TECHNOLOGY AND TOOLS
The technologies we have most experience with and the tools we use to help you manage change
In any initiative involving technology, our objective is to ensure the optimal utilisation of that technology. To achieve this, we undertake the business design (particularly the detailed process design) with the technology solution in mind, to ensure the process makes best use of the features the technology supports, and to avoid trying to get the technology to do things is wasn’t designed to do.
We regularly use modern, web-based, easily configurable, digital business platforms. With these types of tools it is relatively easy (fast and inexpensive) to develop a ‘Proof of Concept’ to help the project team learn fast (understand what the technology can and can’t do and what effort is involved) and help communicate the vision, and possible benefits and outcomes, to user groups and other stakeholders. This has consistently proven to be time and money well spent.
Our technology experience
Many of the change projects that we have been involved in have utilised a range of
digital business platforms to transform business services, operations and outcomes.
These have included:
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Multi-channel interaction management platforms supporting contact centre operations;
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Dynamic case management platforms supporting knowledge workers responsible for case progression, service delivery and fulfilment activities;
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Business process management platforms (including robotic process automation) to manage end-to-end business processes and automate administrative activities;
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Enterprise workload management and workforce management platforms to automate case and task prioritisation and skills-based distribution of work and integrate back and front-office operations to help clients accommodate peaks in real-time interactions (phone calls) and optimise the utilisation of staff across the enterprise.
Other technologies that we have had significant experience with
We have been involved in a significant number of digital transformation initiatives dating back to the mid 1990’s. Projects such as the introduction of an automated cheque processing service using imaging and optical character recognition technologies for the major banks in New Zealand.
We were also involved in the replacement of microfiche in the banking sector through the introduction of electronic report archival and retrieval technology for bank statements.
In the government sector we were involved in the digitsation of paper-based land title records and births, deaths and marriages records using automated character recognition technology.
We introduced automated forms processing for the digital capture (imaging) and automated processing (character recognition) and exception handling (workflow) for GST and PAYE returns and KiwiSaver forms, as well as the electronic storage and retrieval of these documents.
We developed numerous prototypes for accounts payable automation as well as the processing of census forms and the capture and processing of credit card and loan applications.
These technologies allowed us to introduce the concept of a ‘digital border’, to digitise any paper-based documents at the time and point of receipt and then manage them via the same process as transactions received electronically.
This supplements the primary digital business platform to ensure all channels are accommodated and enables a seamless experience for our clients and their customers as they transition from paper to digital channels.
The tools we often use
When documenting business processes, rules, roles and requirements, a traditional static diagramming or documentation tool has many limitations.
When managing projects and programmes, multiple versions of detailed and complex plans, often buried in layers of folders deep inside a directory structure, doesn’t make it easy for workstream leaders and task owners to get a clear picture of their responsibilities or deadlines, or readily provide updates on progress.
When managing an agile or semi-agile project development, customer teams, service provider and solution provider teams, all need a common and singular view of documented requirements, user stories, acceptance criteria, MVP details, sprint contents, defects etc.
To address these challenges and support these disciplines, we prefer to use more collaborative, accessible, cloud-based tools. Tools that provide more transparency and personal responsibility for the timely and high-quality completion of deliverables. Tools that have the required functionality but are easy enough to use that experts aren’t required as guardians. Rather, with minimal training, all project team members can utilise these tools to effectively communicate expectations, requirements, plans, issues, accountabilities and progress.
We recommend, as best practice, the utilisation of these more modern and accessible types of tools in the projects we lead. We don’t sell them or insist on their use, but we do believe the project, and therefore the client and other participating parties, will benefit significantly from their use.