The Challenge:

Southampton Solent University had run into issues in the development of their Management Information (MI) product and was facing significant challenges with delivery.

Despite repeated efforts to adapt the approach, delivery fell drastically behind expectations, causing stakeholder apprehension, particularly around alignment with strategic objectives.

Delays started during product development and the absence of a comprehensive roadmap exacerbated stakeholder concerns. The university was further hindered by lack of experience with their new student record system (SRS), Tribal SITS, and its reporting platform, Tribal Data Engine (TDE).

The Project:

The MI reporting project was initiated to replicate or replace all MI reports which utilised SRS data. The backlog included both operational and strategic reports plus interactive data dashboards that allow end–users to self-serve from pre-defined datasets showing accurate information over periods in time.

The project had been running adjacent to the SRS replacement project. When the new SRS cut over into production, the new MI reporting product had delivered just three operational reports. Senior management opted to stop development of the strategic reporting solution, to instead focus on tactical solutions with the aim of providing essential MI as soon as possible.

At this time, Pact Solutions were engaged to identify and address the issues affecting product delivery with the aim of resuming work on the long-term strategic reporting solution. During our extended discovery workshops with the product owner and senior stakeholders, we were able to establish a number of root causes that were impacting delivery and provide recommendations to the project board and sponsor. We were then engaged to implement the proposed solution.

Product Roadmap Development:

Pact Solutions initiated a thorough assessment of the project’s status and requirements. We worked closely with the product owner to develop a delivery roadmap for the next three quarters. This roadmap brought together deliverables from both the data capability engineering function and the reporting catalogue for the first time. This was critical to balancing the delivery of a strategic reporting solution alongside interim tactical solutions. The deliverables were overlayed against operational and strategic business events as well as providing traceability against key university KPIs and lead indicators. The roadmap was promptly baselined by the project board and sponsor, providing transparency and confidence to key university stakeholders.

Specialised Consultant Integration:

Recognising the need for specialised product knowledge, Pact Solutions augmented the existing team with their own Business Intelligence and Data consultants. Our experts brought decades of experience in technical delivery management, business intelligence and student records lifecycle and data. Within the first quarter, the team had delivered a full suite of interim operational reports, achieving a 500% increase against previous progress, to allow the university to continue operating whilst the strategic solution progressed.

Ways of Working:

Prior to the engagement of Pact Solutions, the MI product team had become siloed which led to data engineering, analysis and development having three independent identities within the team. Agile approaches were in place but were not delivering the benefits of agile. Pact Solutions oversaw re-alignment with agile principles by restoring a single, self-organising team approach and empowering the team to plan delivery through participation in detailed planning, refinement, and review of the work to be delivered.

The Outcome:

Stakeholder confidence was renewed through engagement and collaboration on a strategic product roadmap. Timely delivery of the tactical reporting solution showcased Pact Solutions’ efficiency and ability to deliver against a longer-term strategic roadmap. Integration of experienced consultants into a self-organising team enhanced the team’s capabilities and effectiveness, laying a solid foundation for future MI Product success.