Case Studies

Working closely with the client’s VP and transformation team, we launched a programme covering the following key areas:

• IT data centre consolidation
• Risk remediation (reduction of technical debt)
• Establish a new IT function
• Implement cloud-based infrastructure

M3 Consulting provided consulting and advisory services in the design and delivery of this large and complex portfolio of programmes and projects. We also deployed a team of highly skilled and qualified consultants to manage the project and programme aspects of the Portfolio. We used MSP & PRINCE2 based approaches, as well as experienced business analysts and TOGAF/Microsoft Azure certified architects to design and deliver the cloud solution.

In addition, M3 set up and supplied PMO services to assure the delivery of the programmes and projects, to implement good P3M3 practices, and to help the new organisation rapidly develop process maturity.

The resultant programme has run for more than a year, with M3 consultants progressively being replaced by new permanent team members within the new organisation. The programme has successfully achieved the following aims:

• Robust cloud infrastructure

• New IT function up and running based on a new target operating model

• Reduction in technical debt 

• Commenced the process of migrating the organisation’s data centres to a new, outsourced service provider.

The organisation faced a large and potentially hugely disruptive divestiture. M3 was able to build a strong transformation team and deliver a challenging programme of work while enabling the organisation to continue delivering its BAU services with minimum disruption.

M3 carried out a high-level appraisal of the charity’s IT estate from a survey of the software and hardware asset management, and an analysis of IT security, data and device management. 

To understand what the IT operation was supporting and, therefore, make recommendations on the next steps in improving, where appropriate, the IT infrastructure, applications and processes, we also completed a business model canvas and a service delivery framework. This gave us a better view of how the organisation operated and what it expected from the enabling technology. We also surveyed staff and volunteers to understand how they needed the IT to enable their business functions. 

The analysis was split into four main areas: 

• Business and organisation review: What does the Charity do and what technology is used or needed to support that work? 
• Software asset management review 
• Hardware asset management review 
• IT security and data & device management review

We delivered several usable artefacts, such as the business model canvas, HAM & SAM reports and 27 detailed recommendations, divided into four areas: 

• Business and organisation (processes and policies) 
• Software asset management 
• Hardware asset management 
• IT security and data & device management 

Our report and recommendations set the agenda for a full discovery analysis that would take detailed business requirements against the prioritised improvement areas. This would lead to a full options analysis and set of business cases that would provide a full cost analysis of the proposed changes. This might change the prioritisation but would provide a clear multi-year plan that the charity could assess against a cost benefit analysis to assure affordability against the significant benefits to be achieved. 

M3’s response to the challenges presented by this client’s delivery portfolio was rooted in deep experience of delivering similar solutions for central and local government. As part of the analysis required for the initial report, M3 carried out an assessment of the PM tool options on the market, with MS POL emerging as a clear winner for this client. 

M3 then worked closely with the client to select preferred technology vendors, and led the overall business transformation implementation, working closely with vendors and the department leads.

We also devised and delivered a customised training and coaching package for all PM/PMO practitioners within the departmental PM team in order to ensure that all parts of the organisation were taken on the transformation journey, trained in the use of the new tool, and refreshed in terms of their PM skills and knowledge. 

A newly assigned portfolio manager led the client programme governance and was closely involved in the deliverables reviews and progress tracking. To ensure effective partnering, key departmental personnel were engaged at all levels of the delivery project.

Ultimately, with the successful implementation of the new strategic tool, and with training and coaching from M3, the portfolio office was able to operate with minimal support from the transformation team.

The solution delivered new management structures for portfolio, programme and project management, new processes and a new project lifecycle, all supported by a suitably tailored version of MS POL, including dedicated forms, reports and databases.

Teams involved in delivery were trained and supported by deskside coaching. Current projects were migrated to the tool, giving senior departmental management access to new MI thanks to dynamic reports driven from MS POL via Power BI.

