have been onboarded globally
  • Improved Resource Management: More efficient allocation of personnel to demand requests, improving technology speed-to-market and TTV (Time to Value).
  • Cost Savings: By deprecating Jira Align and Clarity in favor of Targetprocess, the company is seeing significant licensing cost reductions.
  • Enhanced Data Utilization: Automated reporting and integration with the company’s data lake support a data-first policy, enabling better decision-making.

Ongoing Care: Continuous Improvement

The story doesn’t end with the initial implementation. Cprime continues to work closely with the pharmaceutical company, providing guided services to further refine and evolve the system. As the team learns from real-world usage, they’re identifying new opportunities to extract value and advance the company’s IT maturity.

This ongoing partnership exemplifies a key principle in modern IT management: continuous improvement. By treating the implementation as a living system rather than a one-time fix, the company is ensuring that its IT processes will continue to evolve with its business needs.

“Working with Cprime was fantastic. The breadth of skills they brought to the engagement including meeting leadership to create organizational alignment, technical architecture and system development allowed us to achieve our goals in record time. It has helped us deliver value faster and more effectively than we would otherwise have been able to.” — Senior Director – Data, Digital & Technology

The Long-Term Health of IT Operations

This case study illustrates how a strategic approach to IT Demand Management can transform operations for a global pharmaceutical leader. By consolidating disparate processes, enhancing visibility, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement, the company has laid the groundwork for more agile, efficient, and cost-effective IT operations.

As the health sciences industry continues to evolve at a rapid pace, this unified approach to IT Demand Management will play a crucial role in enabling the company to respond quickly to market changes, allocate resources effectively, and maintain its position at the forefront of pharmaceutical innovation.

If you’d like to see similar results for your organization, explore our flexible Enterprise Technology and Financial Management solutions.

Unifying Data and Strategy: Citizens Bank’s Path to Agile Enterprise Management

Posted on August 14, 2024 by -

A Storm of Challenges

Citizens Bank was navigating through some turbulent waters. 

  • A sea of siloed data across multiple systems led to discrepancies in resource utilization and billing inconsistencies. 
  • The bank’s 90 value streams were adrift, lacking standardization in budgeting and financial reporting. 
  • Strategic objectives were disconnected from the actual work being performed, like a ship without a compass. 
  • Resource allocation was based on subjective decisions rather than data-driven insights. 
  • Financial data was fragmented, requiring manual compilation from various source systems. 
  • The bank struggled to link team costs to value delivered, making it challenging to justify expenses or optimize resource allocation.

A Beacon of Hope

Cprime didn’t just throw Citizens Bank a lifeline; they provided a state-of-the-art navigation system. The cornerstone of their solution was the implementation and integration of Apptio Targetprocess as a central platform. 

  • This new system integrated with Jira for over 500 teams, creating a fleet of automated reporting across the entire portfolio. 
  • It connected to HR systems, ensuring employee information was always up-to-date and reducing manual maintenance. 
  • Standardized reporting templates for quarterly business reviews and planning sessions created a common language across value streams. 
  • OKR tracking was implemented and connected to portfolio epics and projects, providing a bird’s-eye view of enterprise-wide progress. 
  • Financial data was integrated to provide visibility into “cash cost per team” and linked to work execution, maintaining data sensitivity by rolling up user-level cost data to the team level. 
  • Data updates were automated on weekly or monthly cycles, minimizing ongoing maintenance requirements.

Sailing Out of the Storm

While the implementation was still ongoing, Citizens Bank was already experiencing smoother sailing. 

  • Saved an estimated 8-12 hours per quarter for each of the 80+ value stream owners in reporting preparation alone. 
  • Better allocation decisions could be made based on data-driven insights. 
  • Financial transparency improved as they gained the ability to assess cost per team and connect capital spend to work execution for a broader audience. 
  • Financial data accessibility increased from about 15 people to hundreds of leadership personnel. 
  • They gained greater strategic alignment by connecting strategy to execution through OKR tracking and work progress reporting. 
  • They boosted efficiency by reducing manual effort in data maintenance and reporting across multiple systems. 
  • Data became more consistent and reliable with the help of automated integrations and standardized reporting templates.

