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Welcome back to our series on navigating system integration transformation. In Part 1, we explored critical pieces for a successful integration journey. Part 2 will delve into the crucial roles and partnerships that contribute to a smooth and effective system integration transformation. Let's dive right in! 1. Project Manager A skilled project manager is essential for overseeing the entire integration process. They will ensure that goals are met, timelines are followed, and resources are allocated efficiently. The project manager is a central point of contact, coordinating efforts, managing risks, and ensuring that all stakeholders are aligned throughout the transformation. 2. Integration Architect An integration architect is critical in designing the integration strategy and overseeing its technical implementation. They bring expertise in system architecture, integration patterns, and technologies. The integration architect works closely with the project manager to translate business requirements into a robust and scalable integration solution. 3. Data Analyst A data analyst handles the intricacies of data migration and transformation. They work closely with the integration architect to map and transform data from legacy systems to fit the new integrated environment. The data analyst ensures data accuracy, quality, and integrity during the migration process, conducting thorough testing and validation to minimize disruption to operations. 4. Change Management Specialist Effective change management is vital for a successful integration transformation. Change management specialists focus on preparing and supporting employees through the journey. They help create a change management plan, facilitate open communication, address concerns, and provide training and support to ensure a smooth transition. Change management specialists act as champions of change, promoting employee engagement and the adoption of the integrated system. 5. Quality Assurance Team A dedicated quality assurance team is responsible for conducting rigorous testing at each stage of the integration process. They identify and resolve any issues or inconsistencies that may arise, ensuring a stable and reliable integrated system. The quality assurance team collaborates with the project manager, integration architect, and data analyst to ensure that all integration aspects meet the required standards. 6. External Partnerships Consider partnering with external consultants or integration specialists with expertise in system integration transformations. These partners bring valuable insights, best practices, and technical knowledge. They can provide guidance, support, and an objective perspective to ensure the integration is executed efficiently and effectively. 7. User Representatives Involving users from different user groups within the organization is crucial for successful change management. Users advocate for their respective teams, ensuring their needs, concerns, and feedback are considered throughout the integration process. Their input helps tailor the transformation to address specific user requirements and increase adoption. By understanding the roles and partnerships involved in a system integration transformation, you are well-equipped to embark on your journey to success. The project manager, integration architect, data analyst, change management specialist, quality assurance team, and user representatives each play a vital role in ensuring a smooth and effective integration process. If you need any support or guidance, our team of experts at MSS Business Transformation Advisory (MSSBTA) is here to help. We have experience in system integration transformations and can provide the necessary assistance to make your integration successful. Don't hesitate to contact us for support throughout your transformation journey. Happy integrating!

Welcome to today's discussion where we have the privilege of reengaging with a transformational leader who has achieved remarkable success in driving significant change within organizations. We will explore their insights and experiences regarding transformational leaders' challenges during transformative projects or initiatives. By delving into their expertise, we aim to gain valuable knowledge and strategies for effectively navigating the hurdles encountered on the path to transformational success. Let us now embark on this enlightening conversation with our esteemed transformational leader. Susan: Thank you for meeting with me again; I would like to explore the challenges that transformation leaders often encounter during a transformation project or initiative. From your experience, what are some of the key challenges you have faced in your role as a transformational leader? Transformational Leader: Thank you for bringing up this important topic. There are indeed several challenges that transformation leaders commonly