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City View

Success Stories

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Retail
RetaiL
Challenge

A major Canadian retail supermarket chain needed to upgrade its retail systems to support new business objectives. Over time, local customizations led to varied processes and system functionality across stores making systems support and upgrades difficult.

Retail Systems Upgrade & Governance: Longo's
Solution

  •  Our Program Manager collaborated with the CIO, business and vendor teams for a clearly defined plan to standardize the business processes, reduce technical debt and ensure secure systems across all stores.

  • With special attention to governance, change and risk management, we guided the teams through process re-engineering, development, testing and deployment of the upgraded systems, in an agile manner.

  • We worked with the teams to develop a roadmap aligning business and technical objectives for retail systems. To enable successful roadmap implementation, we created service-centric governance processes between CIO team and vendors, including SLAs and IT metrics to measure progress.

Results

  • Standardized retail systems across all stores with service-centric support model, delivered on-time and on-budget without impact to end-clients.

  • Reduced technical debt and annual support cost.

  • Roadmap and governance to measure future progress.

IT systems Architecture & Integration: Best Buy
Solution

  • Gunjan provided strategic expertise on this integration program to create a roadmap for the C-Suite towards enterprise-wide architecture to combine IT systems and processes for the two chains.

  • Gunjan lead the design and identification of an integrated ESB solution in a distributed computing environment.

  • Gunjan worked with the teams to implement the ESB to serve as a foundation for future effort to standardize all IT systems. We worked with both on-shore and off-shore team of over 100 technical, business, and vendor experts to make this initiative a success against the business case.

Results

  • Improved relationships and decision-making across US and Canadian C-level leadership with service-centric support model.

  • Increased system integration, automation, reliability and data volume handling.

  • Eliminated technical debt and minimized annual support cost.

  • Reduced system recovery time.

Challenge

A large North American electronics retailer acquired a Canadian chain and sought to combine its processes and technology systems for better analytics.

Challenge

​One of Canada’s largest retail supermarket chain had grown quickly by acquisition. It needed to merge various acquired supply chain processes and systems under a service-centric model.

Supply Chain Integration: Loblaw's
Solution

  • Gunjan developed technology architecture and governance to successfully lead the client and multiple vendor teams through design, development, integration, testing and deployment of packaged, as well as custom-developed solutions.

  • As a trusted advisor, Gunjan helped negotiate RFP responses, SOWs and support contracts with vendors for the best value. We clearly defined KPIs, SLOs, SLAs and metrics to measure performance of the retail systems.

Results

  • Standardized supply chain and infrastructure across all acquired chains with service-centric support model.

  • Increased system reliability, automation and data volume handling.

  • Reduced system recovery time.

  • Eliminated technical debt and minimized annual support cost.

Financial Services
FINANCIAL SERVICES
reorganization & maximizing effectiveness: Forester's Financials
Solution

  • Our Program Manager collaborated with the international CFO team to identify an effective org structure spanning Canada, US and UK operations. We created detailed roles and responsibility matrices for each team, aligned with firm’s strategic direction and the business case.  

  • Our team collaborated with the management team to re-engineer processes, identified automation opportunities and created a cross-geography governance model with KPIs, SLOs, SLAs and cost allocations.

  • Our team created detailed roadmaps to implement the new structure as well as product features, with special focus on communication, change and risk management for employees and ensuring no client impact.

Results

  • Improved relationships and decision-making across Canadian, US and UK teams.

  • Closed skill gaps via training plans and clarified roles & responsibilities to increase employee motivation and satisfaction ratings.

  • Reduced overall operating costs.

Challenge

A global financial services firm aimed to create a more efficient org structure for its finance teams across various geographies.

Challenge

A large North American financial services firm encountered a major resource-based critical situation threatening annual business and technology goals.

Resourcing Critical situation on IT program: Manulife
Solution

  • Gunjan worked with the CIO, business and vendor teams to identify impact for each of the 100+ enterprise-wide custom applications and infrastructure projects affected by the resourcing issue. We created and lead a ‘get-to-green’ plan based on annual goals and immediate priorities, including a communication and strong change management plan for the well-being of the affected IT team members.