“We’re already seeing time savings around our Quarterly Business Reviews and the benefits of all this data being visible to so many more leaders across the org. Having the ability to make decisions based on data everyone has access to is a real game-changer.” — Sarah M. Ricardo, VP Enterprise Transformation

The journey of Citizens Bank offers valuable insights for other organizations embarking on their own digital transformation. 

  • Start small, think big: You can’t architect your way into being agile. Start somewhere and be prepared to adapt as you go. 
  • Embrace integration: Breaking down silos and connecting disparate systems can unlock tremendous value. 
  • Data-driven decision making: Having the right data at your fingertips empowers leaders to make informed choices. 
  • Continuous improvement: Digital transformation is not a destination, but a journey of ongoing optimization and refinement.

As Citizens Bank continues to navigate its digital transformation, the benefits are already clear. With Cprime’s help, they’ve charted a course towards greater efficiency, transparency, and strategic alignment. The bank is now better equipped to weather any storm and sail confidently into the future of banking.

Explore Cprime’s Enterprise Technology and Financial Management solutions to see how we can help your organization achieve similar success.

Revolutionizing PayPal: The Largest Atlassian Cloud Migration in History

Posted on August 6, 2024 by -

PayPal, a global leader in online payments, faced significant challenges with their existing infrastructure, which was impacting the developer experience for their more than 35,000 active users. To address these issues, PayPal embarked on an Atlassian Cloud transformation, seeking to enhance operational efficiency, reduce costs, and improve scalability. The outdated infrastructure resulted in high maintenance costs, manual processes, and limited ability to scale to meet growing demands. Recognizing the complexity and scale of this transformation, PayPal partnered with Cprime, Atlassian’s trusted partner, to facilitate the largest Atlassian Cloud migration in history.

The collaboration between PayPal, Atlassian, and Cprime was pivotal in ensuring the success of this ambitious project. Through meticulous planning, extensive workflow transformation and scripting, and continuous configuration improvements, the team was able to transform PayPal’s Atlassian infrastructure, providing a more flexible and automated environment that significantly enhanced the developer experience. 

Can You Relate to PayPal’s Infrastructure and Efficiency Challenges?

PayPal’s huge engineering department was facing several critical challenges that necessitated this Atlassian Cloud transformation. See if any of these issues sound familiar to you:

Developer Experience:

The existing infrastructure was not supportive of the transformation needed to improve the developer experience. With over 35,000 active users, PayPal required a more robust and user-friendly environment to enhance productivity and satisfaction. Developers reported frustration with slow performance, limited access to new features, and a complex user interface.

Cost and Efficiency:

PayPal was dealing with a high total cost of ownership due to outdated infrastructure and inefficient processes. There was a pressing need to achieve infrastructure savings and reduce administrator support costs to streamline operations and make them state-of-the-art. Manual processes and extensive maintenance requirements contributed to increased costs and decreased efficiency.

Scalability and Flexibility:

The existing setup lacked the scalability and flexibility required to support PayPal’s large user base and complex projects. A more scalable solution was essential to meet the growing demands and ensure seamless operations. The legacy infrastructure struggled to accommodate spikes in usage and limited PayPal’s ability to quickly adapt to changing business needs.

These challenges prompted PayPal to seek a comprehensive solution that could address their needs and provide a more efficient, scalable, and cost-effective infrastructure—and all at an unprecedented scale.