face during a transformation project. One significant challenge is resistance to change, as people naturally prefer the status quo and may be reluctant to embrace new ways of doing things. Overcoming this resistance requires effective change management strategies, including clear communication, stakeholder engagement, and addressing concerns with empathy. Another challenge is the complexity of the transformation itself. Large-scale changes involve multiple interdependent components and ensuring that all aspects align, and progress simultaneously can be challenging. Balancing the pace of change with the organization's capacity to absorb and adapt to it is crucial. Resource allocation and prioritization can also pose challenges. Transformation projects often require considerable time, budget, and human resources investments. Ensuring these resources are allocated optimally and aligned with strategic priorities can be a delicate balancing act. Maintaining momentum and sustaining engagement throughout the transformation journey can also be challenging. Over time, enthusiasm may wane, and competing priorities or unforeseen obstacles can divert attention and energy. Transformation leaders must continuously reinforce the vision, communicate progress, and celebrate achievements to keep the momentum alive. Lastly, maintaining alignment across diverse stakeholders can be complex. Different departments or individuals may have varying interests, perspectives, and levels of commitment to the transformation. Nurturing collaboration, fostering a shared understanding of the vision, and addressing conflicts proactively is essential to maintain alignment and ensure collective progress. Susan: Thank you for sharing those insightful challenges. Indeed, navigating through resistance, managing complexity, allocating resources effectively, sustaining momentum, and maintaining stakeholder alignment are critical tasks for transformational leaders. How have you approached these challenges, and what strategies have you found effective in addressing them? Transformational Leader: Addressing these challenges requires a multifaceted approach. Firstly, building a strong coalition of change agents and stakeholders who support the transformation is crucial. This group can help drive change, address resistance, and advocate for transformation within their respective areas. Clear and consistent communication is paramount throughout the journey. By articulating the transformation's purpose, benefits, and progress, we can create transparency and alleviate concerns. Active listening and empathy play a vital role in addressing resistance, allowing us to understand and address the underlying causes. Breaking down the transformation into manageable phases and milestones helps in tackling complexity. We can build confidence and sustain momentum by prioritizing key initiatives and ensuring incremental wins. Regular evaluation and adjustment of the transformation strategy based on feedback and emerging challenges are also important to maintain agility and adaptability. A thorough understanding of the organization's capabilities and capacity is essential regarding resource allocation. It's crucial to align resources with strategic priorities and continually reassess their allocation to ensure optimal utilization. Lastly, fostering collaboration and cultivating a shared sense of ownership among stakeholders helps maintain alignment. Regular forums for open dialogue, cross-functional collaboration, and problem-solving sessions help address conflicts and ensure that all parties work towards a shared vision. Susan: Your strategies and approaches are truly valuable. Transformational leaders can address these challenges head-on by focusing on building a strong coalition, effective communication, phased implementation, resource alignment, and stakeholder collaboration. Transformational Leader: You're welcome. It has been a pleasure discussing these challenges and strategies with you. Our conversation provides practical guidance for fellow transformational leaders facing similar obstacles. Acknowledging and proactively addressing these challenges can pave the way for successful transformations and drive sustainable change within our organizations. Transformational leaders must remain resilient, adaptable, and committed to their vision, even in adversity. By embracing these challenges as opportunities for growth and learning, we can overcome obstacles and lead our teams to achieve remarkable outcomes. In conclusion, the role of a transformational leader has its challenges. Resistance to change, complexity, resource allocation, sustaining momentum, and stakeholder alignment can all pose significant hurdles. However, transformational leaders can successfully navigate these challenges by employing effective change management strategies, fostering open communication, prioritizing and adjusting resources, and nurturing collaboration.

