Common recurring themes: large enterprises, complexity, multiple suppliers, demanding customers, simplification and transformation, clarity, process and cost control, performance, cost reduction, implementing new systems, digitising and automating workflows
Successful Customer Assignments: New Zealand Parliament (Elections 2020, ServiceNow, Operating Model, Cost to Serve Model, Technology Partner Procurement), Spark (Z Energy, GCSB, Corrections, Statistics, Police NGCC, ANZ, Conservation, Justice, Contact Energy), Ministry of Education, NZ Transport Agency, Vodafone (IRD & MBIE), Fronde, Gen-i (CBA Australia), ANZ Bank, Transpower, NZ Racing Board, ACC and others
Examples of some real customer pain points I have helped with...
Working jointly with you to help you run an effective and successful service delivery & support organisation.
0. The Why - Business Philosophy, strategy & drivers
Business case, business plan, overall strategy & model
Consulting, Project Management, Business Analysis
Covering:
Business Outcomes:
Typical Artifacts:
1. Parliamentary Service - RFI for Technology Partner; link
Built on the work done previously with the "Cost to Serve" model, provided specialist consulting expertise to the RFI. Extract from the document:
"PS currently outsources a number of technology services to third party service partners. PS is on a journey to reduce the amount of its resources devoted to managing commodity platforms to focus on technology services that support and transforms the business. We require technology partner(s) who can assist in this transformation and help us deliver operational excellence."
Result: internal responsibilities agreed and allocated, new technology partner(s) selected, scene set for new operating model to be implemented.
2. Parliamentary Service - ServiceNow ITSM Implementation
Result: Successful implementation within 3 months, replacement of legacy systems for cost savings, digitisation of workflows, optimisation of subscription costs. In addition, led the upgrade to Quebec, acted as the defacto keeper of ServiceNow, kicked off ServiceNow HR Service Delivery implementation.
3. Parliamentary Service - Cost to Serve Model
Prepared the framework required to gain granularity of services and associated costs to deliver to internal and external customers.Prepared the framework required to gain granularity of services and associated costs to deliver to internal and external customers. Result: definitive visibility of costs previously not available for management control.
4. Parliamentary Service - Elections 2020; link
Project Managed multiple streams of work for IST program of work including working with complex and demanding stakeholders, embedding processes, upgrading tool-sets, managing partners for a series of high visibility events that comprise a typical election. Result: very successful program of work delivered, extreme credibility and confidence in IST.
5. ServiceNow Partner Red Moki - VP Customer Success
Led the efforts to ensure Red Moki delivered a super high quality ServiceNow initiatives consistent across customers regardless of type, size or geography. Led a team of talented Customer Success professionals for this rapidly growing organisation in startup mode.
6. Spark - Enterprise Service Architect
Reviewed service delivery & performance, mapped current state, created options, defined future state operating models, defined transition strategy, responded to RFIs & RFPs, project managed transitions & deployments, conducted workshops, created, reviewed, accepted & implemented new models, processes, plans, documentation & artefacts. Results: Generating customer confidence, successful implementations, and closing significant new business.
List of Spark Assignments:
a. Z Energy Managed Security Services Provider (MSSP)
b. GCSB Service Management Design & Consulting
c. Department of Corrections Cloud Digital Enablement Platform (CDEP)
d. Department of Statistics Security Management Implementation
e. Police Next Generation Critical Communication (NGCC) Response to RFI
f. ANZ Response to Service Management RFP
g. Department of Conservation Mobile Devices as a Service (MDaaS) &
h. Ministry of Justice Service Mapping Network Services
i. Contact Energy; link
7. Ministry of Education - Service Management Specialist; link
Service Strategy & Design - developed Service Catalog and the Service Management model to successfully on-board EPL (Novopay) infrastructure. On the success of this, translated the overall Digital Strategy into the Service Management Strategy, created a wider sector-wide Service Management Model, the Service Management Road-map, the Work Breakdown Structure and template cookie-cutter Project Plan. Result: successful onboarding of new customer.
List of Education Assignments:
a. Digital Service Strategy (Education Sector-wide) Service Architecture & Strategy
b. Education Payroll Limited (Novopay) - Service Design & Transition
8. Voco – eTOM Consultant, Requirements Analysis
Analysed over 1,200 requirements against the eTOM framework (privileged & confidential).