Cprime’s Strategic Approach to the Largest Cloud Transformation in Atlassian’s History

To address PayPal’s challenges, Cprime facilitated a comprehensive migration to Atlassian Cloud, leveraging their expertise and close collaboration with Atlassian and PayPal. The solution involved several key components:

Assessment and Planning:

Cprime conducted a thorough assessment to understand PayPal’s specific needs and challenges. This assessment laid the groundwork for a phased migration approach, ensuring minimal disruption to PayPal’s operations. This included analyzing the current infrastructure, identifying key pain points, and gathering input from stakeholders across the organization.

Cprime developed a detailed project plan, outlining the migration timeline, resource allocation, and risk mitigation strategies.The migration was meticulously planned and executed, emphasizing the scale and complexity of the largest Atlassian Cloud migration ever undertaken.

Workflow Transformation and Custom Scripting:

Like most enterprise organizations, PayPal had invested significant time and effort customizing their workflows to support their business needs. . An initial analysis indicated that PayPal’s existing workflows would need significant transformation to work in the new cloud environment. Cprime worked closely with PayPal to document the needed transformations, script solutions, and develop a plan for the migration and post migration support period. Through extensive planning, development and validation during the test migration phase, Cprime worked to ensure the successful delivery of PayPal’s mission critical workflows on Day 1. After the cutover, the Cprime team continued to remediate the remaining workflows as prioritized by PayPal, ensuring that users were able to execute their work as needed. 

Collaboration and Partnership:

The success of the migration was underpinned by the ongoing partnership between Atlassian, PayPal, and Cprime. This collaboration allowed for continuous improvements and customization of the migration experience to better meet PayPal’s needs. Regular status meetings, transparent communication, and a shared commitment to success were key factors in the effective collaboration.

For example, significant changes were made to the Confluence migration experience, ensuring it was a better fit for PayPal and their users. The tight partnership enabled the team to address challenges promptly and implement necessary improvements.

PayPal is Thrilled With These Quantifiable Gains and Enhanced Developer Experience

The Atlassian Cloud transformation yielded several significant outcomes for PayPal, demonstrating the effectiveness of the solutions implemented by Cprime:

Improved Developer Experience:

The migration significantly enhanced the developer experience for PayPal’s 35,000 active users. The new cloud environment provided more flexibility and access to automation, which were previously unavailable.

Quantitative Achievements:

  • User Data: User records, configuration, historical data, and workflows for over 80,000 past and present users.
  • Jira: Over 3,000 projects and close to 3.5 million issues were successfully migrated to the cloud.
  • Confluence: Over 13,000 spaces and over 14 million pages were moved—over the course of just one weekend—ensuring that all critical data and documentation were preserved and accessible.
  • Workflow Remediation: Approximately 1,200 individually scripted add-on and customization transformation items including Scriptrunner, JSU, and Jira Automation

These numbers highlight the scale of the migration and the meticulous planning and execution that went into managing such a large volume of data.

Efficiency and Flexibility:

The new cloud environment offers much more flexibility and automation capabilities, allowing PayPal to prioritize critical projects and manage their large data sets more effectively.  Automated workflows and real-time reporting features enabled faster decision-making and improved resource allocation.

The cloud setup enabled PayPal to leverage new features and tools, enhancing overall productivity and operational efficiency. PayPal teams were able to adopt agile practices more easily, leading to faster time-to-market for new products and features.

Positive Feedback and Continuous Improvement:

The structured approach to prioritizing and managing the migration helped dissipate any doubts about the suitability of the cloud for PayPal. The process was a journey with continuous improvements, ultimately leading to a successful migration. 

The tight partnership between Atlassian, PayPal, and Cprime allowed for significant changes to the Confluence migration experience, making it a better fit for PayPal’s needs. This collaborative approach ensured that the migration was not a one-time event but an ongoing process of optimization and refinement.

The successful migration to Atlassian Cloud not only addressed PayPal’s initial challenges but also provided a more robust, flexible, and efficient infrastructure, setting the stage for future growth and innovation.

A New Era for PayPal: The Lasting Impact of Atlassian Cloud Transformation

By addressing critical challenges related to developer experience, cost efficiency, and scalability, Cprime, Atlassian and PayPal were able to collaboratively transform PayPal’s infrastructure, providing a more flexible and automated environment that significantly enhanced operational efficiency.

