Client Case Studies

Challenge:

Client had some significant regulatory issues to deal with and the FSA were due to meet the CEO.

Solution:

Risk and business analyst in Programme Management Office (PMO) producing risk management materials on 15 financial processes under intense FSA scrutiny. Prepared process documentation, risk matrices and process diagrams for the CEO, CFO and COO in exceptionally difficult political circumstances. PMO duties included managing document producers; motivating actuaries and accountants; senior client liaison; and managing programme issues, risks and controls.

Results:

The senior clients and Partners praised our consulting team on the multi-million pound revenue project after the trial workshop and successful client meeting with the FSA.

Challenge:

Leadership style of some Headteachers and Heads of PE within specialist sports colleges identified as being too authoritarian or 'telling'. Requirement to develop softer coaching skills and a more facilitative style of leadership and teaching. Developing Potential engaged to carry out a number of workshops to raise awareness of individual impact and the opportunities that alternative styles of leadership would bring to whole school performance.

Solution:

Engage with participants to identify current impact of leadership / teaching style. Raise awareness of alternative styles to engage with and develop responsibility in others. Support participants in developing a clear action plan for sustainable change in their own performance and in the performance of those they lead and/or teach.

Results:

Developing Potential have been engaged on a number of occasions with new cohorts due to the success of each previous programme. As an example from a programme run for subject leaders in PE, this is what the client said. "The work that Developing Potential carried out for us took a very different approach to previous courses and workshops that we had run. They concentrated on the Subject Leaders in Physical Education as individuals and their roles as leaders and managers, and the unanimously positive feedback that we have received from attendees has encouraged us to invite Developing Potential to run further workshops and to speak at our national summer networking events." National Development Co-ordinator.

Challenge:

Wycombe District Council was planning a number of initiatives to reduce its accommodation requirements and explore the commercial opportunities from the disposal of surplus property. The Council required a business case for the introduction of flexible working (including hot-desking) and further investment in content and document management technology.

Solution:

Responsible for a wide range of activities including: • Requirements specification; • Data cleansing and migration; • Development and testing; •User training; • Implementation and roll out. Led a project team comprising staff from the Council, the Council’s IT partner, Northgate and OpenText, supplier of the EDRMS system. Coped with a number of personnel changes in the roles if Business Lead and Senior User..

Results:

Set up a Project Board to oversee the project and an Implementation Group for Children’s Social Care. The technical infrastructure was upgraded to support the implementation of the EDRMS system. All three systems were successfully implemented with no disruption to the services. Now proceeding with the implementation of the rest of Children’s Services, Public Protection, Development Management and Building Control.

Challenge:

Developing successful strategies a long established university college believed its income was secure until enrollments declined they started having to squeeze more business from a diminishing inquiry base. They had no financial plan nor a believable strategic plan even though they had been successful.

Solution:

To secure a strategic development fund to transform the business, write its first financial strategy for recovery and implement a strategic business transformation model to re-profile the organisation regionally, nationally and internationally generating additional sources of income in the process.

Results:

Production of a strategic options review and negotiation with Higher education Funding Council for England of the approval of the College's financial strategy. Successful negotiation with HEFCE to secure funds to implement strategy of £3.5 million. Development of Annual Operating statement to secure transformation.

Challenge:

Upskill Sales National Account team. Improve performance

Solution:

Retrain team. Negotiate trade price increases. Improve performance on NPD market delivery

Results:

£24M of shareholder value delivered over a two year period via improved ways of working. Re skilling the sales team and developing record levels of stores stocking within 12 weeks of launch

Challenge:

As a major government supplier in the Welfare to Work market, Working Links needed to develop a meaningful sustainability strategy to overcome procurement requirements and support a competitive cost structure. The firm also has a strong social responsibility ethos and wanted to enhance its environmental stewardship programme.

Solution:

A broad sustainability analysis was undertaken, reviewing social, environmental and economic aspects. A business focused sustainability strategy was developed with a focus of improving competitiveness and meeting contract and legal requirements. At the centre of the strategy was implementing a UK wide environmental management system and a comprehensive training and staff engagement process.

Results:

The EMS was implemented across the company’s 200 sites nationwide and certified to BS 8555 level 4 with glowing praise from the auditor. The implementation was delivered on time and on budget, and significant cost savings identified as part of strategy development. The firm won a number of large contracts from DWP in the latest round of Work Programme tenders.

Challenge:

As a major government supplier in the Welfare to Work market, Working Links needed to develop a meaningful sustainability strategy to overcome procurement requirements and support a competitive cost structure. The firm also has a strong social responsibility ethos and wanted to enhance its environmental stewardship programme.

Solution:

A broad sustainability analysis was undertaken, reviewing social, environmental and economic aspects. A business-focussed sustainability strategy was developed with a focus of improving competitiveness and meeting contract and legal requirements. At the centre of the strategy was implementing a UK wide environmental management system and a comprehensive training and staff engagement process.

Results:

The EMS was implemented across the company’s 200 sites nationwide and certified to BS 8555 level 4 with glowing praise from the auditor. The implementation was delivered on time and on budget, and significant cost savings identified as part of strategy development. The firm won a number of large contracts from DwP in the latest round of Work Programme tenders

Challenge:

To implement Electronic Document and Records Management System (EDRMS) for a number of services of the Council. Including Accounts Payable, HR, and Children’s Social Care. Pressures of workload meant that the commitment to the project by Children’s Social Care management and staff was known to be limited. The Children’s Social Care implementation needed to integrate with Frameworki, the Service’s case management system.

Solution:

Set up a Project Board to oversee the project and an Implementation Group for Children’s Social Care. Led a project team comprising staff from the Council, the Council’s IT partner, Northgate and OpenText, supplier of the EDRMS system. Oversaw a project to upgrade the technical infrastructure to support the implementation of the EDRMS system. Coped with a number of personnel changes in the roles if Business Lead and Senior User.

Results:

All three systems were successfully implemented with no disruption to the services. Now proceeding with the implementation of the rest of Children’s Services, Public Protection, Development Management and Building Control.