9. NZ Transport Agency – Service Designer
Created Minimum Viable Service Design in a very compressed time-frames to support a new road toll solution.
10. Vodafone NZ (Inland Revenue & MBIE) – Enterprise Service Designer
Service Design & Transition - crafted over 17 Service Catalogs to successfully transition solutions into Vodafone’s largest and commercially critical customers. Scope included: Contact Centres, Communications, Connectivity, Wi-Fi, Security, Mobility.
11. Telecom NZ – Project Manager
Successfully managed complex migrations in the mobile & broadband space. Scope included pre-paid, post-paid, 4G LTE call plans, hardware infrastructure & broadband throttle policy. Result: 6 successful migrations.
12. Fronde – ITIL Consultant, Service Operations, Road-map for Continual Service
Service Strategy, Operations & Continual Service Improvement - commenced with CMMI Process Maturity Assessment and culminated with a pragmatic road-map to future state. Result: 7 actionable deliverables to improve service delivery.
13. Gen-i (Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Sydney) - Lead Business Analyst, Service Transition; link
Service Transition - established rock solid Service Management credentials with CBA for Gen-i on the “Nortel to Genesys Contact Centre migration” (Direct Banking STEP project); developed High Level Service Management Plan. Business Services in scope: Channels, Retail, Contact Centres, Telephony, Connectivity.
14. ANZ National - Service Management Work Stream Lead, Service Strategy, Design & Transition; link
Service Strategy, Design, Transition - increased first call resolution to 75% from 30%), transitioned 4 Service Desks (no service degradation), harmonised 2 disparate service models. Result: maintained the #1 customer satisfaction ranking of the ANZ Technical Service Desk within the ANZ Financial Group globally, at a time of significant transformation.
15. Meridian Energy - Service Management Consultant
Created Future State IT Service Operating Model
16. Beca - Service Management Consultant
Requirements, Procurement and Future State IT Service Model. Result: new suppliers selected
17. Contact Energy - Service Management Consultant
Service Improvement and Service Improvement
18. Flute Network (Dunedin) - Service Management Consultant Flute Network (Dunedin) - Service Management Consultant
Created Future State IT Service Management Model
19. NZ Racing Board - Service Management Consultant; link
Requirements, Procurement, Service Operations. Performed CMMI Process Maturity Assessment, addressed audit shortcomings, developed requirements, assisted in RFI response evaluation, SME for contract negotiations, reviewed proposed new processes. Resuts: Audit findings addressed, transitioned services to new network provider.
20. Opus - Service Management Consultant
Requirements, Procurement and Future State IT Service Model
21. Transpower - Service Management Consultant, Service Design, Operating Model
Service Design, Future State Operating Model, Requirements, Risk Analysis - created 18 Service Catalogs for voice, data & telecommunication services. Developed Future State Model, documented requirements, assisted in commercial options & risk analysis (ISO 31000).
22. Accident Compensation Corporation - Service Management Consultant, Service Transition
Service Transition - 33 internal & external resolver groups coordinated to migrate seamlessly from Unisys to Gen-i.
In the Press
Selection of published articles and guest blogs including CIO NZ, Institute of IT Professionals Techblog, NZ Institute of Director's BoardRoom, ComputerWorld, Reseller News & the Dominion IT Weekly
New: The Story of Indian IT Professionals in New Zealand
From Yesterday to Tomorrow: 60 Years of Tech in New Zealand
Co-authored with Lalita Kasanji
India is a global IT powerhouse, and we know its tech professionals have contributed to developed nations since at least the 1970s. New Zealand too has been a beneficiary of this immense talent, and from the development of its earliest systems and infrastructure, through to the current fibre rollout, Indian IT professionals have played a significant role.
Letters from India
IT Professionals Tech Blog, Sunit Prakash, Guest Post. 09 March 2020, 5:00 am
Originally published in CIO NZ
On my sometimes annual sojourn to Mumbai, I am always struck by the changes and adaptation of technology and its impact on life and human behaviour.