As organizations look to optimize their technology stack and enhance operational efficiency, the PayPal case study serves as a compelling example of the transformative potential of Atlassian Cloud migration. Cprime’s proven methodology and commitment to delivering tailored solutions make them the ideal partner for any organization seeking to embark on a similar journey.

Can you see yourself in PayPal’s story? Are you considering a move from On-Prem instances to Atlassian Cloud? If so, you should do one of two things right now: 

For more information on how Cprime can help your organization achieve similar success, please contact us to explore our comprehensive Atlassian Cloud transformation services.

Or, to get started now, speak to a migration specialist about scheduling a Cloud Migration Impact Assessment.

Ahold Delhaize USA’s Strategic Transformation: Unifying Strategy, Execution, and Finance

Posted on July 29, 2024 by -

Cprime integrated systems and automated processes for Peapod Digital Labs (PDL)—now dba Ahold Delhaize USA Services—saving time and supporting better decision-making across the organization.

Cprime Solutions

  • Automated reporting for 500+ teams by implementing Apptio TargetProcess with Jira integration
  • Streamlined financial management through custom features for cost modeling and CapEx/OpEx splits
  • Enhanced quarterly planning via two-way integration and standardized estimation
  • Improved resource utilization with capacity and demand management tools at team and value stream levels

“Since implementing TargetProcess and the accompanying automation, we’re seeing vast improvements across the org in terms of time savings, greater visibility into the data, and a more strategic, data-driven approach to decision-making.” — Grant Williams, Senior Finance Director TBM

Key Outcomes

  • Enabled portfolio-wide financial updates every 15 minutes, significantly reducing manual effort while supporting real-time data visibility
  • Streamlined quarterly planning with automated integrations and standardized estimation
  • Improved transparency and data-driven decision-making across value streams
  • Positioned PDL to potentially deprecate time-writing in favor of an automated, data-driven cost allocation model

If you’d like to see the same results, explore our flexible Enterprise Technology and Financial Management solutions.

From Atlassian Data Center to Atlassian Cloud: How Cprime Helped Twilio Achieve a Cloud-First Strategy

Posted on July 1, 2024 by -

Twilio, a leading cloud communications platform, embarked on a transformative journey to adopt a cloud-first strategy. Recognizing the need to enhance operational efficiency, scalability, and innovation, Twilio sought to migrate their Atlassian Data Center instances to the Atlassian Cloud.

To achieve this ambitious goal, Twilio turned to Cprime, a trusted partner renowned for its expertise in Atlassian Cloud migrations. With a proven track record of successful migrations and a deep understanding of the complexities involved, Cprime was the ideal choice to guide Twilio through this critical transition.

The Challenge: Navigating the Path to Cloud-First

  • Setting up a greenfield cloud environment for IT
  • Expanding to the full product organization with a substantial data migration
  • A compressed timeline to coincide with upcoming Data Center licensing renewal

Twilio recognized the need to transition their IT infrastructure to the cloud to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving technological landscape. The initial requirement was straightforward: move the IT department to the cloud without migrating any existing data, allowing Twilio to start fresh, leveraging the cloud’s capabilities without the complexities of data migration.

However, the project soon expanded in scope. Twilio’s product organization also sought to migrate to the cloud, but unlike the IT department, they needed to transfer a substantial amount of existing data. This added a layer of complexity to the project.

The urgency of the project was further compounded by an impending deadline. Twilio aimed to complete the migration before renewing their Atlassian licensing, which added pressure to an already tight timeline. 

Twilio needed a partner with the expertise and experience to navigate these complexities and ensure a successful transition to the cloud. This is where Cprime stepped in, ready to tackle the challenges head-on and deliver a seamless migration experience.

