The City of San Antonio Public Works – Community Studies & Digital Strategy

Overview

The City of San Antonio Public Works department needed to develop a comprehensive digital strategy that included community co-design sessions and future-proofing their digital tools. To achieve this, they required expert facilitation and strategic planning. The City of San Antonio partnered with Kaeppel Consulting for this initiative.

The Challenge

  1. The City of San Antonio Public Works department faced several challenges:

    • Community Engagement: Effectively engaging with the community to gather input and feedback.
    • Digital Strategy: Developing a forward-thinking digital strategy that would meet future needs.
    • Compliance: Ensuring that new tools and strategies complied with regulatory requirements.

Our Solution

Kaeppel Consulting provided a comprehensive solution that included:

  1. Community Co-Design Sessions: Facilitated interactive sessions to gather community input and foster collaboration.
  2. Digital Strategy Development: Created a robust digital strategy that incorporated community feedback and future-proofing measures.
  3. Compliance Analysis: Conducted competitive analysis and used tools like SiteImprove and Google Analytics to ensure compliance and optimize digital tools.

Results

Kaeppel Consulting’s efforts resulted in the successful development of an interactive GIS-based tool that complied with regulatory requirements and met community needs. The digital strategy provided a clear roadmap for future digital initiatives.

Conclusion

Kaeppel Consulting’s expert facilitation and strategic planning enabled the City of San Antonio Public Works department to develop a comprehensive digital strategy that engaged the community and ensured compliance. Our tailored approach helped future-proof their digital tools and strategies.

The City of San Antonio–Design.COSA Digital Standards & Guidelines

Overview

The City of San Antonio’s Information Technology Services Department (ITSD) sought to establish digital standards and guidelines to enhance user experience (UX), user interface (UI), and accessibility across their digital platforms. To achieve this, they required expert support in research, design, and implementation. The City of San Antonio partnered with Kaeppel Consulting for this critical project.

The Challenge

  1. The City of San Antonio ITSD faced several challenges:

    • Diverse User Needs: Ensuring that digital platforms catered to the needs of a wide range of users, including city employees and vendors.
    • Accessibility Standards: Meeting stringent accessibility standards to ensure inclusivity.
    • Comprehensive Guidelines: Developing extensive UX/UI guidelines that could be uniformly applied across various digital platforms.

Our Solution

Kaeppel Consulting provided a holistic solution tailored to the City of San Antonio ITSD’s needs. Our approach included:

  1. Extensive Research: Conducted thorough UX/UI and accessibility research to understand user needs and identify areas for improvement.
  2. Design Sprint: Implemented a design sprint to create a program roadmap and strategy.
  3. Stakeholder Engagement: Engaged with stakeholders to gather insights and ensure alignment with project goals.

Results

Kaeppel Consulting’s efforts resulted in the successful establishment of digital standards and guidelines that enhanced the UX/UI and accessibility of the City of San Antonio’s digital platforms. This transformation enabled employees and vendors to interact more efficiently and effectively with the city’s digital services.

Conclusion

Kaeppel Consulting’s tailored approach enabled the City of San Antonio ITSD to overcome their challenges and achieve their digital transformation goals. By providing expert support in research, design, and implementation, we helped enhance the user experience and accessibility of their digital platforms.

Texas DPS–Enterprise Architecture Deployment

Overview

In a pivotal engagement with Texas DPS (Department of Public Safety), our consultancy was tasked with an ambitious mandate: to architect a novel approach for Enterprise Architecture (EA). The objective was twofold — to not only craft a cutting-edge methodology for EA but also to train and mentor the practitioners who would be championing this new direction.

Areas of Strategic Focus

  • Enterprise Architecture Methodology: The heart of our engagement revolved around developing a fresh, future-focused approach to Enterprise Architecture. Our intent was to craft a methodology that was both innovative and intuitive, setting Texas DPS on a trajectory of streamlined operations and enhanced IT alignment.

  • Training & Mentorship: Recognizing the vital role of the practitioners in executing this new EA vision, our mandate extended to providing comprehensive training. Beyond imparting knowledge, our focus was on mentoring these professionals, ensuring they were adeptly equipped to navigate the intricacies of the new EA approach.

Challenge

Reimagining Enterprise Architecture for an entity as significant as Texas DPS presented its unique set of challenges. Beyond the technical intricacies, the task was to ensure that the new methodology resonated with the practitioners, and they were equipped to bring it to fruition.

Strategic Approach

Our approach blended technical expertise with a deep understanding of organizational dynamics. By meticulously crafting a new EA methodology and then ensuring that the practitioners were not just trained but also mentored, we aimed to ensure the seamless integration and execution of the new approach within Texas DPS.

