Technology Transformation – Tech Forward

Technology and data capabilities have never been more important as the enablers of effective business, agility and delivery speed. Characteristics that are critical for success in today’s (digital) business environment.

The Solution

Our technology transformation service helps organisations develop an effective technology and data environment. We do this by creating the right technology strategy and architectural plan interlaced with stronger digital capabilities, a comprehensive roadmap to deliver the strategy, and support during the execution process via controlled delivery sprints.

Producing successful change in systems, working practices and human capital. Where value is quickly and incrementally delivered through the lifespan of the programme.

David Ball, Partner
Technology, Data and Infosec

Solving These Challenges and Bringing These Benefits

Challenges

  • The need for new technology approaches due to changes in today’s environment

  • Clarity in the long-term architectural plan and the fit of API’s, SAAS, Cloud and COTs suppliers

  • Legacy limitations in marketing, trading and supply chain platforms. Removing rigidity, scaling and availability issues
  • ‘Muddy puddles’ in data environments impacting decision making and customer experiences (relevancy and personalisation)
  • Risks in information security and data compliance (GDPR)
  • Scaling and availability issues
  • High costs of operation in OPEX and CAPEX in development and support
  • Slow delivery speeds caused by existing processes, tooling, human capital and suppliers
  • Frictions across creation teams in the organisation and suppliers
  • Poorly performing suppliers in planning, delivery and support
  • Ineffective remote working/BYOD policies

Benefits

  • An effective technology strategy and architectural plan
  • Strategic flexibility for the organisation
  • Better customer experiences
  • Enhanced commercial success in marketing and supplier management
  • Faster and more responsive delivery and innovation
  • Stronger digital capabilities
  • Clear ‘data lakes’ for insight and relevancy
  • Smoother platform migrations that don’t impact business availability
  • Lower costs of operation and development
  • Effective working and delivery practices
  • Enhanced tooling. Better productivity
  • Infosec approaches that reduce risk in business operations and regulatory compliance
  • Better suppliers and supplier management

What We Do

Our proven methodology spans all areas of the technology and data function; a comprehensive blueprint that identifies where improvements can be made while highlighting the interdependencies between them. Setting the scope of the transformation approach, which is prioritised and road mapped through the delivery process.

Technology & Data Strategy

Producing the right technology and data strategy to create enhanced business performance and value.

Using the business plan, target operating model and crucial dependencies we deliver an approach where technology, data and digital can enable business success in go-to-market, operations, working practices, human capital, information security, and operations.

Producing clarity for delivery, improve strategic flexibility, commercial effectiveness and lowering the cost of operations.

Target Architectural & Data Plan

Translating the technology and data strategy into a target architectural plan for the short to long-term.

We develop an application, system and platform picture of COTs solutions and in-house developments.

Removing legacy limitations in the marketing, trading and supply chains platform. Building clarity in the data and insight environment. Improving infosec and compliance, customer and employee experience, customer service and operations.

Creation Processes and Governance

Deploying the right creation and governance process to produce solutions and innovations faster.

Ensuring investments are tied to business benefit, and crucial interdependencies are revealed. Enabled through the right digital tools.

A planned-yet-agile delivery approach, combined with stronger cross-functional working practices that improve commercial responsiveness, customer experience and ROI.

Systems, Platforms & Operations

Core systems and platforms that support new digital functionalities, multiple daily production releases, and are adaptive to frequent and seamless upgrades.

Flexible architecture, with self-contained applications/ microservices, connected with API’s, running on high availability cloud infrastructure, adaptive to new COTs solutions and InfoSec enhancements, delivering insights, analytics and data enablement.

Producing agility, responsiveness, scale, availability, lower-costs of operation, compliance and commercial success.

Development & Operations

Producing an optimised mix of highly skilled in-house engineers and outsourced development capabilities.

Allowing core personnel to own, control and understand critical systems and platforms. Yet augmented with outsourced suppliers with flexibility deliver to assist scaling and at a lower cost of operations.

Integrated to seamlessly operate within the governance and creation processes used by the organisation through the define, design, and development cycle.

Infosec & Compliance Operations

Methods, processes, systems, operations and supplier solutions that can provide a comprehensive level of assurance. Protecting the organisation’s critical information and data assets. Alleviating the threat of compromise due to higher cyber-security threats.

Audit cycles, pen-tests, COTs risk mitigation solutions, GDPR and data compliance.

Designed to shield customer-impacts, PR risk, non-compliance and regulatory fines.

Leadership & Organisation

A technology leadership team able to ‘business-lead’ and operate with exceptional working relationships across the organisation.

Building the right skills and experience through all layers of leadership, engineering, delivery and operations.