Recently I had the privilege of learning from a successful Transformation Leader (who wished to remain anonymous) who has demonstrated exceptional leadership skills in driving significant change within organizations. We discussed their perspective on being a transformation leader and delved into their approach to leading transformation initiatives, handling resistance to change, fostering innovation, inspiring and motivating teams, and managing setbacks. Their insights and experiences provide invaluable lessons for aspiring transformation leaders and organizations embarking on transformative journeys. Susan: I'm excited to have the opportunity to learn from your success as a Transformation Leader. Can you share your perspective on what it means to be a Transformation Leader? Transformation Leader: Absolutely! My primary goal is to guide the organization toward meaningful and impactful change. That sounds easy enough, doesn’t it? But this requires that you have a strong vision, excellent communication skills, and can inspire and motivate others to be part of the transformation, not watching from the sideline. It's all about working collaboratively with various teams, identifying the right areas for improvement, and implementing the right solutions that lead to success. And I believe that fostering a culture of continuous learning and adaptation is crucial for any organization to thrive in today's fast-paced world. Susan: That's impressive. Could you walk me through your approach to leading transformation initiatives? Transformation Leader: Sure. So, when I lead transformation initiatives, I start by assessing the organization's current situation and then identifying areas that need improvement. Once that’s done, I will work with stakeholders to envision our desired future state. Once we have that vision, we develop a strategic roadmap outlining the steps we need to take to reach our goals. I’ve learned firsthand that throughout the entire process, communication is key. I work to keep everyone aware of progress or delays, talk about any concerns, and celebrate milestones along the way. Again, by keeping lines of communication open, going both ways, it’s easier to get everyone, ok almost everyone, on board and working toward the same objective, making the transformation a success. Susan: Perfect! you just alluded to my next question which is, how do you handle resistance to change and manage the overall change process? Transformation Leader: That's a great question. When it comes to handling resistance to change, I understand that it's a natural part of the process. To get in front of it, I really focus on fostering a culture of transparency and inclusivity in the organization. I need to engage stakeholders at every level, and actively listen to their concerns and give them honest, although not always popular, constructive feedback. By involving them from the start of the transformation journey and highlighting the benefits they'll experience as a result, people are more likely to overcome most of their resistance and even become enthusiastic supporters of the change. That’s always fun to see! This kind of collaborative approach helps ease them into the transition and ensures a smoother overall change management process. Susan: Innovation often plays a vital role in transformation. How do you foster innovation within your teams? Transformation Leader: You're absolutely right, Susan. Innovation is a crucial element for driving successful transformation. To foster innovation within my teams, I try to establish an environment that encourages creativity and experimentation. And teams have to have the necessary resources and support to pursue new ideas and approaches fearlessly. It has to be a safe space where everyone feels comfortable sharing their thoughts and perspectives. Sometimes those differing perspectives can be the spark that ignites innovation. When we value everyone’s unique contributions and are open-minded, we are far more likely to generate innovative solutions. Those solutions then drive the organization forward and closer to achieving our transformation goals. I’ve seen it happen like this more than once and it’s awesome. Susan: Inspiring and motivating teams during a transformation can be challenging. How do you tackle this? Transformation Leader: I believe in leading by example and connecting individuals to a shared purpose. I communicate our vision with enthusiasm and emphasize the positive impact the transformation will have on the organization and individuals. Empowering my teams is also crucial. I’ll offer them guidance and support and give them the autonomy they need to excel in their roles. When teams and individuals feel empowered, they will take ownership of their contributions. And, of course, recognizing and celebrating their achievements is essential. Even if we celebrate in small ways, it helps keep everybody motivated. It gives them a sense of accomplishment and shows them that their hard work is truly making a difference. Susan: Transformation journeys often face setbacks. How do you handle setbacks and ensure progress? Transformation Leader: That's an excellent point. During any transformation, setbacks are inevitable, and resilience is key to overcoming them. It’s a mindset, really. When we encounter setbacks, I will emphasize the importance of focusing on our ultimate goal, or our "north star," and encourage the teams to keep that perspective. We will take a moment to step back, reassess the situation, and pinpoint opportunities for improvement. Going back to the start of our conversation, keeping a culture of continuous learning helps adapt our strategies based on our experiences. We always learn something from a setback that we can use or be aware of in the future. We also have to be sure we’re making progress by regularly evaluating and measuring our performance. Regularly evaluating and measuring performance pushes us forward and helps us stay on track towards achieving those transformation objectives. Susan: Thank you for sharing your insights. I’m feeling very motivated right now! One final question: How do you ensure your growth as a transformational leader? Transformation Leader: How do I ensure my growth as a transformational leader? I’m constantly expanding and stretching myself to stay ahead and be an effective leader. I do my best to stay on top of industry trends, new and emerging technologies, and best practices. So, I read a lot. I read articles and books on leadership, attend and participate in webinars, and I follow several thought leaders. I also look for personal and professional development opportunities, like attending leadership conferences, networking with other leaders, and I actively mentor up and coming leaders. Being dedicated to learning brings fresh perspectives and innovative ideas to my role, so I can tackle new challenges and successfully guide my organization through future transformations. Susan: Thank you for your valuable insights and experiences as a transformational leader. Your approach and success are truly inspiring. Transformation Leader: My pleasure! Thank you for the opportunity to share my journey. I hope my experience adds to your understanding of transformational leadership. Susan: I want to thank our esteemed guest for sharing their wisdom and experiences as a transformation leader. Their strategic vision and ability to inspire and guide others through change have been enlightening. I hope this discussion will inspire and empower others to embrace transformational leadership, ultimately driving meaningful change and achieving success in their respective endeavors.

