Madden Communications Improves Business Confidence and Satisfaction

Transcription

1 Improves Business Confidence and Satisfaction

2 CUSTOMER OVERVIEW Company: Madden Communications Geography: United States Industry: Manufacturing provides solutions for complex retail promotional/marketing programs and point of purchase (PoP) products and services ranging from the development, management, production, installation, maintenance, and logistics of all aspects of the marketing supply chain. The Challenge Improving the day-to-day user support and service experience Minimizing system outages and lost productivity Better leveraging existing technology within the organization Increasing user and management confidence in Madden s IT organization The Solution Implementing Cherwell Service Management software. The overall goals encompassed increased efficiencies, streamlined processes, and decreased IT costs. The Catalyst for Change., based in Wood Vale, Illinois, provides solutions for complex retail promotional/marketing programs and point of purchase (PoP) products and services ranging from the development, management, production, installation, maintenance, and logistics of all aspects of the marketing supply chain. Madden also supports customizable client-facing tools for planning, budgeting, ordering, tracking, and customizing. Other services Madden provides include web-to-print variable media, offset and digital printing, database and project management, sourcing, and collaborative strategy and ideation sessions. The company s approach replaces the traditional silo approach, with an end-goal of delivering efficiencies in a horizontal, single contact management system. Madden prides itself on being an industry leader by delivering effective, efficient, and reliable in-store promotional programs. Its goal with clients is to build strong long-term relationships founded on knowledge of their business and the development, production, and management of their programs. When Allan Furman joined Madden as its director of technology, the company lacked confidence in its IT organization for a couple of key reasons: IT spend was increasing significantly and technology was not being fully utilized, resulting in lost productivity. Increased costs and lost productivity meant less money to invest in customer offerings and potentially affecting its competitive advantage in the industry. Furman s expertise in defining and 2

3 executing technology strategy, methodology, and delivery set the context for bringing him onboard and the catalyst for a major initiative within Madden s IT department. The IT team is delivering better support, service, and value at the same cost as originally budgeted. In fact, senior management was so pleased with the outcome, that IT now has a seat at the table in the planning of all initiatives in which IT would play a role. Allan Furman, IT Director The project charter at Madden was to increase internal user and management confidence in IT. Furman was successful in receiving support from executive management with his strategic plan to optimize staff, processes, and technology. After a thorough investigation of several service management options, Furman selected Cherwell Software. Implementing the Cherwell Service Management Solution Within a Week. Together with Chicago-based Avante Solutions USA, a Cherwell Software partner, the two worked with Furman to determine how to best utilize Cherwell Service Management to meet Madden s specific business needs. Project priorities included: Improving the day-to-day support and service experience with technology use and implementation Minimizing system outages and investigating ways to minimize lost productivity Investigating how existing technology could be better leveraged within the organization Working closely with the business on planning initiatives involving IT, as well as identifying opportunities in which technology could assist the business in meeting goals (and thereby also making IT a valued and trusted business partner within Madden) Providing internal efficiencies so Madden had more time and resources to provide a competitive advantage in the marketplace When the project first began in August 2011, IT examined processes from all perspectives, with an end goal of delivering efficiencies. When IT replaced inefficient tools with Cherwell Service Management tools, Furman and his team were able to implement change management software and get it up 3

4 Using Cherwell Software to manage the priority of work being requested, SharePoint to manage the actual projects, and the Agile Development Methodology to actually build software, is a combination that knocks the ball out of the park. Kevin Heniff, VP of In-Store Marketing Solutions and running within several months, including employee training on how to use the new service management system. The Cherwell Service Management implementation not only met it exceeded Furman s expectations. Says Furman, The IT team is delivering better support, service, and value at the same cost as originally budgeted. In fact, senior management was so pleased with the outcome, that IT now has a seat at the table in the planning of all initiatives in which IT would play a role. I am beyond thrilled that the Cherwell solution helped make a dramatic turnaround within the IT department and the company s perception of the IT organization. According to Kevin Heniff, VP of in-store marketing solutions at Madden, We ve really seen a dramatic shift with regards to our IT department s ability to manage their workload. The visibility and transparency provided into the project pipeline and into specific projects themselves has vastly improved. Using Cherwell Service Management to manage the priority of the work being requested, Share Point to manage the actual projects themselves, and the Agile Development Methodology to actually build software, is a combination that knocks the ball out of the park. Using Cherwell Service Management in Other Departments. Of special note is that implementations and efficiencies were accomplished without employee downsizing. In fact, Furman was able to customize Cherwell Service Management and deploy a facilities management application, expanding use of the system to other departments without the need to increase headcount. This built-in production support provided project managers with a method of tracking customer deliverables in a more timely and efficient manner adding a competitive advantage that was previously missing. In total, the Cherwell platform has been rolled out to three other business departments within Madden. John McMahon, VP of operations, was also impressed with the Cherwell expansion to other departments. We saw IT transform itself addressing people, then process, and then technology. That by itself was impressive, but, when IT turned around and leveraged the same assets to add value on our 4

5 side, we were ecstatic. They are truly managing, executing, and delivering value to the business in a cost efficient and effective manner. Our IT team delivered a truly world-class application at a cost that was a fraction of what the client would have had to pay had they gone to a top-tier development house. Larry Gundrum VP of Client Services Successes Abound. In the past, IT was thought of as necessary, but not valued; today, IT is viewed as a strategic business partner. For Madden, the innovation is the new way in which IT is engaged in the strategic planning and execution of the business objectives. This, in turn, allows Madden to be more efficient and focus time and money on becoming more competitive, providing better technology for highvisibility customers, and marketing and promotional programs. Specifically, successes include: The implementation of Cherwell Service Management technology elevated IT s status and enabled IT to become a valued strategic business partner within the organization. People, processes, and technology were all optimized, contributing to major paradigm shifts within Madden. The company is now able to better engage customers and focus more on providing a competitive advantage. rather than dealing with lost productivity and inefficiencies. IT did not implement new technology and increase efficiencies only to reduce headcount. Rather, it replaced inefficient tools and expanded into other departments without reducing headcount or increasing costs. Larry Gundrum, Madden s VP of client services, whose organization develops customizable client-facing tools for planning, budgeting, ordering, and tracking was also impressed with the implementation. We got to see the effect of the changes in IT firsthand on a client facing initiative. The client approached us directly with the need for a mission critical business intelligence project. Our IT team took the challenge, leveraged their tools and methodology, and delivered a truly world-class application. And to top it off, it was at a cost that was a fraction of what the client would have had to pay had they gone to a top-tier development house, says Gundrum. 5

6 Management Best Practices Add to the Success of the Project. Management best practices included: Transforming the IT team from being technology-focused into becoming user- and business-focused. Ensuring the IT team became accountable to the business on agreed outcomes and objectives. IT now participates with senior management in the planning of all initiatives in which IT would play a role (from minimal to major), as well as make effective recommendations where technology could add business value. Hints and Tips for Accomplishing the Mission. Without question, the objectives Furman established for Madden s IT organization achieved the status of mission accomplished, and perhaps the best validation of the initiative s success came from key stakeholders within the business. Furman s advice to IT departments who want to want to increase efficiencies; deliver better service, support, and value; and become an important partner with senior management is simple: Take it one step at a time, and make sure you select the right solution for your organization. Implementation should start with one department, and once successful, the solution can be expanded to other departments one success builds off of the others. In Furman s case, Cherwell Service Management was the right solution to fit his needs, especially because he was able to easily implement and customize. He says to be sure the system you select fits both your current and future needs and, if you want/need customized capability and features, be sure the solution you select can accommodate those needs as well. 6