Impact & Outcome

The outcome of our collaboration with Texas DPS was the successful establishment of a new EA Practice. The new methodology, combined with the empowered practitioners, set the stage for Texas DPS to leverage Enterprise Architecture in ways that drive operational excellence and strategic alignment.

Clark County Nevada–Enterprise Architecture

Overview

In an integral collaboration with Clark County Nevada, our consultancy was given the mandate of developing an application rationalization plan for the county’s government agencies. The mission was vast and vital: to methodically document and evaluate all systems, then determine their future pathways based on strategies to Maintain, Enhance, or Retire.

Areas of Strategic Focus

  • Enterprise Architecture: Central to our engagement was the disciplined study and understanding of the broader Enterprise Architecture. This provided the necessary context and structure for our subsequent evaluations and recommendations.

  • Application Assessment & Rationalization: Our core task involved an exhaustive documentation and assessment of all operational systems within the county’s government agencies. This enabled us to provide data-driven recommendations for each application’s future trajectory, be it maintenance, enhancement, or retirement.

Challenge

Transitioning IT staff from a decentralized model spread across District Offices into a centralized IT Division presented multifaceted challenges. From maintaining service continuity to ensuring staff adaptation and preserving institutional knowledge, the initiative required a well-orchestrated approach.

Clark County Nevada logo

Strategic Approach

Our methodology revolved around a comprehensive understanding of Clark County Nevada’s Enterprise Architecture. By meticulously documenting all systems, we were then able to assess their current state, utility, and potential future value. This grounded, structured approach allowed us to make informed recommendations.

Impact & Outcome

The fruits of our collaboration with Clark County Nevada were both clear and impactful. Our completed application rationalization plan recommended the retirement of 28% of the current applications. This stands as a testament to the depth of our assessment and the strategic value our consultancy brought to the table.

Erie Insurance–Customer Data Strategy

Overview

In a collaborative endeavor with Erie Insurance, our consultancy was engaged with a pivotal mission: to devise a strategy that pivots from a traditionally Policy-centric architecture to a more modern, Customer-centric approach. Recognizing the evolving needs of the insurance landscape and the paramount importance of customer experience, our objective was to holistically re-envision Erie Insurance’s customer data strategy.

Areas of Strategic Focus

  • As-Is Assessments: Our initial endeavor was to comprehensively understand Erie Insurance’s existing policy-centric architecture. This foundational step was pivotal in mapping out the journey ahead.

  • To-Be Designs: Building on our initial assessments, our next step was to conceptualize the desired customer-centric model, outlining how the new architecture would appear and function.

  • Target-State Architecture: A crucial part of our strategic formulation was to design the future state of Erie Insurance’s IT and operational landscape, ensuring it was robust, scalable, and geared towards customer-centricity.

  • Multi-Generational Planning: Recognizing the magnitude of this transformation, we employed multi-generational planning techniques to phase the transformation, ensuring continuity of operations and gradual adaptation.

  • Stakeholder Analysis: To ensure the proposed changes were in alignment with all stakeholder needs and expectations, we conducted a meticulous stakeholder analysis, gathering insights and feedback to refine our strategy.

Challenge

Pivoting from a traditional policy-centric model to a customer-centric one is no small feat, especially for an established entity like Erie Insurance. The challenge lay in ensuring a seamless transition without disrupting ongoing operations while championing enhanced customer experiences.

Strategic Approach

Our methodology combined a mix of thorough assessments, visionary planning, and stakeholder engagement. By meticulously charting out the current state, envisioning the desired future, and integrating stakeholder feedback, we crafted a roadmap that was both visionary and actionable.

Impact & Outcome

Our strategic collaboration with Erie Insurance has culminated in the adoption of the proposed customer-centric data strategy. The implementation is currently in progress, marking the beginning of Erie Insurance’s journey towards enhanced customer-centricity and operational excellence.

Erie Insurance–Corporate PMO Structure, Maturity, and Delivery

Overview

Engaged by Erie Insurance, our consultancy undertook a multifaceted initiative to not only establish a Corporate PMO Structure but to also enhance its maturity and delivery capabilities. Our involvement commenced with a comprehensive PMO Assessment, subsequently supporting organizational change. The engagement is progressing into Phase 3, which is anchored around executing changes to elevate project delivery and maximize benefit realization.

Areas of Strategic Focus

  • PMO Structuring & Maturity: Central to our mandate was the establishment and refinement of a robust PMO structure, aimed at ensuring optimal project management practices and maturity levels within Erie Insurance.

  • Organizational Change Management: As changes were identified post-assessment, it became imperative to facilitate a smooth transition, ensuring organizational buy-in and alignment.