Adopting new and upgrading technology is essential to remain competitive in today's economy. By embracing recent technologies, businesses can improve efficiency, effectiveness, and agility. However, adopting new technology can be a complex and challenging process. There are factors to consider, including the cost of the technology, the time and resources needed to implement it, and the potential impact on employees and customers. Tips to Adopt New and Upgrade Current Technology Start with a clear strategy: Before you adopt any recent technology, it is important to clearly understand your business goals and how the technology will help you achieve them. Do your research: Once you know what you are looking for, it is time to start researching different technologies and vendors. Be sure to compare features, pricing, and support options. Pilot the technology: Before you roll out a new technology to all your employees, piloting it with a small group of users is a good idea. This will allow you to test the technology and find any potential problems. Train your employees: When you adopt new technology, it is important to train them in how to use it. This will help them get the most out of technology and avoid disruptions to their work. Monitor your progress: Once you have adopted a new technology, it is important to check your progress and ensure it meets your expectations. If you do not see the results you want, you may need to adjust the technology or your implementation plan. It can be a challenge to adopt new and upgrade current technology, but it is essential for businesses that want to remain competitive in today's economy. Following these tips can make the process easier and more successful.

Any Management Consultant who’s ever been asked what they do by someone at a party can tell you there are usually two paths that conversation takes. Either the person asking is familiar with the profession and the small talk keeps flowing, or they respond with “what does that mean?” and the conversation stays in a loop of confusion until the topic is changed altogether. So, what does it mean? What Management Consulting Means Let’s start from where the confusion begins. Management consulting is a broad term that can encompass just about anything related to helping organizations improve their performance and achieve their goals. Some of the most common areas we tend to help with are project management, strategic planning, process improvement, and organizational change management, but really, anything a business needs management consultants to dive into. A consulting firm is made up of subject matter experts and jack-of-all-trade types to make sure it can add value to any project, from the most specific and regulated implementations to the ambiguous and exploratory initiatives. Whatever the case, what consultants do boils down to a few common activities that are applied to almost any project; we analyze, problem solve, plan, and implement. What Management Consultants Do As trusted advisors and client advocates, management consultants excel in breaking down complex business problems and developing customized plans to improve organizational performance. Our approach is consistently thorough and collaborative, focusing on delivering tangible results with you. To achieve this, we work closely with you to gain a deep understanding of your business operations and identify opportunities for improvement. Our methods may involve: Conducting in-depth interviews with stakeholders. Reviewing financial data and operational processes. Analyzing industry trends and best practices. By leveraging our expertise and experience, we help you overcome your challenges and achieve sustainable growth. As trusted advisors and client advocates, we are committed to delivering exceptional value to you. How Management Consultants Help By gaining a deep understanding of the organization's goals, challenges, and resources, consultants can develop tailored solutions that address the organization's unique needs. Once we have identified the key areas for improvement, we start creating a plan that outlines the steps the organization needs to take to achieve its goals. The plan will typically include specific objectives, timelines, responsibilities of stakeholders, and metrics to track progress and measure success. While implementing this plan we help the organization navigate any resistance or challenges that arise, continuing to monitor progress and adjust the plan as needed. This may involve gathering data on key performance indicators, analyzing the results, and making recommendations for further improvements. Recommendations Management Consultants Make As Management Consultants, we strive to help our clients achieve long-term success after the completion of our project. We may recommend providing proper training and creating comprehensive documentation for employees to understand and utilize new processes or technologies implemented during the project. Continued support is also crucial to ensure the new system functions correctly and efficiently even after completion. Preparing solutions to potential roadblocks and maintaining open communication and collaboration with the team are also essential for long-term success. The role of a Management Consultant is to help organizations improve their performance and achieve their goals by breaking down complex business problems and developing plans to address them. This process requires expertise, creativity, and collaboration between consultants and clients to identify areas for improvement, develop tailored solutions that meet the organization's unique needs, create an implementation plan with specific objectives and timelines, monitor progress throughout its execution, analyze results data for further improvements, etc. With this wealth of knowledge at hand, businesses can confidently explore any problem or opportunity they come across.