  • The implementation was supported by an agile process created by Gunjan to assign IT team across projects based on overall progress and adjusted priorities.

  • Gunjan implemented an automated dashboard tool for capturing the resourcing across 50+ member IT team. This aligned productivity improvements with hiring and resourcing strategies.

  • To adjust the IT strategy and roadmap for the next fiscal year, we re-aligned business KPIs for each initiative and re-baselined project plans including risk management and mitigation plans

Results

  • 80 percent of projects were in green status after five months.

  • Resource allocation process with change management and dashboard tool were adopted by the client PMO and operationalized as the best practice.

mutual funds business & systems sale - ivari Insurance
Solution

  • Our Program Manager worked with the CIOs and CFOs for both firms to manage the sale contract, transition of products, systems, customer/ product data and vendor relationships, including development of a transition fees framework, and regulatory processes for the transfer. All the while, focusing on people, process and technology.

  • We collaborated with the marketing and support teams from both firms to ensure end-client facing channels such as websites and call center were re-branded, ensuring consistent and clear messages for clients throughout the transition.

Results

  • On-time and on-budget transfer of staff, vendor relationships, systems, infrastructure and data, without impact to end-clients.

  • Clear agreement among the firms on KPIs, SLOs, transition fees and service-quality during the transition period.

  • Increased system integration, automation, reliability and data volume handling.

  • Eliminated technical debt and minimized annual support cost.

  • Reduced system recovery time.

Challenge

​A Canadian financial services company sold its mutual funds business requiring a transfer of the staff, vendor relationships, systems, infrastructure and data with a tight timeline.

Public Sector
PUBLIC SECTOR
Public Transportation systems management - York Region
Solution

  • Gunjan created and implemented a transportation technology strategy for multi-vendor owned + outsourced fleet model for York Region's support transportation such as snow plows. She aligned these with strategic/financial plans.

  • This included methodologies aligning culture and policies, data modeling, enterprise architecture, mobile, data warehouse, business intelligence, technology prototypes, change & risk management, vendor management, and long-term systems support with SLAs through service-centric methodologies.

  • Gunjan developed detailed implementation plans for short-term cross-functional technology initiatives on the product roadmap with clear KPIs. We championed delivery of three agile pilots for support vehicles.

  • Gunjan also implemented governance, communication strategies and dashboards to support cross-team collaboration, change & program management and service-centric model.

  • Gunjan reviewed RFP responses, SOWs and trained IT team in vendor assessment and contract negotiations.

Results

  • Improved relationships, analytics and decision-making across business, technology and vendors through roadmaps and service-centric support model.

  • Increased system integration, automation, reliability and data volume handling.

  • Eliminated technical debt and minimized annual support cost.

Challenge

​A Canadian municipality required better controls, efficiency and vendor support over its support transport fleet management.

Challenge

A major Canadian city struggled to manage and create governance around strategic initiatives to meet annual objectives.

IT strategy Creation, HRIS Implementation - City of Markham
Solution

  • Gunjan worked with the CHRO/CAO team as trusted advisors to align IT strategy and implementation by designing governance models, re-engineered processes, project management methodologies, dashboards with KPIs, business plans, procedures, policies and work flows focused on increasing tax-payer value.

  • Gunjan experts lead multiple cross-functional strategic projects focused on increasing organizational efficiency and superb service delivery through process improvement, automation, analytics and deployment of technology solutions.

  • Gunjan provided plans to begin key business transformation and change management initiatives, such as digital security for enterprise portal solutions, ERP and HRIS/HRMS implementations. This included aligning with vendors to set up SLOs and SLAs.

  • We spearheaded service optimization for the CAO’s team through internal data analysis, feasibility analysis, benchmarking, sharing best practices, market trend analysis and recommendations.

Results

  • Improved overall effectiveness through planning, roadmaps and service-centric methodologies.

  • Increased system integration and automation.

  • Eliminated technical debt and minimized annual cost.

  • Improved relationships across teams and with vendors due to clear roles & responsibilities.