The programme M3 developed delivered the tools, processes, training and support to the department to successfully deliver a step-change in project performance, with immediate benefits in progress reporting and delivery consistency.

One key immediate benefit was the identification of a large number of projects that were not actively being progressed, but which were consuming PM resources. A closure programme for these dormant projects was devised.

In addition, the suite of Power BI reports developed gave senior managers much greater insight into delivery across the organisation. In particular, this afforded the opportunity to make significant savings in logistics by combining and rationalising materials delivery and project activities for global posts – a huge cost item for the department.

The power of MS POL also boosted PM productivity, enabling PMs to work more consistently across more projects. There was also a significant soft benefit generated by the coaching and mentoring delivered by the M3 team, both in the classroom and at the deskside, which was extremely well received.

M3’s proven approach in building project delivery capability and developing project management maturity within a complex organisational culture was pivotal here. 

M3 achieved the successful implementation of MS POL with a tailored P3O approach, together with the necessary supporting business changes following a comprehensive M3 audit.

This illustrates M3’s ability to work closely with clients, understand the root causes of their business problems and define and implement successful remedies. Also, our deep industry knowledge and our ability to use our delivery experience enable M3, working in partnership with our client, to quickly address issues and accelerate resolution.

The client approached M3 with a request to set up a portfolio management function, following an internal review. A team was put in place to deal with the immediate day-to-day delivery challenges within the authority, while setting out the building blocks for the future mode of operation. 

M3 carried out a current state analysis, began to support and shape some major initiatives and carried out a product selection exercise to determine the most effective enterprise portfolio management tool for the authority. 

We then worked closely with the client’s programme and project managers, and departmental leads, creating communities of practice for project management and business analysis. We also collaborated across the authority to devise an effective lifecycle for delivery from “gleam in the eye” to “delivered services”, with systems in place to ensure effective benefits realisation. We also helped to select preferred technology vendors, and led the overall business transformation. 

M3 devised and delivered a customised training and coaching package for all PM/PMO practitioners within the departmental PM team in order to ensure that all parts of the organisation were taken on the transformation journey, trained in the use of the new tool, and refreshed in terms of their PM skills and knowledge. 

The M3 portfolio office implemented regular reporting via the PM tool and carried out a cleanse of the entire delivery portfolio.  The new lifecycle provided for quality gates, enabling senior leadership to track programme and project progress at critical points in the delivery lifecycle.

M3’s portfolio director led the client programme governance and was closely involved in deliverables reviews and progress tracking. To ensure effective partnering, the senior authority leadership was engaged, and the programme was sponsored by the chief executive.

With the successful implementation of the new strategic tool, lifecycle, communities of practice and training and coaching from M3, the authority was able to transition to a self-supporting portfolio office operation, and was able to operate with minimal support from the transformation team.

M3’s solution delivered new governance, EPM tooling, ways of working and a professional community of practice for the PM practitioners within the authority. Senior departmental leadership had near real-time access to programme and project progress information via the EPM Toll and dynamic reports driven via Power BI.

Using M3’s proven approach in building project delivery capability and advancing project management maturity within the organisation, M3 implemented:

• A new portfolio office, staffed by M3 during implementation and stabilisation, handing over to the authority team in a controlled manner once all tools and processes were embedded.
• The authority’s priority projects migrated to the new EPM tool using new standards and templates. 
• The processes, standards and templates co-designed with representative groups across the organisation were embedded with the teams through coaching, mentoring and formal training. They were also published on a dedicated intranet site for portfolio, programme and project management.
• A plethora of help cards and how-to guides, together with a PM taxonomy, FAQs, user manuals and video guides to support users were developed and published to ensure the sustainability of the change. 
• Trained users, with support from the M3 team and our technology vendor, in migrating priority projects and programmes to the new system. 
• A comprehensive reporting pack both in the EPM tool and in Power BI to assist the authority in monitoring and managing programmes and projects. 
• A new business & programme lifecycle, with a triage process for assessing new ideas and potential projects for planned benefits, strategic alignment, and capacity to deliver.