Have you seen the latest Business Transformation Office (BTO) organization Models? The organizational structure of your BTO is extremely important to the success of driving repeatable, sustainable, and successful transformation. To take the mystery out of BTOs, MSS Business Transformation Advisory (MSSBTA) has interviewed multiple national and global transformation leaders on how to establish a BTO to transform your enterprise. Business Transformation empowers your organization to transform services by replacing manual processes with digital processes, or legacy technology with new technology. According to Gartner and McKinsey (2020), 70% of all transformations fail. Most transformations fail from lack of vision, focus, clear purpose, control, and flexibility. A successful BTO structure prevents these failures and ensures sustainable transformation. BTO models include resources that are dedicated to protecting your organization. Your Business Transformation Office can be structured in one of three ways, depending on your organization’s business needs, degree of urgency and culture: The Parachuter The Sharpshooter The Hub and Spoke The Parachuter Business Transformation Organization Model The Parachuter Business Transformation Office is a vertical operating model providing autonomy to leaders and experts looking to transform their organization (shown in the example below). Some of the corporations and leaders we interviewed indicated their BTO followed this structure. They found it had independence and was capable of successfully executing standalone transformation projects. However, because transformation leaders and experts were not embedded in the business units, they were often seen as parachute jumpers. When the BTO was engaged, transformation experts would parachute into a Business Unit (BU) to inspire, storm, norm, and provide leadership to achieve an end-to-end solution. As projects ended, transformation experts were either re-engaged or dismissed based on the project's success. Figure 1: Example of The Parachuter Model The main concern with this model is its lack of a holistic method to sustain transformation benefits. The Sharpshooter BTO Model The Sharpshooter is another vertical model with great results through a COO or SVP-driven BTO. This vertical model is not embedded, yet transformation initiatives typically have a burning platform, C-Level-support, and established BU goals alignment. American Express (AMEX) offers a good example of the Sharpshooter model. Dom Ranieri, former SVP of Business Strategy Execution, explained that he did not have a burning platform or a C-Suite mandate to get business units (BUs) to rally around change when he inherited the organization. He worked closely with AMEX business leaders to understand their pressure points. This helped him determine the needs of each BU so he could execute significant operational efficiency and business transformation changes. As a result, he repositioned the BTO around the BUs' needs and engaged experts who already had credibility, political capital, and preexisting trust by BU leaders, as outlined in the organization chart below. Business leaders and experts promoted the expertise of the BTO and looked for opportunities, much like an external consultant, to help the BUs execute transformational change. "Sponsorship and a reason to change, without these two you flail and you cannot make traction!" Dom Ranieri, Former SVP of Business Strategy Execution, American Express Since the COO or Operational SVPs typically determine performance deficiencies, they are well-positioned to develop your corporate performance targets. They can engage the BTO to assist the BUs achieve expected performance targets. Transformation experts evaluate BU processes to generate millions of dollars in cost savings or avoidances. Your transformation experts are positioned to identify BU process issues. They can quickly align with the COO or SVP during regular alignment meetings to gain funding and technical resources needed to execute transformational change. Figure 2: The example of The Sharpshooter Model Over the years, AMEX adapted to the needs of the business units. AMEX had a centralized BTO model but as the business transformation mindset became imbedded in the BUs, the centralized model evolved to the Sharpshooter model, however they needed assistance in executing their key initiatives. As the needs and culture evolved, so did the BTO approach. The Hub and Spoke Business Transformation Organization Model MSSBTA recommends the Hub and Spoke model. It leverages the benefits of the Parachuter, and Sharpshooter models and defines the role of “Transformation Leader”. This role is empowered with a holistic view to guide and direct a sustainable transformation. In the example below, your Transformation Leaders (Director or VP) report directly to your COO as the hub. Each Transformation Leader reports through a dotted line to each respective C-Level or senior BU leader. The Transformation Leaders are embedded in each of the BU leadership teams. This grants them ownership and accountability. Figure 3: Example of Hub and Spoke Model Depending on the size of your company, each Transformation Leader should have a small, effective team of Transformation Managers and/or Director’s familiar with the key areas of transformation, such