Example of Consulting/Outsourcing/Executive Staffing
Overview:
A newly formed financial services company was created through the acquisition of a global business unit from a bank. Mplementer served the new company as the interim CIO, strategy consultant and migration project manager.
The Objectives:
1. Create a cost-effective infrastructure to support the global business operations of the company and that compared favorably to the business operation’s infrastructure while part of the global bank.
2. Identify required hardware/software and migrate all of the commercial off-the-shelf software (COTS) to the new infrastructure and where desired upgrade applications in the process. Obtain and deploy new hardware.
3. Build out new office locations and move each office to their new locations including deployment of all networking and telephony equipment.
4. Replace all proprietary banking applications with cost-effective replacements
The Challenges:
1. Each office was part of a different region of the bank and had their own set of IT standards. Data and applications were not centralized and scattered across numerous servers with no direct access allowed to the servers.
2. Business clients needed to be included in the migration plan and be comfortable that their data was secure.
3. Limited operating budget
4. Tight time frames (migration needed to be fully completed within a set time with major financial penalties for not meeting targets)
5. Limitations on what the bank would support with regards to migration (e.g. would not allow access to remote servers through the bank’s network).
6. Need to have email in place on day the deal closed (well in advance of any infrastructure migrations).
7. Limited resources (with no dedicated migration resources).
Actions Taken:
Develop a comprehensive migration plan for each office focusing on priorities including compiling a list of hardware and software and office re-locations.
Migrate mail to new global platform to be effective on announcement of deal close.
Put together a comprehensive RFP, review, hire and negotiate terms with solution vendors
Develop standard operating procedures to gain synergies across all operating companies while accounting for jurisdictional nuances within each office
Migrate phones, networks, hardware and software for each office
Support final solution with logical hand off to internal staff
Results:
New business operating in its own offices with its own newly built infrastructure on par with original infrastructure provided by bank but with more flexibility and at a lower monthly operating cost. All applications can be accessed remotely from any device.