The Solution: Crafting a Seamless Migration Strategy

  1. Assessment and strategic planning
  2. Setting up the initial cloud environment
  3. Addressing add-on simplification, consolidation, and customization
  4. Migrating the data
  5. Post-migration change management and hypercare 

Cprime approached Twilio’s migration project with a comprehensive and strategic plan, addressing each challenge with precision and expertise. The solution was multifaceted, involving initial setup, detailed data migration for about 4,000 users, handling of complexities, and robust post-migration support.

Initial Setup:

Cprime began by setting up a clean cloud instance for Twilio’s IT department. This “greenfield” move allowed Twilio to start using the cloud without the burden of existing data, providing a fresh and optimized environment tailored to their needs. Cprime collaborated closely with Twilio to understand their specific requirements and ensure the new cloud setup aligned perfectly with their operational goals.

Data Migration:

The next phase involved the intricate task of migrating Twilio’s extensive data. This included moving 342 Jira projects and over 2,170 Confluence spaces. The complexity of this task was heightened by the need to analyze and resolve issues related to 47 add-ons, which were eventually narrowed down to 10 essential ones for the cloud environment. Cprime meticulously reviewed and remediated approximately 3,500 workflows, ensuring that all critical processes were seamlessly transitioned to the cloud.

Navigating Complex Add-Ons and Customizations:

One of the most challenging aspects of the migration was handling Twilio’s extensive add-ons and customizations. Cprime’s team rebuilt workflows in essential add-ons such as the JSU automation suite, Jira automations, and ScriptRunner in the cloud. This required a deep understanding of Twilio’s existing setup and the ability to replicate and optimize these functionalities in the new environment. To mitigate risks associated with the accelerated timeline, Cprime provided best practices and templates to Twilio to help them develop a comprehensive change management and communication plan. This plan enabled Twilio’s users to understand the changes, self-help where possible, and prepare for the new cloud environment.

Execution Under Compressed Timeline:

Despite the typical six to nine-month timeline for such migrations, Cprime executed the project within a few months, starting in February and going live in early May. Twilio accepted the risks associated with this compressed timeline, understanding that some functionality might not be fully operational on day one. Cprime and Twilio’s collaborative approach and clear communication ensured that both teams were aligned and prepared to address any issues that arose during the transition.

Post-Migration Support:

To ensure a smooth post-migration experience, Cprime provided hypercare support. A full team was available to assist Twilio for a few weeks following the migration, addressing any immediate concerns and helping users adapt to the new environment. This support gradually transitioned to a single dedicated engineer who continues to provide ongoing assistance, ensuring that Twilio’s cloud environment remains stable and optimized.

Through meticulous planning, expert execution, and robust support, Cprime successfully navigated the complexities of Twilio’s migration, delivering a seamless transition to the Atlassian Cloud.

The Results: Achieving Cloud-First Success

The collaboration between Twilio and Cprime yielded remarkable results, demonstrating the effectiveness of a well-executed cloud migration strategy. The benefits of this successful transition were both immediate and long-term, aligning with Twilio’s strategic goals and enhancing their operational efficiency.

  • Successful migration within the ambitious timeline
  • Significant cost savings from shutting down the Data Center instances
  • Simplification through reduction in the number of add-ons from 47 to 10
  • Enhanced performance and reliability of systems
  • Improved user adoption and satisfaction through change management and communication
  • Better alignment with Twilio’s organizational goals, including a cloud-first strategy

Some users were reluctant to move to the cloud. But, with the support of Cprime’s change management and communication plan—before, during, and after the migration—even hesitant users gradually adapted to the new environment. The dedicated hypercare support provided by Cprime ensured that any issues were promptly addressed, facilitating a smoother transition. Over time, users have come to appreciate the benefits of the cloud environment, including improved performance and easier access to tools and data.

In total, this cloud transformation positions Twilio for an exciting future of increased innovation, flexibility, and scalability.

Want to see similar results for your own organization? Get started with an Atlassian Cloud Migration Assessment.