Case Studies

Using Agile to adapt faster to business changes | Case Studies | Technology Partners

rl_mkcoord@technologypartners.net (Insights Contributor) — Fri, 11 Oct 2024 18:06:28 GMT

Struggling to adapt quickly, our client turned to us for help.

A large credit union was facing significant challenges in adapting quickly to the ever-evolving demands of their business environment. Despite their efforts to stay competitive, the organization struggled with sluggish decision-making processes and rigid operational structures that hindered their ability to respond swiftly to market changes. The Project Management Office (PMO) had made multiple attempts to implement Agile and Lean methodologies to foster more flexibility and efficiency within the organization. However, these initiatives delivered only minimal results, failing to create the desired improvements in speed, collaboration, and productivity. The credit union continued to face roadblocks in streamlining workflows, improving cross-functional alignment, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

Women in Tech Leadership | Case Studies | Technology Partners

rl_mkcoord@technologypartners.net (Insights Contributor) — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 21:34:55 GMT

‘Never give up’ and other in-the-trenches lessons from women in the IT industry

A recent study from Ensono shows 60% of US women in technology roles have been told they lack the proper skills or training required for a promotion. Yet, these companies do not offer mentorship programs or paid training courses.

The Technology Leadership Experience (The TechLX) provides an in-depth learning journey for cohorts of mid-level technology leaders who learn, engage, and grow together through a proprietary, IT-specific curriculum.

Here are the stories of several female leaders who are thriving in the local technology scene. They continue to inspire us with their knowledge, their leadership, and their determination to blaze a trail for any who wish to follow.

Leadership & Service Excellence for a Fortune 200 | Technology Partners

rl_mkcoord@technologypartners.net (Insights Contributor) — Wed, 11 Sep 2024 01:01:56 GMT

Developing leadership and service excellence at a Fortune 200 financial services company

Aligning teams around a common understanding of “Service Excellence” is critical for delivering consistent results—no matter the industry. For a Fortune 200 Financial Services Company, dispersed IT teams and varying experiences of mid- to senior-level hires presented challenges in achieving this alignment.

The challenge

Without a clear, shared vocabulary for service excellence, new hires and seasoned professionals struggled to synchronize their approach to customer service across the company’s vast IT organization.

The plan

To address these challenges, the company turned to us to create and implement a comprehensive leadership development program focused on "Achieving IT Service Excellence."

The program, which involved over 1,000 IT employees, ensured that all new hires, regardless of their level, participated in the workshop within the first two years of employment. The workshop's goal was to establish a baseline understanding of service excellence that everyone could follow, from junior staff to senior leadership.

A key component of the program was leadership accountability. Leaders received additional briefings on how to model and reinforce the learned behaviors and skills with their teams. This not only ensured consistent follow-through but also created an environment where service excellence became ingrained in the organizational culture.

Building Leadership Conversations with Something Extra | Industry Insights | Technology Partners

rl_mkcoord@technologypartners.net (Insights Contributor) — Sun, 08 Sep 2024 20:27:42 GMT

Bringing Leadership Insights to the World with the Something Extra podcast

Producing meaningful and consistent content is key to building and maintaining a thought leadership presence. The Something Extra podcast, hosted by Lisa Nichols, CEO of Technology Partners, stands as a shining example of this success. The podcast, which recently celebrated its 300th episode, continues to highlight diverse leaders from various industries, delving into the 'extra' that separates great leaders from good ones.

The challenge

Lisa Nichols wanted to create a platform that would not only spotlight extraordinary leaders but also provide valuable, actionable insights to inspire a global audience. Moreover, her personal connection to the theme, stemming from her daughter Ally, who has Down syndrome, added a deeper, heartfelt layer to the concept of 'Something Extra.' For Lisa, Ally embodies kindness, joy, and an extra zest for life that inspired her to seek out the “extras” in others as well.

