Restoring organisational pride

Client case

Restoring organisational pride

Problem

A loss-making business unit of a listed company is on the edge of bankruptcy. This organisation of over 120 employees, with various activities in the IT sector, could not develop and realise a successful strategy for the future by itself.

Peter was responsible for this project as interim director, and has led the complete turnaround from loss-making to profit-making. With leadership and conviction, as well as strong change management skills, Peter motivated and inspired the team. This led to a strong can-do attitude, which paved the way to success.

Approach

After analysing the entire organisation and its business proposition, a new strategy was developed. First of all, confidence in the organisation’s own capabilities was restored. The entire team was provided with the correct and most current relevant business information. This transparency and the opportunity to participate contributed to the right mentality to implement the changes. Core activities were redefined and greatly improved in terms of quality. Activities that did not fit the new strategy were optimised and sold. Running projects were completed and other activities were stopped. In the final stage, this unit was successfully integrated into an existing business unit of the same listed company.

Results

Without a reorganisation budget, positive figures were achieved after nine months. Six months ahead of schedule. At the start, the Supervisory Board regarded this problem as the most critical in the organisation. After integration with an existing business unit, this component expanded rapidly and became one of the company’s most profitable units. The work climate in the organisation was a lot more positive than before, which enabled further professionalisation.

Decisive factors during this project

Crucial to this project’s success were both the analysis of the business proposition and the restoration of organisational pride. At the start there was no focus and no clear vision on what action to take. Developing and implementing the new proposition was very important, as well as restoring confidence. Managing the change was essential. The required focus was obtained by motivating all employees and giving them a clear goal.

Optimizing a service organisation

Client case

Optimizing a service organisation

Problem

The departure of the COO at the UK office (with more than 500 employees) of an ERP software company and quality issues in their service activities.

Peter carried out this project over a period of six months, during which he stayed in the UK from Monday to Friday. The service organisation felt strengthened by Peter’s input and the entire organisation became more stabilised. By providing the sales department with a strong and clear range of services, the account managers were able to operate more successfully in the sales process. Not only did the sales department become much more positive about the range of services, appreciation of services staff and clients also greatly increased.

Peter’s straightforward communication style and leadership led to the desired clarity and calmness. His analytical skills were put to the test in controlling the problematic projects. The intercultural aspect of being a straightforward Dutch national in the UK did not pose a problem to him. In close cooperation with the Country Manager, the entire organisation received a boost. This project was completed early and successfully, due to persuasiveness and perseverance.

Approach

The position of services was greatly improved within the entire organisation. The sales department used to be very dominant, which created an unstable situation. Within six months, a complete turnaround was achieved. The sales proposition of the services was changed and project control regained. Four out of eight problematic projects were solved and completed. One major project was stopped and the parties came to an agreement in regard to termination of the contract. Three remaining projects continued with tighter management. A new standardised approach was implemented and the organisation adjusted to the new way of working. This meant that a number of changes had to be made within the organisation and its management.

Results

The new way of working strengthened the services organisation and made it more stable. This resulted in an increase in the billable percentage by six percentage points. Due to the new sales approach by the services department and the standardised implementation method, there were no more loss-making projects. Poorly running projects were completed or put back on track so they were no longer loss-making. One substantially loss-making project was terminated and a satisfactory solution was found in consultation with the customer. After the project, market position in the UK was further strengthened and ever larger organisations were obtained as clients.

Decisive factors during this project

The key to success was restoring balance within the organisation. The focus was on unity, working together and ensuring client success. Previously, the sales department had some sort of exclusive claim to the feeling of success. After the project, the entire team shared in this feeling of success. Specifically, there was a focus on the standardisation of the sales and implementation approach. To get the eight problematic projects under control, it was of great importance to set up a Project Review Board. This board monitored and discussed these projects weekly. Of course, it was also crucial to prevent the occurrence of new problematic projects. The new, highly structured way of working made goals and agreements more clear for clients and enabled project managers to perform better. This way, the entire organisation was ready to take on the next step in the growth process.