as: Business Processes Key Data Legacy Systems/Technology Organizational Change Each BU transformation team pulls resources from a central, shared services team of experts managed under the hub, reporting to the COO. Your embedded experts have deep BU business expertise, and their quarterly and annual goals are linked to the BU and COO goals/objectives. Some groups at Microsoft use this approach, where Transformation Leaders and teams are embedded in the business units. Transformation Leaders become strategy influencers and part of the BU team. This structure allows Transformation Leaders to quickly identify areas to improve standards, automate business processes, and drive rapid process improvement. "The embedded BTO hub-and-spoke approach works better for influencing strategy, implementing standards, business process improvement, and better use of tools." Ruchika Bhasin, Head of Business Strategy and Operations, Microsoft Like the Sharpshooter model, your COO often determines performance deficiencies. They are well-positioned to establish corporate performance targets and engage the BTO to help BUs achieve expected performance targets. Your COO should regularly review current road-map strategies to five key dimensions of performance. Did the organization: Deliver on time? Deliver within budget? Deliver what was promised? Meet all compliance regulations? Treat customers better than expected? Taking the Next Steps to Develop Your Business Transformation Office When developing or reforming your BTO, an executive leader (such as the COO) needs to provide the vision and urgency around the importance of the BTO and how it will benefit and add value to your business transformation needs. To help, the executive leader should create the “burning platform” for a corporate-wide mandate. Additionally, the C-Suite needs to be aligned with the current BTO initiatives in progress, and the future direction of the organization. Conducting an honest evaluation of your existing BTO or building a BTO from scratch takes a clear vision, commitment from the organization, and (often) expert guidance to establish leadership, governance, and accountability early and often. References Davenport , T., & Redman, T. (2020). Digital Transformation Comes Down to Talent in 4 Key Areas. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2020/05/digital-transformation-comes-down- to-talent-in-4-key-areas See Also: Tabrizi, B., Lam, E., Girard, K., & Irvin, V. (2019). Digital Transformation Is Not About Technology. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2019/03/digital-transformation-is-not- about-technology Share This Article:

Client Detail: The client is a $200M+ privately owned agricultural business across the United States with the focus of providing quality fruit to consumers year-round. MSS Business Transformation Advisory (MSSBTA) was engaged to assess their supply chain organization’s current state and develop a strategic roadmap to develop a leaner, more effective organization. The Challenge: The client had been struggling with a supply chain organization that was inefficient, while being oversized. Additionally, the organization was unclear how to align itself with best practices where there were critical gaps and how to transition without impacting performance. Our Solution: MSSBTA conducted an in-depth, current state assessment of the organization’s processes, and measured its critical metrics. Specifically, these efforts focused on the Procure-to-Pay (P2P) process. The results were compared against industry benchmarks and leading practices for organizations of their size, with the critical gaps identified. Potential initiatives were identified, developed, and prioritized to close gaps using a strategic roadmap developed for the organization. This included target metrics and anticipated savings for the organization, while being able to successfully transition to the restructured organization. Their Results: Client benefits from the engagement included: Clear understanding of their organization’s performance and issues with respect to where their organization could/should be Leading practices that should be employed by the organization to improve performance Actionable strategic roadmap for the organization to become more streamlined, without compromising on performance Deliverables: Comparison of organization’s key metrics compared against industry benchmarks Identified process gaps against leading practices Prioritized strategic roadmap of activities to successfully bridge gaps/transition to the desired future state