Utilising effective working practices within the team and with other business units. Supported by the right ‘digital tools’ to make creation and issues resolution faster.

Supplier Management

Effective supplier strategy, selection, commercial negotiation, deployment and management processes.

Enabling the correct suppliers to become a seamless part of the platform development, delivery and support capabilities.

COTs vendors that enhance and speed-up critical business functions. Development teams that produce flexibility, scaling and cost-control. Infosec and support partners which reduce risk and benefit availability.

Tools & BYOD

Selecting and deploying the right ‘digital’ tools for the technology organisation to support faster innovation definition (i.e. Aha), delivery and operational control (i.e. Monday), collaboration (i.e. Slack) and issue resolution (i.e. Jira).

Tools that help to reinforce critical business and technology processes. Driving effectiveness, efficiencies, and the reinforcement of the ‘digital first’ culture.

With BYOD policies designed to enhance productivity across the whole organisation.

How it is Delivered

We deliver the transformation programme based on four core principals; comprehensively evaluate all dependencies, yet only do what is needed, achieve benefits quickly, and progress in a ‘planned and agile manner’. Delivered through 5 stages:

1. Initial Programme Governance & Delivery Framework

2. Insight & Analysis

3. Creation of Transformational Plan & Roadmap

4. Integrated Delivery & Governance

Prioritised Sprints

5. Measured & Iterated

1. Initial Programme Governance & Delivery Plan

Governance is deployed to speed decision making and enable program control.

An initial programme framework is created for all stages of the transformation – planning, execution and iteration – to ensure timescales are clear, benefits are delivered, and the transformation occurs at pace.

2. Insight & Gap Analysis

Analysis of the technology and data function and adjacent areas is conducted to create a ‘fact-base’ across all areas of the proven blueprint. Highlighting current status and through appropriate measurement, identifying candidates where change can assist the business goals.

Additional analysis also highlights the organisation’s capability to undertake change.

3. Creation of Transformational Plan & Roadmap

From the analysis, the transformational strategy and planning occur, with a laser-focused objective to invest in changes that will improve business performance.

Work is conducted with the Technology senior leadership team, commercial functions and DWG experts to develop the transformational strategy.

Identified improvements and change capabilities are subjected to a cost-to-benefit, time to deliver, and strategic importance review. Informing on the level, benefits and ROI the full transformational investment and facilitating any adjustments from an overall affordability perspective. Prioritisation then occurs.

Outputting the transformational roadmap. Supported by critical success KPIs.

4. Integrated Delivery & Governance

The transformational roadmap is used to guide the transformation. With ‘planning and change’ controlled and measured centrally to ensure all elements of the plan happen at the right time and clear reporting informs all stakeholders of progress and success.

While central planning controls the overall programme, delivery is conducted through ‘agile sprints’, the use of cross-functional working practices and organisational empowerment to deliver benefits quickly; growing success and momentum.

All supported by clear and meaningful internal communications to reduce fears and enable buy-in across the full organisation.

5. Measured, Iterated, Controlled & Communicated.

For all stages and streams, critical success KPIs are used to measure success and the need for iteration. Baking adaptability into the approach to ensure agility to any changing conditions and business goals.

Success is enhanced by the use of objectives, clear accountability in the senior team, organisational empowerment and a communication plan that brings the transformation vision to life.

Meet Some of Our Technology and Data Experts

DWG is the UK’s most experienced digital transformation consultancy. A team of 50+ senior digital change experts, internationally experienced. Meet some of them:

David Ball
David Ball,
Technology Leadership
Steve Crawshaw,
Chief Technical Architect
Amrit Khera,
Senior Technology Expert
Carl Stokes

Carl Stokes,
Senior Technology Expert

Dan Lawrence

Dan Lawrence,
Senior InfoSec Expert

Simon Booth-Lucking

Simon Booth-Lucking,
Delivery & Governance Processes

Marco Potesta

Marco Potesta,
Product Design & Tools

Some of Our Clients

  • semta
  • iprism
  • care uk
  • tele2
Phlexglobal case study
technology transformation - Phlexglobal

“DWG was engaged to review the technology side of the business and enable a rapid transformation of that function.”

CASE STUDY

iPrism technology transformation
technology transformation - iPrism

“DWG quickly delivered clarity in our strategic planning and resolution roadmap. Their help in changing our technology function has also been a critical factor in our success”

CASE STUDY

liberty global
liberty global

“Through DWG’s architecture vision, leadership and industry expertise, we were able to standardize the way of working for specific products and started to focus on a customer-led journey instead of individual product-led journeys.”

CASE STUDY

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