Our initial engagement involves a full as-is assessment to determine the status of the business. This includes an investigation of its business processes, technical capabilities, the personnel and skills required, and a clear description of the services it delivers and the aspirations and targets for the business. Through this assessment we consider the impact of macro and micro factors affecting your market now and in future, your current strengths, known weaknesses and opportunities for future growth. This will include external factors such as market trends, competition, legislative and economic trends as well as internal resources, processes and assets. Finally, we help articulate the organisation’s aspirations, plotting future delivery and growth.

Essential for strategic analysis and effective communication is extensive engagement with all the major stakeholders, including internal senior leadership and front-line staff, through to customers, key external suppliers, the general public and political influencers. Appropriate engagement helps build a detailed understanding of the many challenges an organisation faces, whilst also enabling us to build on the aspirations identified in the Audit.

As we build our picture of your organisation, we review and assess internal and external sources of knowledge and research, drawing on our experience of large transformation programmes. Using our deep understanding of technologies and trends that exist in the broader ecosystem, we will where appropriate, connect with business and organisations   to help frame and adapt world-leading research.

On completion of the audit, having engaged with key resources, and thoroughly researched the broader marketplace, we build the design that will move the business forward. Our tried and tested model is structured in a way that is sympathetic to staff, senior leadership, and external stakeholders. Our approach will fully consider the organisation’s services, its people, the processes they follow, the information they use and the technology that enables them. While the strategy will help define a future state, it will also outline how you can get there.

Across all aspects of STEP we look where possible to utilise and incorporate best-in class solutions. These may be new innovations or solutions based on more established technologies within the marketplace. Creating the right match ensures maximum impact for any major transformation. Our depth of knowledge and experience across a broad array of technologies draws from established technology providers through to market disruptors and academic spin out businesses.

Any technology used within a transformation programme must be relevant and suitable for application within a given organisation. Via reach-back workshops and utilisation of agile methodologies, we can ensure that key resources are engaged at the right time, and the suitability and applicability of new technologies can be tested, before a buying decision is made.

Whilst we research and introduce new technologies, at the heart of our thinking is the maximisation of an organisation’s valuable internal resource and knowledge. We focus on ensuring any new processes, technology or innovation introduced will make the most of your organisation’s most valuable assets – your people, whilst delivering optimum efficiency and best in class customer experience.

Security and privacy are at the very core of what we do and are fundamental to the technologies we recommend. Whether this is security within any software or hardware solution or the application of a given technology, we ensure all suppliers meet with the highest standards.

With over 25 years’ of experience with large scale complex change programmes across public, private and technology organisations we bring a wealth of knowledge and successful programme implementation experience. This experience helps us to maximise the chances of success when it comes to delivering internally and externally. Our approach follows an iterative test and trial method that allows us to work with you throughout implementation and finalise design as you go. This ensures everyone has an opportunity to shape the future strategy and engages everyone from the champions to those who may be less enthusiastic.

Within any programme we will fully embed ourselves into the culture of the organisation so that we can work with you as a partner. Embracing an organisation’s various cultures, whilst being able to remain impartial allows us to define the most appropriate approach for the transformation of your business. It allows us to work with you and your teams to skill and develop them as we work through the relevant steps. Whilst we frame this as partnership, a key principle, driver and passion is for us to develop your people and provide them with the skills to embrace change in the future.

We have vast experience in mentoring and coaching senior leadership teams to ensure that any cultural change, or change in governance structure, can be fully implemented by a motivated and enthusiastic workforce.

Central to any successful transformation programme is having a structured communications plan. Giving the right information to the relevant parties at the best time is key. A clear and properly executed communications plan is essential to ensure that transformation is embraced fully internally and externally.

Our philosophy embraces lean start-up methodologies, whereby rather than looking to roll out a large programme in one large implementation, we will look to breakdown elements of workstreams into smaller parts. These elements can then be tested in controlled environments to ensure the correct application of any process, system or solution.

Following a test of an applied change process or introduction of a new technology, we carry out a full evaluation of performance, identifying areas for improvement with key stakeholders. Our approach to evaluation aligns with the Strategy and Expertise steps. Assessment is embedded into the way we work and is ongoing to ensure continual improvement.

Learnings from the evaluation phase are fed back and implemented in the next phase of work to ensure the optimal impact of any changes.

Once we have fully optimised any change or new technology then we look to fully implement it. Throughout the roll-out phase of a programme, we ensure the appropriate governance structures are in place to ensure that learnings can be taken on board and workstreams adjusted appropriately as necessary.