CIO NZ 09 January, 2018 07:00
“We need to know as much as we can about the size, scale and nature of the digital skills shortage in the digital technology sector, and across New Zealand” - Communications Minister Clare Curran
Click here to open the pdf for the full article.
Summary of the 7 steps to measuring the digital skills inventory
1. Demand - form a view of employers’ HR related trends
2. Supply - get a perspective from a resource perspective
3. Data, information, reports & systems
4. Add imports - validate from the larger ecosystem
5. Subtract exports - the brain drain
6. Diversity - under utilisation & under employment in the workforce
7. Learn - from countries who are exporters (and successful importers of talent)
Not very different from the kiwifruit industry and its inventory management systems I suspect !
I recently ran a couple of sessions to help skilled migrants find jobs in Wellington.
The experience highlighted key challenges the ICT sector needs to tackle as it prepares the workforce for unceasing change
CIO NZ: 09 January, 2018 07:00
I have been mentoring ICT professionals - new graduates, migrants - for years.
And, with apologies to the original Kiwi Landing Pad based in San Francisco which helps New Zealand companies gain a toehold in the US market, I raised the idea of transposing this concept for skilled migrants.
I called it the Wellington-based Kiwi Landing Pad for skilled migrants.
“We are setting out to challenge and be challenged – we encourage all interested parties to be involved in strategy development.” - 9 Recommendations; October 2016
Submission to NZX on its Consultation Paper to do with Ethnic Diversity on Boards; September 2016
Guest Blog: Astute Solutions, July 2014
Social media and brands: for big companies this can often cause panic, fear, and stress because they worry about a negative post going viral, or having no social customer strategy at all. We’ve posted about the negative effects of social media too, but how about turning it on its head and focussing on positive customer engagement instead?
Guestblog, Institute of IT Professionals Techblog, Dec 2011
Laurence Millar kicked off a whole chain of thoughts when I attended his NZCS session "Agenda for the Digital Economy". He inspired me to write this article, about Indian students coming to study in New Zealand, Indian organisations servicing New Zealand, New Zealand organisations exploring India - and the challenges and opportunities this presents to New Zealand.
Click here: IITP Techblog
ComputerWorld, October 2007
Many IT companies have learnt that to succeed in business you can not save your way to success - you need to add value to prosper and grow
Click here: ComputerWorld
The Independent, Aug 2008
India may well prove to be a more accessible and rewarding market than China for New Zealand's export driven businesses.
NZ Institute of Director's BoardRoom Magazine, July 2008
Can the lessons from New Zealand's FTA with China be applied to India ?
Click here: Free Trade Agreement with India
Guest Editorial in the New Zealand Reseller News, October 2007
The business model of Nasdaq listed ERP vendors, and the business of support.
Click here: Value Proposition of Support
Guest article on changes in India; The Dominion IT Weekly; September 1994
Click here: Satellite TV Revolution in India
Guest article on e-enabling and connecting corner dairies with a common infrastructure and network; The Dominion IT Weekly; October 1994
Click here: PatelNet: The Future of IT enabled dairies
ITIL | ITSM | ISO 20000 | TOGAF | COBIT | Strategy | Architecture | Design | Transition | Implementation | Lean | India | New Zealand | Australia
Sunit Prakash
Someone gave me a leg up when I first arrived in New Zealand, many were kind and generous to a fault.
Now in a position to pay if forward, I find myself coaching, guiding & mentoring skilled new immigrants to New Zealand - with very "deep-down-inside" satisfying results.
Currently documenting their stories and successes as case studies; and finding & connecting with like-minded people and organisations.
As a family we decided to pull our son out of school for a term and see some of Australia before we headed home to Wellington.
The result was an epic 80 day, 21,000 km 4WD trip through the centre of Australia from Sydney to Broome, and then back again the long way.
We have seen more of Australia than most Australians and are so much the richer for it.
Here is a link to a clip if you are interested !
... and for quality thinking and to find my peace of mind, I ride my Royal Enfield Bullet motorbike.
Link to article in KiwiRider.
I believe people like myself who are local in Australia, New Zealand & India have a role to play in building bridges between the countries... I play my small part by informally guiding businesses interested in these markets.
Clarity of Thought, Speed of Execution
© 2015