Christopher Global

Problem Statement

The infrastructure and operations teams of CSAA have been transitioning to the AWS cloud for the past 12-14 months in order to enhance efficiency by utilizing cloud services. However, the migration faced significant challenges due to the presence of organizational silos. Despite having a champion and an architect assigned to the AWS transformation project, it lacked a dedicated program leader and adherence to program management principles. Consequently, different departments within the organization were responsible for specific program tasks without fostering collaboration with other supporting units. This led to the need for a program management consultant to introduce a new delivery approach and promote cross-functional alignment among the program functions within the I&O team.

Purpose

CSAA endeavored to revive the practices of project and portfolio management that had been disrupted by siloed management. One of the main objectives of the I&O team was to improve the communication flow that had hindered the coordination of cloud transformation tasks handled by DevOps, SecOps, and Infrastructure teams. While the team had the necessary tools, they lacked the necessary discipline to effectively manage their projects. As a result, senior leadership enlisted the support of consultants with the required expertise to implement a program management platform and facilitate alignment throughout the transformation of CSAA's operations.

Custom Solutions

Christopher, our expert in program management, assisted CSAA leadership with their cloud transformation by offering the following solutions:

• Establishment of cross-functional executive reviews, incorporating leaders and project owners from DevOps, SecOps, and Infrastructure teams to report on program activities specific to their functions.

• Development of a three-year transformation roadmap outlining program phases and release dates.

• Implementation of program governance, including project scorecards, standard operating procedures, and controls for supporting technology.

• Allocation of resources to accelerate the adoption of AWS.

• Creation of a PPM (portfolio, program, and project) structure aligned with the VP's strategic goals for FY2020.

• Organization of uncategorized but related in-flight initiatives within a new PPM structure.

• Documentation of program and project business cases and charters for I&Os AWS initiatives.

• Training and coaching for project managers on Agile best practices. 

Conclusion

CSAA's cloud transformation initiative influenced the organization's culture by emphasizing the importance of fostering a more open and collaborative workplace. However, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the program was put on hold, making it less of a priority compared to other essential business initiatives. Should CSAA choose to resume the program, all necessary governance, controls, and a roadmap are already established to guide the teams in aligning and progressing on this path collectively.