Client Detail: The client’s is a county agency whose IT Department develops and manages 90% of software programs used across multiple government locations within the County. Their application landscape is mostly custom developed to meet their unique needs. The client engaged with MSS Business Transformation Advisory to perform an application rationalization assessment across their entire portfolio of applications. This assessment would provide a visual where they can quickly create and update their software roadmap and identify applications to de-commission. The Challenge: The scope of the Application Rationalization project included: Facilitation of Requirements Gathering sessions to determine the current application usage across their entire portfolio, which would produce an actionable roadmap Usage of Surveys and Custom Excel Templates to provide feedback on software programs used, development dates, updates needed, future work planned and current support plans Interviews with Focus Groups to develop current and future state process flow diagrams Project Management expertise to support the overall application rationalization project During the project, numerous risks and issues were identified and presented to the client including the need for formalized application portfolio tracking within a centralized repository. Our Solution: The MSSBTA Team consisted of a Senior Consulting Manager, Process Flow/Data Analyst, and a Project Manager. This team brought with them several industry leading practices as well as new tools to complete this project. After providing an Application Rationalization assessment and guidance for their roadmap, MSSBTA provided an Application Rationalization Template for the client to maintain after we left the project. A Risk Heat Map Dashboard was also created for the client to quickly view the status of all applications within their portfolio. Their Results: The client achieved the project goals and were left with new tools, processes, and recommendations to continue success. Some examples of recommendations included new focus areas for Application Rationalization, considerations to improve EA maturity, and ways to manage technical debt moving forward. Deliverables: Leadership, Governance, and Accountability Facilitation Project Management Application Rationalization Framework Portfolio Risk Framework Application Portfolio Dashboard Application Roadmap Future State Process Flows

Client Detail: The client is a large waste management company with 35,000+ employees operating in several locations across 40 U.S. States. They provide non-hazardous solid waste collection, transfer, disposal, recycling, and energy services to over 14 million U.S. customers. Since 2012, MSS Business Transformation Advisory (MSSBTA) has provided consulting services to the client's Information Technology (IT) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) applications leadership teams. The Challenge: Since 2012, the client had outsourced print and mail services to a national banking institution, including: File receipt processing Data composition and processing Printing Insertion Mail preparation, mailing of invoices and collection letters, and Mailing of ACH payments reported by the third-party bill pay vendor The bank also provided an Automated Funds Processing (AFP) output file to the client’s third-party bill pay vendor for and an indexed PDF image for most statement types for transmission to the client’s internal document storage (IDS) application. But in 2019, the bank notified the client they would be discontinuing their invoice printing and mailing business. By the end of 2019, the client identified a replacement vendor. The challenge was to implement, test, and rollout the new print and mail service by the summer of 2020. Our Solution: MSSBTA was selected as part of the project team because of our in-depth knowledge of the client’s billing and collection processes, including the related technology integration. The project team quickly organized a three-day discovery workshop that included the Fiserv vendor project team and primary participants from Accounts Receivable, National Accounts, IT, and third-party vendors. This implementation was a top priority for the client. To minimize impact to the timeline, the team agreed to postpone considering any process improvements until a later phase and implemented a governance model to closely monitor scope changes. They conducted a structured analysis of each type of invoice and collection letter from three primary billing and collection applications and provided thorough documentation of requirements to the vendor. Early and rigorous reviews of the vendor output were conducted. When the 2020 pandemic hit and all the project participants converted to remote work, the team replaced the anticipated vendor print facility site visits with daily FedEx deliveries of printed output to the core team for testing. They increased the frequency of working sessions, as needed, to offset the inability to meet in person. Their Results: To offset concerns about the testing, the joint project team designed a controlled rollout approach by first selecting locations that typically had a lower volume of calls to the CRCs and no quarterly invoice volume spikes in June. The phased rollout took place over four-months to manage risk and minimize disruptions to the client’s customers and their field support personnel. In addition to meeting the timeline to transition to a new print vendor, the client’s transition was completed with: No increase to customer call volumes No delays in printing and mailing to customers No impact to cash DSO position, and Print quality assurance Deliverables: Leadership and Accountability Facilitation and Project Management Analysis, Training, and Documentation