  • Enhanced Project Delivery: Moving into Phase 3, our focus sharpens on the execution of changes aimed at bolstering project delivery metrics and harnessing greater benefit realization.

Challenge

Establishing a PMO within the complex landscape of Erie Insurance, while simultaneously driving maturity and optimizing delivery, presented a rich tapestry of challenges. Beyond the establishment of frameworks, it was essential to ensure that these changes resonated at all organizational levels and were geared towards tangible benefits.

Strategic Approach

Leveraging tools and methodologies such as PMO Maturity Plan, Sponsor Training, Benefit Realization Process Mapping, and Standard Work Training, we embarked on a structured journey. Every phase, from assessment to implementation, was executed with meticulous precision, keeping the end goal – enhanced project management transparency and speed – in clear sight.

Impact & Outcome

Through our strategic partnership with Erie Insurance, significant strides have been made. With improved PMO processes in place, Erie Insurance now benefits from increased transparency in project management and faster execution. This, in turn, ensures that the projects are not just delivered, but deliver value through enhanced benefit realization.

Verisk Analytics–Portfolio/ Program/ Project Planning & Execution

Overview

In an ambitious engagement with Verisk Analytics/ISO, our consultancy was called upon to establish a Project Management Office (PMO) while refining the existing processes of project prioritization and governance. Over a span of six months, Kaeppel meticulously organized a sprawling portfolio of 250 projects, instituted robust governance through a steering committee, and imparted PMO practices training across the organization.

Areas of Strategic Focus

  • PMO Establishment: Recognizing the need for structured project management, our goal was to stand up a PMO that would serve as the nexus of project coordination and execution for Verisk Analytics/ISO.

  • Project Governance & Prioritization: Instituting a clear and efficient governance mechanism, along with robust project prioritization, was identified as a linchpin for optimizing resource allocation and ensuring the alignment of projects with organizational goals.

  • Organizational Training: Ensuring the sustenance and success of the PMO and its processes demanded comprehensive training across the organization, imparting best practices and ensuring a cohesive approach.

Challenge

Managing a vast portfolio of 250 projects, each with its unique demands and stakeholders, and instilling a culture of structured project management across Verisk Analytics/ISO posed significant challenges. The imperative was not just to organize, but to prioritize, ensuring that projects of strategic importance received the attention and resources they warranted.

Strategic Approach

Drawing from a suite of tools, including Project Prioritization Criteria, Steering Committees, Program Sponsors, Project Sponsor Training, and an efficient Project Intake Process, we crafted a strategic roadmap. Through meticulous Design and Build phases, our focus was sharpened on the Top 10 Projects, ensuring they received the requisite support. Additionally, we established a Steering Committee with Governance at the Senior Vice President level, further solidifying the project management framework.

Impact & Outcome

Our engagement culminated in a transformative outcome for Verisk Analytics/ISO. With a newly minted Intake and prioritization process in place, coupled with robust governance mechanisms, the organization now boasts a streamlined project portfolio. The results speak for themselves: projects are executed with greater precision, resources are optimally allocated, and feedback from the client confirms a heightened level of satisfaction.

Argo–One Finance

Overview

In our esteemed partnership with Argo, our consultancy took the helm of the sophisticated “One Finance” initiative. Our directive: facilitate a seamless consolidation of the finance operations of six recently acquired entities into a singular, cloud-based finance system.

Areas of Improvement

      • Process Engineering: In the wake of the acquisitions, it became paramount to integrate and streamline multiple finance systems into a singular, cloud-based platform, promoting operational uniformity and efficiency.

      • Change Management: To ensure the successful transition and adoption of this significant shift, a robust approach to navigating organizational change was crucial.

      • Portfolio/ Program/ Project Planning & Execution: Orchestrating such a vast initiative demanded precise planning and execution at various levels, ensuring every phase transitioned smoothly from blueprint to reality.

Challenge

The task of bringing six diverse financial units under a singular operational framework was laden with intricate challenges. Beyond technological aspects, the effort required aligning disparate work cultures, deeply ingrained methodologies, and varied operational practices into a synergized entity.

Solution

Employing a combination of Process Engineering for system and workflow optimization, Change Management for smooth organizational transition, and precise Portfolio/ Program/ Project Planning & Execution methodologies, we charted a strategic path for this endeavor. Every transition phase, from system migration to team integration, was implemented with exacting detail, ensuring business continuity and efficiency.

Outcome

Guided by our expert consultancy, the “One Finance” initiative achieved a paradigm shift for Argo. The once-separated entities now operate harmoniously as a consolidated finance hub, leveraging a unified system and streamlined best practices.