Industry leader turns 23 online applications into three
The Client:
The world’s largest provider of services in its industry, this client has more than 32,000 employees in 135 operating locations worldwide. In 2008, they facilitated transactions representing more than $50 billion in value.
The Challenge:
The company had over 20 different online applications resulting in anything but a unified customer experience. Working with both an immature IT organization and products, our client faced some extremely complex software delivery issues:
- Transform 23 different applications into three, and centralize customer data
- Manage change in an IT organization scaling from 50 people to 250, almost overnight
- Deliver success after a track record of having to roll back new releases three to four times a year
The client needed a more structured approach to release management, yet they feared that incorporating more processes would just slow them down. They had a highly talented team and forward-thinking leadership, but faced with such a complex, large-scale challenge, they knew they would need additional help. That’s when they turned to us.
The Strategy:
We knew our client could only absorb so much change at one time, so we created a release lifecycle with a year-long calendar. Everything to be accomplished was fully documented. To develop a new process, a Jabian Consultant would perform the release management task, document the process, and then transition the role to the client’s employee.
We interviewed potential hires. Trained employees. And worked alongside the client’s team members to identify needs and write shells that we then took to offshore development.
Since the client was experiencing a major gap between what they wanted and what worked, we created a new Delivery Analyst role with responsibilities similar to Business Analyst and Project Manager. Again, we provided full documentation and training. This brought such significant process improvements that we are now dividing the role further into two new positions, an IT Project Manager and Product Manager.
The Works:
The outcomes of all this change and effort have been remarkably successful:
- A new release was delivered on time and on target, every month for 12 months across some combination of the 23 applications
- No content needed to be rolled back content in an entire year
- Major cost savings were achieved in Quality Assurance
- A organization that once resisted “process” is now embracing it and has 3-4 year plans in place
Above all, the company’s new business objectives are now being met. Customers now have a unified customer experience, the risk of fraud has been reduced by sharing business rules across the enterprise, and a new self-service framework is decreasing call volume while enhancing the online experience.
What about you?
At Jabian, we know how to take the complexity out of complex software delivery, putting the necessary people and processes in place to deliver maximum success. To do this, we can provide as much or as little hands-on support as you need, but either way, we will make absolutely sure the job gets done right. It’s a strategy that works.
To learn more, contact us today. 1-866-553-7069.
