Recent Examples of Our Work
System Integration and Development
Situation. Infoxchange is a highly diversified IT NFP service provider with staff across Australia and New Zealand. During an analysis of the business, Grey Knowledge Group identified that the organisation lacked the ability to adequately attribute staff cost to products and projects. This lack of insight was impacting the organisation's ability to deliver effectively and make strategic decisions.
Action. Grey Knowledge Group ran a six month project to deliver a complex configuration and integration project that enabled the leadership group to receive weekly and monthly reports showing project and product profitability. We implemented an internal cost allocation system comprised of a new application, new processes and the change management for all staff. Results. The system delivered immediate benefits, providing managers the ability to see on a weekly basis how projects were performing against their planned cost so that they could intervene earlier. The additional benefit was that more rigour was applied to new proposals and the accountability for product owners could move from just revenue to profitability. |
Testimonial
“The system that Grey Knowledge Group delivered exceeded my expectations. Their ability to deal with the complexity of our organisation is a testament to their considered, methodical approach. At all times Adam stayed focused on the objectives of the project and was willing to adjust the scope as required to ensure that the maximum benefit to our business was delivered. Grey Knowledge Group has continued to provide responsive and reliable on-going support and I am confident that we will continue to benefit from this project for many years to come.” - David Spriggs, CEO Infoxchange
Business Analysis and Strategic Planning
Situation. The new Deputy Secretary of Corporate Services was looking for a way to set the strategic direction for his cross-functional leadership team and to clearly communicate his priorities.
Action. Grey Knowledge Group facilitated a strategic planning and communication exercise for the Corporate Services Group engaging the entire leadership team in a mixture of group and 1:1 sessions, culminating in a full day facilitated session. Results. At the end of the session, 95% of participants understood what the Deputy Secretary's priorities meant for them and their teams and 100% of participants felt that the workshop had made a useful contribution to their understanding & confidence. |
Testimonial
"Adam and his team fitted in and worked well with our Senior Management Group. Their professionalism and structured approach to strategic planning gave us the confidence to commit to and achieve our outcomes. The 'briefing/back-briefing' communication methodology delivered a great performance improvement for us, as it allowed me to set clear expectations for my team, and give them the freedom to structure their own approach and the flexibility to respond to changing circumstances. The facilitated 1:1 briefing sessions were effective in establishing this methodology. I would gladly recommend this approach, and Grey Knowledge Group." - Bruce Thompson, Deputy Secretary of Corporate Services, Department of Environment and Primary Industries (Victoria)
Project Management Framework
Situation. Melbourne Water were running a program to enhance their project management capability with a focus on governance, accountability and managing complexity. Success of the program depended on the senior leadership group understanding and supporting the changes.
Action. Working with Helmsman International, Grey Knowledge Group developed and provided a series of 1/2 day workshops to the leadership group of Melbourne Water. The workshops educated the senior leaders on how to most effectively perform the role of project sponsor and emphasised accountability, engagement and governance. Results. Having completed the workshop:
|
Testimonial
"We were very grateful for the support that Adam gave us. He had a very customer focused attitude and worked closely with us to understand our culture and our needs. He then developed a training package that was tailored for the most senior leaders in the organisation and their direct reports. The training was a mixture of presentations and group exercises that emphasised the value of having objectives linked to business outcomes and the importance of governance and accountability. I received high praise about Adam's training from around Melbourne Water including a personal compliment from the Managing Director who had attended one of the sessions. Adam subsequently provided similar training to our project managers and we are continuing to use him to perform a range of other tasks." - Jane Bateson, Senior Manager Business Improvement, Capital Delivery Group, Melbourne Water
Corporate Services Business Analysis
Situation. Infoxchange is a highly diversified IT NFP service provider with staff across Australia and New Zealand. Over the past 3 years the organisation has grown rapidly, stretching the capacity of the corporate services team and also creating concerns about the cost effectiveness of the services being provided.
Action. Grey Knowledge Group performed a rapid business analysis task to examine the costs of the corporate service functions combining both staff and non-staff inputs. The data was then benchmarked against similar organisations and areas for future productivity improvements were identified. Results. The final report was presented to the senior leadership team and some significant insights emerged. Some areas were identified as requiring additional investment such as HR support, while others were prioritised for improvement such as payroll and accounts receivable. Grey Knowledge Group is now currently engaged to deliver the business improvement priorities. |
Testimonial
"This is an excellent report which provides many useful insights for both the cost allocation activities and areas that we will want to focus on from a process and system improvement perspective. We very much appreciate the contribution that you and Angela have made to the work of Infoxchange." - David Spriggs, CEO Infoxchange