M3 Consulting also developed a detailed six-month capability maturity plan using our transformation capability maturity model (TCMM), together with an additional 12-month capability maturity plan. The overall capability maturity plan set out the activities needed to mature the authority’s portfolio management capability to TCMM Level 31, which is considered to be a safe and effective operating level. At this level the organisation can be assured that they are managing and controlling the delivery of programmes and projects using consistent methodologies and with full visibility of: 

• All programmes and projects migrated to the EPM tool 
• All documented risks, issues and other associated logs 
• Programme and project milestones and dependencies  
• Resource demand and capacity for resources being used and planned to be used on projects 

M3’s approach in developing the latent project delivery capability within the client and driving project management maturity paid great dividends. 

M3 achieved the successful implementation of a new enterprise PM tool, along with an end-to-end programme lifecycle tailored to the needs and timetable of the authority. Together with the necessary supporting business changes and training, this enabled a comprehensive maturity plan for the medium to long term.

This illustrates M3’s ability to work closely with clients to understand the root causes of their business problem and define and implement successful remedies. Our deep industry knowledge and ability to use our delivery experience enable M3, working in partnership with a client, to quickly address issues and accelerate resolution.

This level of PM maturity achieved enabled the senior leadership to use sophisticated Portfolio Analysis to:

• Assess new potential projects and programmes for alignment and placement in the delivery portfolio 
• Assess resource demand and capacity, identifying choke points 
• Assess cost to deliver and financial benefit release, enabling evidence-based decision making to support the authority’s challenging change and growth agenda

Working with the chief executive’s office, M3 put together a comprehensive approach for the set-up and resourcing of the entire transformation effort, underpinned by a business case outlining the strategic programme of work required to deliver the council’s blueprint. 

M3 employed its transformation framework to help the team guide the planning, design and delivery support services in a highly cost effective manner. M3 worked closely with the client to meticulously shape the delivery programme of work, detailing cost/benefit analysis and outlining the savings and benefits to be delivered by each programme.

The design and delivery of the programmes was supported by a new portfolio and architecture function, implemented by M3. The portfolio office was fully resourced by apprentices recruited by M3 on behalf of the council, a ground-breaking initiative. M3 also devised and delivered a customised training and coaching package for all PM/PMO practitioners, including use of the new EPM tool.

M3 also supported the council in setting up a new architecture function to act as the “design house” for the council, ensuring all designs were aligned with overarching design principles supporting the authority’s key strategic objectives. The portfolio office and architecture worked hand in hand to design and deliver the programme of work.

M3 put together a comprehensive strategic delivery function to allow the council to achieve its strategic objectives and deliver the council blueprint, with consistent design, planning and delivery principles in place, supported by a new council-staffed portfolio office and a groundbreaking EPM Tool.

As a result of M3’s collaboration with the council, we achieved:

• £10million saving in the first financial year after the transformation effort
• The set-up of a premier shared services operation in south-west England 
• Major restructures in customer services and street services
• A new portfolio office and architecture function with 120 staff recruited and trained
• Outsourcing of IT and other back office functions to wholly-owned LATCos
• Improved service provision in adult and child social care
• Improved customer experience through a digital-first customer charter and an enhanced ability to make evidence-based decisions on spend, procurement and contract management
• Business growth through re-generating the city centre, increasing business rate revenue by encouraging new businesses, including social enterprise, and improving the infrastructure linking the council to the rest of the UK.

M3 has a proven methodology in delivering results in a highly cost-effective manner. Our structured and collaborative approach proved effective in identifying and delivering efficiencies and savings. The council benefited from M3’s experience and delivery knowledge to allow it to make savings of £10million in the first year alone, coupled with a platform for growth in income and revenue through new mechanisms. The results achieved for this client are a solid endorsement of the M3 engagement style, collaborative approach and delivery success.