Delivering a successful integration project by taking an outcomes-focussed diagnostic approach to solving project failures.

Assuring business outcomes with an implementation review, tools and recommendations to deliver success.

The Problem

Brooke’s client had recently finalised a significant digital transformation project. They had implemented a MuleSoft integration platform to help them continue to deliver exceptional customer service at the front end of their multitude of systems, while simultaneously ensure their organisation was continuing to operate effectively utilising their back end infrastructure. However, they were not seeing the business case results they had envisaged and had committed to their Executive team and their Board.

Our client needed to know what had gone wrong and what they needed to do to get the new systems to deliver what they required, and to start realising the benefits they had committed to. Brooke had been recommended to conduct an independent review of their system as we bring a broad business consulting capability together with the technical capability that allows us to solve complex problems using our 6D methodology. In addition, we have expertise in designing and delivering enterprise integration projects and therefore we were best placed to solve the problem they were facing.

Thinking Differently

Our client needed to know what was going wrong with their digital transformation and why they were not realising the benefits of their investment. Brooke undertook a rapid pulse check using our 6D problem-solving methodology, to try to uncover what may have gone wrong and when.

The implementation pulse check was conducted in two components:

1. A forensic review of the project (desktop review of technical and commercial documentation, and interviews with key stakeholders) to understand what outcomes the client had wanted from the work and to determine if the original scope for the project was appropriate; and
2. A technical review of the integration environments to determine what had actually been delivered, and determine what rectifications would be required to deliver the results our client needed.

In addition, there was a delicate balance we needed to strike as the client was in a pressured situation with their internal sponsors, who were seeking a way forward quickly. At the working level, the client needed to see fast time-to-value and start to message this appropriately throughout their organisation. Given Brooke has worked with other clients in this type of challenging environment, as many large digital
transformation projects contain large amounts of risk compounded by big expectations, we were able to
deliver on the client’s needs.

Doing Differently

A small, impactful Brooke team was engaged to collate the relevant data points quickly and then rapidly turn these into practical remediation plans and recommendations. Knowing exactly where things went wrong with Brooke’s comprehensive diagnostic process allowed our client to re-evaluate the business outcomes they needed, and remediate the project to deliver the integration requirements.

Along with the team’s experience, the soft skills needed to make the diagnostic process a success were centred around displaying high transparency and developing trust with the client.

Meaningful Results

• Evidence based recommendations re-validating to the client their original choice of the integration platform technology,
• Roadmap options for remediation (including associated costs) they could choose from,
• Evidence based improvements to set up future projects to deliver results,
• Enhanced stakeholder alignment underpinned by a range of effective tools the client could adopt to positively re-build and strengthen their stakeholder alignment