Services
Services (skills) each with clear definition, some context and the value.
Book a time to talk together – I can arrange a video-call, phone call, or other means as you’d prefer.
Technology Strategy
Technology Strategy provides the long-term objectives and plans for technology to serve the business mission.
This consists of plans, principles, processes and tactics for the use of technology within the company. Unfortunately, all too often, focus is placed wholly on the technologies alone and not the means to assimilate them. This fuels the failure of many technology change programmes. It’s also partly the reason terms like digital transformation are born.
The operating model has completely changed in financial services. Witness the FinTech explosion; aggregators, peer-to-peer economics, time-to-market inflexion, data science, etc. – and the incumbent firms left behind. Three tenets for any technology investment: 1. achievable commercialisation, 2. realisable opportunity, and 3. travesty of inefficiency.
B³ – Build • Buy • Bridge™. The concrete foundation I designed. The subtlety belies its value.
- Build technology to separate the firm in market.
- Buy the rest.
- Bridge the two as needed.
This is my core. This is my code. This underpins what I do and to some extent it’s my raison d’être.
Digital Transformation
Digital Transformation is the transformation of a business through digital technology.
It’s the business that is transformed. For example, replacing manual processes with digital ones, using newer technology that integrates vs legacy systems that don’t. A current example of this is chat-bots versus humans. An older example would be electronic telephone exchanges replacing manual operators.
It’s not about a new application or system upgrade, it’s about transforming the business. Change efforts that myopically view digital transformation as a technology-only problem typically fail.
Half of the Fortune 500 have disappeared since the early 2000s. Since the 1970s, when computing started gaining traction, five of every six Fortune 500 companies are gone. Due to digital disruption (failure to embrace digital). Just 17% remain.
Half of the Fortune 500 have disappeared since the early 2000s. Since the 1970s, when computing started gaining traction, five of every six Fortune 500 companies are gone. Due to digital disruption (failure to embrace digital). Just 17% remain.
Four separate areas are critical:
- Technology
- Data
- Process
- People
Structure transformation programmes accordingly across all four.
Programme Management
Programme (Project) Management is the process of wholly managing effort and involvement for one or more specific goals.
It’s the managing, planning, organising, resourcing, directing and communication of effort.
The terms Programme and Project are often interchanged and certainly the subject of much debate. It’s generally accepted a programme of work consists of many projects (size and scale being the difference). Various approaches are used – traditional (waterfall), agile (iterative), …
Writing a new application backed by k8s in the cloud or constructing a bridge over a river – both require the same set of considerations.
Writing a new application backed by k8s in the cloud or constructing a bridge over a river – both require the same set of considerations.
Considerations:
- Initiation – what defines start.
- Planning – what is needed.
- Executing – how it will be done.
- Analysing – how it will be measured.
- Reporting – how it will be communicated.
- Completion – what defines done.
Additionally, understanding the iron triangle and basic risk management are crucial.
Build the plan. Work the plan. Change the plan. Don’t be married to the plan.
Application Modernisation
Application Modernisation is the practice of using newer computing approaches as means to update older systems.
Examples are using modern languages, frameworks, platforms and services.
Development principles and methodologies like Agile, DevOps and Infrastructure as Code are often used in conjunction with application modernisation.
This approach is an extension of Gartner’s application modernisation.
- Single Objective – Primary reason.
- Six Drivers – Business value, fit and risk. Technology complexity, cost and compliance.
- Some Others – Parallel advantages with other applications’ modernisation.
- Smart Selection – Select the approach bias to maximum return. (Gartner).
Encapsulate • Rehost • Replatform • Refactor • Rearchitect • Rebuild • Replace
Accelerate application modernisation by codifying, as much as possible, the process: Single Objective » Six Drivers » Some Others » Smart Selection.
Cloud Enablement
Cloud Enablement is the process of creating, controlling and operating an organisation’s technology through the cloud.
Cloud enablement shifts in-house technology to a public, private or hybrid cloud environment. Achieved executing a cloud strategy, defining the functionality, architecture, development process, security and governance model. Various approaches and implementations are used.
The biggest hurdle, by far, is a proper start. Shifting to the cloud should start with education and clear communication.
There are five areas to cloud enablement:
- Educate – everywhere.
- Understand – the goal.
- Consider – the design.
- Select – the provider.
- Partner – properly, with a companies agnostic to the provider.
Operate enablement programmes extensively across all areas.
Board Advisory
Board Advisory provides means to advise a company, organisation or group.
Board advisors represent themselves or a company. They bring a level of knowledge typically unaccessible or unaffordable in permanent executive positions. The informal nature of advisory boards facilitates greater flexibility across the whole. Providing plethora advice from strategy to tactics, domain specific to general.
The greatest value is diversity of thought and perspective. For example, if engaged to help platform development they can guide the CTO and CIO on development and innovation paths. Often they can act, just simply, as sounding boards. The smartest companies use many board advisors extensively to stay one step ahead.
Board advisory brings leadership, technology excellence and a business network. Often investing or aiding funding rounds.
Execution Frameworks
Execution Frameworks provide means for structured, efficient and successful outcome.
Operating models are propelled by execution frameworks. Both can be abstract, process flow, and visual representations of how an organisation delivers value and how it runs itself.
Execution frameworks are objective and reasoned means to execute in a structured way. However, ignoring the human and cultural element often ends in failure. Partly why 80% of change programmes fail.
Execute using four analytic frameworks:
- MECE – Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive (McKinsey)
- Lean Thinking – Identify Value » Map the Stream » Create Flow » Establish Pull » Seek Perfection
- Agile – Iterative software and systems development
- BMC – Business Model Canvas (predominantly as a board advisor)
Intimately understand organisational behaviour, including:
- Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions Theory
- The Elephant and the Rider Thinking
Operate using these frameworks all the time.
Measurement Smarts
Measurement Smarts are the principles and processes only concerned with measuring what matters.
That’s how I define it. To my knowledge measurement smarts isn’t a thing, like say, digital transformation. But it should be. The importance warrants a dedicated service and why I offer it.
Measurements aid decisions. That simple. Measurements that don’t affect decisions have little value. Seems obvious, yet very few companies understand it. Never attributing business value to specific measurements. i.e. the importance rating of a measurement. Assigning an importance helps rid needless measurements and focuses value.
It’s a measurement minefield with: Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Objectives & Key Results (OKRs), Management By Objective (MBOs), and so on. This minefield complicates and obscures what to do. And is further exacerbated by the enormity of science in this domain. For example, Systemic vs. Random, Accuracy vs. Precision, Observer Bias (like Hawthorne & Heisenberg), Correlation vs. Causation, etc.
It’s a measurement minefield with: Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Objectives & Key Results (OKRs), Management By Objective (MBOs), and so on. This minefield complicates and obscures what to do. And is further exacerbated by the enormity of science in this domain. For example, Systemic vs. Random, Accuracy vs. Precision, Observer Bias (like Hawthorne & Heisenberg), Correlation vs. Causation, etc.
Infuse and automate measurement – specifically what to measure and why. Factor the business importance and make it simple.
Any senior technologist worth their salt consistently '^get\s\u0073(hit|tuff)\ and still write code.