INTERNATIONAL IT: TEN EUROPEAN COUNTRY SYSTEMS IMPLEMENTATION

INTERIM MANAGEMENT CASE STUDY BY JOHN R. KNIGHT

Background

This FT100 Telecom plc was in need of an Interim Manager with IT knowledge, but to work for the business (Not IT) to ensure that this key system was rolled out to all their 9 European countries, which became 10 during the life of the project.  They had no-one internally available for this roll.  They did not wish to hire permanently for this roll as it was only for the length of this particular project.  The answer was for an Interim Implementation Manager, reporting to the Business.

There were two parts to this system: one, an order entry and network provisioning application and this was to become part of an end to end order handling system, the extra being a second phase. 

Before this position was filled, there was no one to bring everything together and bring the countries on board with the project.  I suspect that at international operational level there was some resistance to change.  It was known and supported at board level, but not at international country level.  So, the assignment was to bring in an Interim Manager to quickly understand what the system could do and impart that knowledge to all of the countries involved, along with the benefits for each of them.

Following the above project there was then a trouble shooting assignment:  There were a number of road blocks across a number of departments that were causing a huge backlog of delivery of other important systems.  The brief was to get to find out what they all were and then get them unblocked within the IT department, in the correct order and so be able to cascade the other deliverables on a multitude of other IT projects.

The deliverables

1.       A Network Provisioning System, into 9 European Countries, which became 10.

2.       The huge data migration to support the new application across the nine original countries within Europe.

3.       The Implementation of an end to end Order Handling System, the full Service Delivery System, into the same European Countries.   This was a three-tiered Windows NT, UNIX and Oracle client-server order entry and network provisioning application.  It was to be implemented into the first countries, Belgium & Sweden, with plans for the others to follow.   The original pilot trial was in Switzerland, which I arranged with the country MD.

4.       The unblocking of several other IT projects to ensure that other systems were delivered.

 The Implementation path

I appointed country Implementation Managers on a part time basis to oversee this implementation in their respective countries.  These people were invariably the Operations Director in each country, so it had the high impact and commitment required.  I first held a kick off meeting at HQ to launch this system, with all stake holders from IT, the Implementation Manager from each country and the Business sponsors. This was followed by further kick-off meetings in each country with their MDs present to ensure full country support for the new system and add his weight to the importance of the project.

I appointed a small team of Business Analysts to ensure that the system fitted current and future business practice, or to document all new business practices to be discussed with each country.  The whole to be part of the published training package for each country.  This was necessary as the system had not been checked out at this level before.

I also liaised with IT Operations to ensure that the new system was planned for within their budgets and headcount.  Previously there had been no budget allocated for additional Hardware and support staff.  Without this there would have been no way of supporting such a large new system.

Regarding my last assignment: I interviewed all stakeholders and the IT departments involved, in order to prepare a plan of delivery to unblock everything. 

The Outcome

1.       The first part of the system was implemented successfully in all countries and made a huge impact to support their business.

2.       Data Migration was done, but with much difficulty since this was only started after I arrived, but was completed successfully.  In fact, previously, the serious implications of a data migration were not appreciated and neither was the length of time required for this complex process.  We changed that by hiring an expert and with escalation to Country MD level.

3.       The second phase was proved to be unworkable and pushed back to the software supply company.  A different system (Remedy) was installed by my team and rolled out instead to those counties not having anything.  This meant that all countries were able to operate successfully and expand per their plans without a huge problem.

4.       All road blocks on the other systems were successfully unblocked and my Interim assignment came to an end.

Contact

You can contact John Knight by following this link to the enquiries page: enquiries..