Case Studies
Read our case studies to learn how Grange Consultants have helped other blue-chip companies improve their IT performance.
Case Studies: Utility
Case Studies: Car Rental Company
Case Studies: Supply Chain Company
Case Studies: Automotive Company
Case Studies: Wholesaler
Case Studies: Food Producer
Case Studies: Food Manufacturer
Case Studies: Software Product Company
Case Studies: Airport
Case Studies: Third-Party Logistics Company
Grange advised a utility through an outsourcing re-tender process. The IT function was able to save more than 20% of the cost base by expanding the scope of services outsourced, using an offshore provider and a final ‘e’ auction.
With their existing contract due for renewal, the customer wanted to market-test an extended scope of services. Prior to doing so, the Utility commissioned Grange to review the offshore market for maturity in IT infrastructure and application outsourcing. Grange delivered:
- A review of the maturity of offshore service providers in the delivery of infrastructure and application outsourcing
- A series of workshops with the business to agree on the scope of services, service levels, contractual terms, balanced scorecard and pricing models
- A Pre-Qualification Questionnaire to cut suppliers from the 28 who expressed interest to eight strong candidates
- Evaluation criteria to reduce the eight candidates to four, including two offshore providers
- Oversight of the internal production of the ITT, including defining the format and style
- Management of the scoring and pricing process for ITT responses
- Directors briefing and steering group participation
- Management of due diligence for the short-listed suppliers
- Preparation of pricing tables used in the final ‘e’ auction
Grange advised a car rental company through a market-testing exercise for infrastructure services. The pricing models in response to the ITT offered the client a 15 percent saving.
The customer wanted to improve delivery of infrastructure services, in particular for the help desk. Grange were asked to run a market-testing exercise, but the project was halted when the customer was acquired. Grange were then commissioned to deliver a service improvement programme. Grange delivered:
- A series of workshops with the business to agree to service levels, contractual terms, balanced scorecard and pricing models
- Supplier selection process to produce a list of four suppliers
- Production of the ITT, including evaluation criteria for selection
- Production of the pricing model to allow comparison with internal cost of delivery, which demonstrated a potential 15 percent saving
- Management of due diligence for the short-listed suppliers
- A service improvement programme
Grange advised a supply chain company through a post-outsourcing period. Grange Consultants were engaged as the interim IT Director. Grange set up structures and processes to engage with the outsourcing partners. A framework was put in place for in-sourcing and outsourcing IT activities to ensure that IT supported the company through a period of significant change and challenge.
Following a major outsourcing programme, the customer wanted to supplement their management team through a period of major change. A consultant from Grange was employed as interim IT Director. Grange:
- Reviewed and reorganised the internal IT team
- Identified the key strategies, including the sourcing strategy, that needed to be in place for IT to support the business strategy
- Set up the team and processes vital for account management of the various business units, including service level agreements, feedback and customer satisfaction reviews
- Implemented a centre of excellence for programme management
- Produced a focused and prioritised IT project plan
- Managed the programme to implement the key SAP project implementation into the North American operation
- Set up a cost-reduction programme, which saved more than ￡3m which represented 20 percent of the cost base in the first year
- After two years, renegotiated the outsourcing contracts to reflect the significant change that the business required in its IT services. As part of this exercise additional cost savings of 20 percent were also negotiated
Grange advised an Automotive Aftermarket company through a change and cost-reduction programme within their IT function. The IT function was reorganised and aligned to the operational business units. Savings in excess of ￡5m (20%) of the cost base were achieved through the programme.
Following a Health Check commissioned by the Managing Director of the automotive company, a change programme was developed to deliver service improvements and cost reduction. Grange were engaged to run the change programme. Grange:
- Implemented a new federated organisation with eight in-house heads (reduced from 45)
- Coached and developed the existing staff through the change programme activities and within their new roles
- Implemented new and improved processes for operational service, project, financial, strategic and performance management
- Renegotiated various existing IT partner agreements
- Drove an outsourcing process of some of the remaining in-house support and development teams with the existing IT partners
- Reengineered the processes of the remaining in-house, field-based support team
- Streamlined the activities of the contract management team and standardised processes and reporting across all IT partners
- Re-tendered an infrastructure project that had not been undertaken properly, reducing costs to half that of the original suppliers’ proposal
Grange advised one of the UK’s leading wholesaler of tobacco, convenience and frozen goods on how to improve service, reduce risk and organise the IT department. Acting as interim IT Director, Grange set the objectives for the following 12 months and started the delivery of a number of key projects. A new organisation was put in place to equip the business’ IT department for future growth.
