New Deal IT Services Ltd. (NDITS) is a joint venture between Newham Council and Bull Information Systems Ltd. The purpose of the company is delivering quality IT desktop services to the Council whilst offering unemployed... ...

New Deal IT Services Ltd. (NDITS) is a joint venture between Newham Council and Bull Information Systems Ltd. The purpose of the company is delivering quality IT desktop services to the Council whilst offering unemployed people, via the New Deal scheme, the chance to develop accredited IT skills which are valuable to them and their prospective employer and laying the baseline for future career opportunities. The challenges facing NDITS were:

• Low customer satisfaction
• Falling profit margins
• Service levels not consistency achieved
• Concern about the business model

FMS was asked to provide:

• An initial analysis
• An independent audit in partnership with the Council's auditors
• An improvement plan to address the root cause problems and to monitor progress in conjunction with NDITS's management.

Upon conducting the initial analysis, FMS found that both poor performance and inconsistent service levels did in fact exist. We could also establish that identifying the root causes and how to address them would require a more structured and detailed approach.


Newham Council and NDITS, upon recognising the issues, appointed FMS to carry out an audit in partnership with the Council's audit department and the management of NDITS to produce a comprehensive audit report. The final outcome of this exercise was well received and NDITS management wanted to take action on the priority items quickly. FMS was then invited to put into place an improvement plan, within an agreed budget, focusing on areas that would make the biggest positive impact on the performance-related issues.

The operational results were realised within three months of the plan being implemented and the commercial results within six months; thus satisfying NDITS's management, joint owners and the customer base.

This success led NDITS to appoint FMS to provide its quality management service taking NDITS to successful ISO 9000 registration.

Client testimonial
"FMS' perceptive report provided clear recommendations for improving the business in critical areas." — Fiona Konarek, General Manager

An IT service provider won a major new project from an existing customer — a key criminal justice service throughout England and Wales. Time was to be absolutely critical and the new project put strain on existing resources... ...

An IT service provider won a major new project from an existing customer — a key criminal justice service throughout England and Wales. Time was to be absolutely critical and the new project put strain on existing resources.

FMS was asked to provide project management for this outsourcing transition project, compliant with Prince2 standards. The delivery lead line was specific and demanding with non-delivery resulting in liquidated damages.

Responding quickly to this request, FMS provided the necessary experience and expertise to plan the project work packages, to satisfy demand from the criminal justice service and make best use of resources.

The keys to successful project management included:

• A focus on results
• Clear communication of the requirements
• An understanding of Prince2 standards
• Provision of the collateral for negotiating acceptance
• FMS delivered the expected results on time and within budget, in partnership with the IT service provider. In providing project management, FMS was very pleased to be able to contribute in such a positive way to the success of this business expansion opportunity.

Client testimonial
"We were delighted with the result which FMS brought to this situation and we look forward to their professional input on future projects." — Project Manager

risk management Clydebank College has been developing elearning capability since 1999 and the project launched to realise this aspiration is called getlearning.net...

Clydebank College has been developing elearning capability since 1999 and the project launched to realise this aspiration is called getlearning.net.

The objectives of the getlearning.net programme are:

• To encourage learners in the delivery of elearning
• To enrich the learning process of individuals through elearning
• To create and deliver online material to recognised standards

The project board reviewed the project progress and decided to engage FMS in a risk assessment and strategy development exercise prior to launching the full implementation phase. This was to be aimed at managing risk and exploiting the opportunities of Internet-based learning.

The process used to undertake this risk assessment was:

• Preparation — Orientation and documentation review
• Fact-gathering — Interviews and clarification
• Analysis — Assessment and understanding of risk
• Documentation — Drafting outcomes and recommendations

Analysis highlighted two areas — integrated processes and forecast demand as areas for attention and intervention. Processes were disconnected and to achieve the efficiency of an ebusiness these would need to be mapped, integrated and automated, wherever possible.

After carrying out 'what if' analysis on a financial model, it was established that the elearning initiative could be significantly impacted by small changes in forecast demand for services.

The implementation stage will present the opportunity for education which is cost-effective and flexible. This stage means that getlearning.net's vision will be realised when it is a fully-integrated part of the college education process and it is commercially self-sustaining.

Having captured the vision of elearning and made the initial commitment, Clydebank College now have the information, after undertaking this exercise, to realise the opportunities.

Client testimonial
"FMS provided an objective review of the project risks and issues. They also gave us the direction needed to plan intervention and to take advantage of opportunities. It was a good experience." — Tom McCusker, Project Manager