Starting and sustaining a podcast in a saturated market is no small feat. The podcast needed to generate consistent content, maintain high-quality production, and continually attract influential guests while fostering engagement with its listeners.

The plan

To meet these goals, Nichols and the Technology Partners team took a strategic approach.

Content Planning & Scheduling: The team ensured a regular release schedule, focusing on high-quality content, showcasing leaders from tech, business, and beyond. Guests have included notable figures like Kim Houlne, Founder and President of Working Solutions, and Patrick Lencioni, Founder and President of The Table Group.

Personal Connection: The unique aspect of the podcast lies in its deeply personal foundation. Lisa’s experiences raising Ally provided her with a distinctive lens through which she explores leadership. This added authenticity resonates deeply with listeners, encouraging them to seek out their own “something extras” in life.

Community Engagement: The podcast actively engages with its audience through social media and cross-promotion on different platforms like Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Listeners are encouraged to participate in conversations, share their thoughts, and apply lessons from each episode.

Solving Complex Cloud Analytics & Visualizations | Industry Insights | Technology Partners

rl_mkcoord@technologypartners.net (Insights Contributor) — Sun, 08 Sep 2024 19:14:30 GMT

The vision

The leadership team at one of the Midwest’s most prestigious private research institutions had an ambitious vision: to develop a comprehensive, centralized repository of public information. Their goal was to create an accessible, unified platform where vast amounts of data could be stored, organized, and readily available for both academic researchers and the broader public. This initiative aimed to enhance transparency, promote data-driven insights, and facilitate the exchange of knowledge across various fields of study and industries. Through this endeavor, the institution sought to solidify its role as a leader in advancing research and public engagement.

The challenge

We were tasked with integrating over 110 diverse sources of data, spanning structured, semi-structured, and unstructured formats, including geospatial information. This complex collection of datasets had never been viewed together before, presenting a unique challenge in creating cohesive insight designs that would enable users to explore and analyze the information independently.

To meet this challenge, we developed a greenspace design, ensuring that the data could be accurately and seamlessly visualized within a self-service dashboard. This intuitive interface was created specifically for public use, allowing individuals to engage with the data in a meaningful way, fostering self-discovery and informed decision-making.

Transforming Finance Capabilities to Boost Enterprise Performance | Industry Insights | Technology Partners

rl_mkcoord@technologypartners.net (Insights Contributor) — Sun, 08 Sep 2024 17:27:07 GMT

The vision

Modernizing results and capabilities in an elite, multi-century-old institution is never easy. Highly-regulated finance data and a decentralized business structure added to the complexity.

The challenge

The finance leadership team of a prominent academic medical center envisioned a future where a single source of truth created trusted enterprise reporting. This required true transformation from a centralized support team to a business empowerment and capabilities catalyst.

Accelerating Digital Transformation with Tailored IT Staffing Solutions | Industry Insights | Technology Partners

rl_mkcoord@technologypartners.net (Insights Contributor) — Sat, 07 Sep 2024 02:30:25 GMT

A nationwide grocery store chain looks to a proven staffing partner.

During a recent period of aggressive digital transformation, this national grocery chain needed help growing its information technology teams—and in a hurry. Over the course of a positive, long-term engagement, Technology Partners’ staffing business helped identify and place multiple project managers to help an executive leader execute her portfolio of strategic technology initiatives.

“Technology Partners worked diligently to understand our staffing needs then presented only the best-fit candidates,” said the client, who helped lead the national company across application services, supply chain applications, and application development. “This significantly streamlined the recruitment process for us as a client.”

The challenge

Like other senior IT directors trying to solve complex business challenges in an agile manner, this executive found herself juggling the complexities that come with managing full-time employees and consultants. This balancing act is made more difficult during periods of intense organizational change – and the multitude of technology projects that come with it.

“I had 90 people reporting to me including 30 contractors. We needed a partner who could help us ensure consultant productivity and accountability.”

