• AIB Bank, Ireland
• AIB Capital Markets
• Bank of Scotland Ireland
• Central Bank and Financial Services Authority of Ireland
• EBS Building Society Ireland  View Case Study
• ESRI Ireland
• First Trust Bank,                Northern Ireland
• Norwich & Peterborough      Building Society UK
• Norwich Union, Ireland
• Origo Distribution, Ireland

Client: EBS Building Society

Goal: “We want more predictable, well-run projects which are delivered on time, within budget, with appropriate quality and agreed functionality”.

No small feat, but increasingly, EBS is delivering on this goal. Tom Doherty, Head of IT, has sponsored the Project Management improvement initiative in EBS, to work towards better results for IT-enabled business projects.

“Over the past two years our approach to projects has improved dramatically. We have a project framework which is accepted as the organisation standard. We have 30 certified project managers from both IT and Business. We enjoy greater customer satisfaction and are in control of our projects. Best Outcomes' contribution has been significant and essential. …”. Tom Doherty, Head of IT, EBS.

Best Outcomes has worked with EBS over a two year period, to achieve their goal of improved project management capability. We were engaged to manage the establishment and operation of their Projects Office, to support the usage of a common project framework for business and IT.

A key element of our approach to working with EBS has been to work on a continuous improvement basis, initially over a three month period to assess progress, with ongoing phases being planned in three or six month stages, depending on the areas of improvement being focused on.

Some of the key areas addressed to date include:

• Agreement of a common, simple framework based on best practice
• Evolution of the framework as it is tried and tested on projects
• Standardising tools and deliverables used
• Facilitation and Mentoring for project teams
• Project Healthchecks and Post Implementation Reviews, to help ensure successful outcomes
• Development of a training & education programme to expand the Project Management competency
• Improving project reporting and visibility
• Addressing resource tracking and request management
• Skills transfer to permanent staff members in the Projects Office

Demonstrable results have been achieved:

• Better reporting and visibility of the project portfolio
• Improved clarity of the objectives and scope of projects
• Making it easier to stop projects, EARLY, when applicable
• Improved Project Scorecard – key elements of framework being used on more projects

What we believe are Critical Success Factors

• Strong client sponsorship of the improvement initiative
• Don’t try to change everything overnight – adopt a few new practices every quarter, build expertise and experience over time
• Choose an approach that works for the culture of your organisation – adapt it as necessary
• Measure before, during & after

Feedback from EBS

“Clarity is a word that is used a lot in the EBS, but is not always achieved. For me the Project Management Framework we have developed with ongoing support from Best Outcomes, has brought clarity and consistency to way we analyse, document and manage projects. Finally, we can engage with the business by making them part of the entire project life cycle so that it is a Business solution that is delivered and not just an IT solution.” Noel Mooney, Project Manager, EBS.

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