Client Detail: The client is an Arizona state agency that needed to update their legacy licensing system to one that is modern and further enables their growth as a competitive agency. The Challenge: The Agency began the process of decommissioning their aging system into a faster, more efficient digital one. However, the project failed to gain traction after several implementation delays resulting in the vendor’s dismissal. To get the project back on track, the client needed to quickly choose another implementation partner that could deliver on their requirements and help them reach their future state. Having recently completed a high-level assessment of the client’s current state, MSS Business Transformation Advisory (MSSBTA) launched a more detailed assessment of over 300 requirements to move them to their envisioned future state. Vendor selection was at the top of the ledger. Our Solution: With system requirements in hand, MSSBTA began vendor exploration activities with four prospective partners. In this process MSSBTA measured each vendor’s capabilities against the requirements to gauge how the vendor would move the client toward their stated goal. Each vendor was scored on their ability to decommission the legacy system, implement a modern system, and migrate legacy data to the new system. MSSBTA consultants also analyzed the client's infrastructure and suggested an architecture to support a solution that included a decommissioning strategy and a diagram of how their legacy system ‘talked’ with previous systems, and how the new system should. Their Results: Leveraging efforts from the vendor exploration activities, the Agency was able to select the preferred implementation partner and move forward with the retirement of their legacy system and implementation of a modern, paperless solution. With the right vendor in place and focused on their requirements, the client was positioned to successfully achieve their digital transformation. Deliverables: Business Requirements Vendor Evaluation and Selection Vendor Negotiations Software Decommission Strategy

Client Detail: The client, a national food manufacturing company headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona with over 4,500 employees, was implementing an on-premise version of SAP and business warehouse to ultimately migrate all US operations to the current SAP system. There were previous attempts at implementing SAP that were unsuccessful. In addition to systems migration, their desire was to improve and standardize business processes. The Challenge: The client engaged MSS Business Transformation Advisory (MSSBTA) to provide SAP Organizational Change Management (OCM) advisory services. This included: Partnering with the system integrator’s OCM and training consultants to support the development and management of internal communications, supporting the engagement of senior leaders, and facilitating the readiness of managers and supervisors. Managing organizational restructuring and associated change plans needed because of the SAP implementation When the client engaged MSSBTA, senior leadership asked that existing OCM and end-user training programs be assessed. Two assessments were completed, focusing on: Detailed assessments of change impacts (process and transactional) based on an approved cross-functional solution and an understanding of how individual jobs would be impacted Senior leadership’s understanding and approval of the new solutions and the resulting changes to be implemented. This included awareness and approval of revisions to staffing levels and any restructuring recommendations (whether temporary or permanent) due to changes in job responsibilities and workload Plans and materials to help managers and supervisors communicate specific process and job changes to their direct reports, and other impacted personnel (both internal and external) Design, development, and delivery of end user training programs focusing on process and transactions (the day-to-day work with SAP). This included plans for user support, such as access to transactional documentation and other support methods once the new system and processes were implemented Our Solution: MSSBTA leveraged our proprietary Leadership, Governance, and Accountability framework to uncover risks. Governance was established with necessary Steering Committees and the Project Management Office, which identified critical issues to be addressed without impact. Because of continued risk, a complete cross-functional solution that addressed the identified current and future needs of the business was recommended. This solution highlighted all job impacts and changes, and how those would be effectively transferred to the business users. The Results: A project at risk of failure was mitigated with MSSBTA’s consulting. Throughout the engagement, our consultant was key in identifying and communicating gaps along with potential business impact once the new system with live. The client continued to identify critical issues related to system integrator vendor performance, that uncovered the need to put the project on pause, terminate the relationship with the system integrator, and revisit the project plan. MSSBTA was a valued partner helping the client arrive at this decision and creating an interim planning approach. Deliverables: Leadership, Governance, and Accountability User readiness assessments for organizational change management and end-user training End-user training development including super-user program with logistics approach Internal and external communications support Super-user program

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