The plan

Technology Partners assigned a senior-level account manager to understand the client's unique staffing needs, and then placed multiple project leaders and technical support personnel within the organization to augment its full-time resources.

"Michelle Taylor [TPI Strategic Account Executive] had a very good handle on the consultants in her network," the client said. "They really get to know your cadence and operational rhythm as a company, which means they are in tune with what you need in terms of staffing."

The strong relationship between Technology Partners and its network of 200,000+ technology consultants across the country means there is an extra level of accountability in the mix. “I could depend on Technology Partners to maintain a strong presence with their consultants,” the client said. “It’s great to have partners so invested in the success of your projects.”

Staffing Partnerships Built to Last

rl_mkcoord@technologypartners.net (Insights Contributor) — Sat, 07 Sep 2024 02:08:35 GMT

Staffing a Fortune 500 financial giant

More than 25 years ago, we partnered with a global leader in the financial industry that needed a partner to help grow their IT staff without breaking the bank. Today, that decades-long partnership is still going strong. In a recent 18-month initiative, Technology Partners played a pivotal role in identifying and recruiting more than 150 highly-skilled IT consultants, resulting in significant improvements in the client’s overall IT capabilities and project execution.

The challenge

Facing a high demand for IT professionals in a rapidly-evolving tech landscape, our client was struggling to attract and retain elite talent. Other recruiting partners were unable to keep up with the increased hiring volume, which led to project delays, hampered productivity, and added expenses from the extended vacancies.

The plan

By working to fully understand the client’s needs, Technology Partners tailored a recruitment strategy that combined traditional approaches with cutting-edge techniques, led by AI-driven candidate sourcing and direct outreach to potential candidates.

Transforming an IT System for an Industry Leader | Industry Insights | Technology Partners

rl_mkcoord@technologypartners.net (Insights Contributor) — Fri, 06 Sep 2024 22:30:42 GMT

To compete with the best, you need technology that can compete with the best.

Kennelwood Pet Resorts, developed an application, "e-Kennelwood," with a small, internal, "one-man army." However, Kennelwood had ambitions to become a leader within the pet industry and needed a cutting-edge application to position them in this light. Further, they had a goal to eventually resell this app to other kennels.

The challenge

Unfortunately, e-Kennelwood was not enough to leverage Kennelwood to an advantage over their peers. And, most importantly—it could not provide the service and products their customers deserved.

The plan

Technology Partners (TPI) quickly implemented a fractional team to bring the inner workings of their application system to the threshold at which it needed to function.

Through an extensive process consolidating the procedure into three primary areas (Administrative, Break/Fix, and Enhancements), the team hit the pain points head on. From procuring a solution; addressing significant and operation-crippling technical bugs in accounting, employee care, and scheduling; and allowing for measurable application efficiencies, pet age calculations, and more streamlined employee compensation, the team painstakingly and attentively resolved the underlying issue at the heart of the app.

Driving Cloud Migration & Analytics at Scale | Industry Insights | Technology Partners

rl_mkcoord@technologypartners.net (Insights Contributor) — Fri, 06 Sep 2024 22:01:12 GMT

Analytics at scale to push innovation

Our healthcare research client’s executive leadership team envisioned a future that enabled best-in-class translational research by empowering researchers to do their best work. This future state would drive research innovation and enable AI and team science at an entirely new scale, all while improving governance, security, and compliance.

The challenge

More than 30 different highly-regulated healthcare business units leveraged the existing data environment. Major cloud providers had yet to consistently produce strong cloud infrastructure and platform engineering, let alone integrate with best-in-class translational research and HIPAA-compliant cloud environments.

The plan

We took an iterative approach and developed a cloud data fabric built on Databricks in Azure. This fabric allowed the aforementioned departments to migrate their data assets to the cloud and expand upon their current capabilities. Users are now empowered to ingest data from a wide variety of data sources (RDBMS, APIs, file systems, Synapse, Big Query, etc.) without the need to write code for the majority of scenarios.