Designing a transformation management office for a group-wide finance transformation initiative

The project

The client is an integrated container logistics company operating in 130 countries. They are running an end-to-end Finance transformation programme, starting with a Finance Operating Model design, end-to-end process redesign and capability building up to the rollout of a new group-wide ERP system. For running the transformation programme successfully, a high-performing project management office needed to be established.

Several observations and recommendations were made in relation to the following key questions:

1. How do we establish an effective programme governance model to enable close alignment across the different tracks and to enable effective steering and dependency management?
   
   
2. How do we ensure fast identification and mitigation of project risks and issues and enable close monitoring of programme dependencies?
   
   
3. How do we ensure that the transformation delivers a stepwise impact towards the long-term vision, with the help of transparent business case management?

The impact

A new programme governance structure was designed to drive improved decision-making within the programme and to establish high transparency across tracks.

Four steps were taken to ensure effective programme design and deployment:

• Implementation of relevant programme management approaches and tools to allow fast decision-making and high transparency: tool-based integrated project plan, showing dependencies, risks and issues across all tracks.
  
  
• Capability building for the Project Management Office team to allow an effective facilitation of programme meetings and to ensure an end-to-end view of the programme.
  
  
• Creating a transformation business case to track created business impact to allow senior management to make impact-driven decisions.
  
  
• Establishment of a Power BI dashboard on relevant programme KPIs, including the Business Case.