Healthcare
Healthcare
Custom Integrated Application Development - Shoppers Drug Mart
Solution

  • Our Program Manager managed a technology SWAT team to phase pilots of the architecture changes and closely managed the business expectations throughout the process. We created criteria for code quality and performance SLOs, coupled with processes and governance for a new performance testing phase.  

  • In parallel, we collaborated with the business team to re-establish the goals, scope and mitigation plan for the program risks.

  • We aligned these to the KPIs, IT product roadmap and vendor project plans to introduce an agile product development approach. This included a service-centric support model for the new application and C-level program management dashboards to review and celebrate progress.

Results

  • Governance and alignment across multiple business, IT and vendor teams to meet program goals.

  • Increased store and end-user satisfaction through system reliability.

  • Reduction in technical debt.

Challenge

​A large Canadian retail pharmacy chain was developing an integrated custom application and infrastructure with multiple vendors to enable changes in prescription drug dispensing regulations with accelerated timeline. Initiative suffered from scope creep, code quality and performance issues.

Challenge

​A large North American retail pharmacy chain faced multiple process and technology issues, as it piloted prescription drug kiosks to evaluate various vendor technologies and patient experience from each pilot.

New product development & deployments - MedAvail/ Walgreens
Solution

  • Gunjan lead the deployment of four proof-of-concepts, by aligning the business and technology goals for each pilot and creating an agile, start-up like culture supporting collaboration across the CIO, business and vendor teams to handle ambiguous situations.

  • Gunjan provided governance expertise to develop new enterprise-wide processes, architecture, product roadmap, data modeling, deployment and operational support strategies to ensure on-time and on-budget delivery of the initiative. This was coupled with our program manager closely monitoring regulatory changes, risk, patient feedback, cost and KPIs through clear dashboards to manage expectations across all stakeholders.

Results

  • On-time and on-budget deployment of four emerging technology pilots.

  • Clear criteria for measuring client feedback and success.

  • Standardized operational, governance and business case conversations.

Transportation
Transportation
Public Transportation systems management - York Region
Solution

  • Gunjan created and implemented a transportation technology strategy for multi-vendor owned + outsourced fleet model for York Region's support transportation such as snow plows. She aligned these with strategic/financial plans.

  • This included methodologies aligning culture and policies, data modeling, enterprise architecture, mobile, data warehouse, business intelligence, technology prototypes, change & risk management, vendor management, and long-term systems support with SLAs through service-centric methodologies.

  • Gunjan developed detailed implementation plans for short-term cross-functional technology initiatives on the product roadmap with clear KPIs. We championed delivery of three agile pilots for support vehicles.

  • Gunjan also implemented governance, communication strategies and dashboards to support cross-team collaboration, change & program management and service-centric model.

  • Gunjan reviewed RFP responses, SOWs and trained IT team in vendor assessment and contract negotiations.

Results

  • Improved relationships, analytics and decision-making across business, technology and vendors through roadmaps and service-centric support model.

  • Increased system integration, automation, reliability and data volume handling.

  • Eliminated technical debt and minimized annual support cost.

Challenge

​A Canadian public transit operator required better controls, efficiency and vendor support over its integrated IT systems.

Challenge

A large Canadian airport authority needed help managing an enterprise-wide, multi-million dollar program to integrate processes, infrastructure and applications aligning operations for an efficient new terminal, with a lengthy list of stakeholders.

airport systems development & Integration - Greater Toronto Airport Authorities
Solution

  • To ensure the delivery of enterprise-wide custom applications and infrastructure required for the new terminal, Gunjan constructed and managed partnerships between CTO, business, marketing, multiple airlines and vendor teams.

  • Gunjan aligned business/financial goals to develop integrated program plan, governance, KPIs and business processes with high focus on airport visitors’ satisfaction.

  • Gunjan lead creation of architecture deliverables and operational processes to develop/support the integration layer connecting the gate/flight scheduling systems, baggage claim and other systems for new terminal. We oversaw development and deployment of the integration layer from start to finish.

Results

  • Program completed on-time and on-budget.

  • Highly satisfied feedback airport visitors.

  • Efficient service-centric post-production support processes support through ITIL practices.

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