After an initial Health Check, Grange delivered a service improvement consisting of six streams of work. Grange were then engaged to deliver the programme, acting as interim IT Director. Grange delivered:
- A Health Check highlighting areas for improvement
- A customer perception survey to benchmark the quality of IT customer service
- A risk register to enable clear communication between IT and the board on the business risks of IT
- A service improvement plan
- A new organisation, including recruitment of a new Director of IT
- An IT Strategy to support business growth plans
- A new Customer Management process to enable engagement of the business with key business initiatives
- A ‘best practice’ framework for people management
- New suppliers for Wide-Area Network and email infrastructure
- A list of Key Performance Indicators to be measured to monitor performance
Grange advised a chilled and frozen food producer on how to improve the provision of IT services. The IT function was re-organised to enable more effective engagement with the business and improve customer service.
Following the re-structuring of the business, the customer engaged Grange to review IT service delivery and to recommend improvements in IT services. Grange delivered:
- An initial evaluation of the IT department
- A recommended new organisation structure that was subsequently implemented
- A customer survey to benchmark the quality of IT customer service
- A Help Desk review, including how to monitor service performance
- A service improvement workshop to develop a service improvement plan
- An IT strategy
- An ongoing mentoring service for the new Head of IT
Grange advised an international food manufacturer on how to organise, measure and improve the provision of IT services. The IT function is now well organised, with strong leadership and clearly defined roles.
The newly appointed Director of IT engaged Grange to review the IT department and recommend improvements in IT services delivery. Grange delivered:
- An initial evaluation of the IT department, including recommendations for improvement
- A customer survey to benchmark the quality of IT customer service
- A service improvement workshop to develop a service improvement plan
- A significant input into the new IT strategy
- Recommendations on how to improve customer management
Grange advised an Airport on how to benchmark customer service for IT to ensure IT was delivering value for money. The IT department now has a clear view of the cost and quality of service in comparison with their peers.
Grange were engaged to undertake a customer survey and a benchmark of IT cost. Grange delivered:
- A customer survey to benchmark the quality of IT customer service
- Benchmarking of the cost of IT service in comparison to peers
- Recommendations on how to improve customer service
- Recommendations on a sourcing strategy
- Risk management processes
- A defined commercial structure for the IT Shared Service Centre
- A process for account management of internal customers, including a set of Key Performance Indicators for reporting
Grange implemented a service improvement programme to address severe product quality issues that were causing low satisfaction amongst the customer base and impacting revenues. Through Grange’s involvement, the customer was able to deliver a stable performing system within three months resulting in a significant increase in customer satisfaction. Through product stabilisation, support effort was reduced, allowing increased effort to be invested in development
The customer’s customer base consists of more than 1,000 retail outlets. There had been a recent history of delivery of poor products: high levels of defects, poor system performance and missed client commitments. Grange conducted a rapid assessment of the situation, producing a plan for improving delivery performance and enhancing capability. Grange was subsequently engaged to drive the plan and implement the necessary changes. Grange delivered:
- Clarity of roles and responsibilities in critical areas, including product management, requirements management and release/change management
- An independent testing team trained in testing best practices
- Critical changes to improve system stability and deliver dramatic performance improvements
- A requirements management process that involved key customers in prioritisation of future enhancements
- Adoption of an industry-standard development process
- Clarity of responsibilities in support and development
To ensure value for money was being delivered, Grange benchmarked the services provided by the internal IT of a Third-Party Logistics Company against industry norms. The IT department now has a clear view of the cost and quality of service in comparison with their peers, together with an action plan to improve key aspects of the services provided.
A new CIO had inherited an IT estate that had grown by acquisition but was not rationalised. The result was an inflexible infrastructure that constrained business growth plans. The IT team had identified the technical improvements necessary, but the business was concerned about the level of investment required. Grange were engaged to benchmark the cost of IT, with the aim of providing reassurance that levels of service and cost were comparable to their peers.Grange delivered a series of recommendations:
- Enhanced controls over financial allocation of IT costs, to support accurate measurement of customer profitability
- Investment in service-management processes to collect improved service data and increase “fixed time fix” rates that were much lower than industry norms
- Consolidation of email systems that would provide annual savings of ￡65k, with a three-month payback
- Review of company risk-management processes to ensure linkage from business risk through to IT risk
- Review of service management and reporting processes, including customer perception and satisfaction measurement, to ensure the right visibility of service measures critical to key business stakeholders