Case Study

The Challenge

This Consumer Markets client needed to exit their US-based data centre on a tight schedule within 12 months. The goal was to migrate to multiple cloud and on-premise environments. Within the first few weeks, the scope expanded to include the separation of systems from their parent company, turning it into both a migration and a divestment project. 

Maintaining global business continuity was critical. Our Change Squad provided programme management, business and operational analysis, architecture support and PMO services. This enabled our Change Squad to deliver structure, technical expertise, and leadership to drive the data centre migration and broader business transformation. 

Our Approach

We embedded closely with the client and their third-party suppliers and partners, taking a hands-on approach to design, decision-making, and delivery. Our Change Squad brought in technical expertise, strategic planning, and a determined, client-first mindset: 

• Adapted to evolving requirements through iterative delivery: With specifications not fully defined up front, we developed solutions (including critical elements like firewall configurations) as new information emerged. This iterative approach allowed us to course-correct early, adapt the pre-selected target environment where needed, and apply valuable lessons learned to continuously improve outcomes.
• Overcame limited discovery and fragmented infrastructure documentation challenges: Adapted to the pre-defined target environments to meet evolving business needs.
• Held daily calls for 12 months to drive continuous progress: Running real-time design discussions, enabling immediate feedback, iterative decision-making, and quick design tweaks.
• Applied adaptive decision-making governance to support on-time delivery: Established a clear governance framework with go/no-go decision points whilst documenting decisions and assumptions in real time. With limited existing templates or defined responsibilities, we proactively developed new governance framework and materials. This enabled rapid course correction when challenges occurred. This improved decision quality as the programme progressed.
• Implemented a release-based migration strategy: Delivered 6 major releases to stage the migration in manageable, controlled phases. Prioritising less critical migrations early allowed us to apply lessons learned to subsequent, more complex workloads. This reduced risk, improving execution quality and maintaining business continuity throughout the programme.
• Co-ordinated across a complex supplier landscape while acting as an advocate for the client: Managing 10+ suppliers, securing quick response times via escalation paths and directly supporting service providers with expertise when needed. All whilst maintaining a pragmatic, persistent approach to drive delivery.
• Managed a global network of stakeholders: Established an effective communication strategy to navigate multinational decision-making stakeholders and facilitate swift approvals.
• Applied rigorous testing procedures: Ensured business continuity throughout migrations, while adapting to unexpected challenges such as Chapter 11 bankruptcy constraints that initially prevented system deletion.
• Challenged assumptions and pushed back where needed: We guided the stakeholders to ensure optimal solutions were pursued.
• Strengthened the client’s operational foundations: By closing gaps in configuration items, asset management repositories, and application ownership, producing a Tech Debt register to catalogue legacy issues, documenting processes for managing SMTP reputation, and sharing knowledge with third-party partners to support continuity post-migration.
• Established strong communication channels across a globally distributed organisation: Our Change Squad proactively built networks with senior stakeholders, establishing escalation paths. Early challenges were overcome through communications and business engagement support, enabling clear and efficient approvals.