The organization was building an entirely new line of business from the ground up, hiring its first employees, defining its own processes, and standing up new systems and applications all at the same time. The business case had been laid out by an outside implementation partner with aggressive launch dates attached, but the organization hadn't yet settled on its own operating model, roles, or ways of working. A vendor relationship alone wouldn't get a new division to launch. Only someone willing to define roles as they went, and coordinate three parties who didn't naturally work together, could.
Case Study
They didn’t realize we weren’t their own employees.
This insurance organization was standing up an entirely new line of business, hiring its first employees and building the systems behind it before it had settled on its own operating model. We embedded across the new division as product managers, business analysts, and program leaders, coordinating three vendor teams and hitting hard launch dates along the way.
Engagement at-a-glance
Industry:
Financial Services and Insurance
Organization size:
~ 4,000-5,000 employees
Services:
Product Management
Strategic Initiative Leadership
Enterprise System Implementation
Strategic Initiative Leadership
Enterprise System Implementation
The Challenge
Standing up a new business line took more than a plan and a vendor.
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A new division with no operating model yet
The organization was standing up an entirely new business line, hiring its first employees and defining roles and processes as it went, without an established operating model to build from.
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Three vendor parties working in isolation
The organization, its software provider, and its system implementation partner each largely operated on their own, using different tools and rarely surfacing information to each other, which made it hard to get a clear, shared picture of progress.
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Aggressive, non-negotiable launch dates
Specific launch dates for quoting, employer onboarding, and a customer-facing portal had already been set before the organization had the internal structure or staffing in place to hit them.
Our Approach
We filled roles that didn't exist yet, then helped the organization define them.
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1
Filled undefined roles to prove out what the business needed
Team members moved fluidly between business analyst, program manager, product owner, and product manager roles, taking on whatever function the organization needed next and proving out the business case for each one before permanent staff were hired.
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2
Facilitated a workshop to define the target operating model
We ran a workshop midway through the engagement to walk the organization's leadership through structural options and product management practices, several of which the organization went on to implement.
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3
Coordinated three vendor parties working in isolation
We sat between the organization, its software provider, and its system implementation partner, holding each accountable for transparency in sprint plans and release readiness so information didn't stay siloed inside any one team.
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4
Prioritized scope to protect hard launch dates
We identified the essential kernel of functionality required for each launch date and communicated deprioritized features as sequenced on the roadmap rather than dropped, so business teams stayed aligned instead of frustrated.
Value Delivered
A new division launched on time, run by a team that felt like their own.
Helped launch quoting and portal capabilities on aggressive timelines
The division's first quoting capability and its required employer portal go-live both reached the market despite launch dates that left little room for error.
Coordinated three vendor teams into one shared picture of progress
The organization, its software provider, and its system implementation partner moved from working largely in isolation to a coordinated, transparent view of sprint plans and release readiness.
Defined a product management operating model the organization adopted
Recommendations from a mid-engagement workshop shaped how the organization structured its product management function going forward.
Embedded so deeply that staff couldn't tell we weren't employees
Team members worked so closely inside the organization's day-to-day operations that colleagues frequently didn't realize they were outside consultants rather than direct employees.
Results that reflect the work behind them.
6+
Enterprise functions operationalized, across finance, claims, billing, underwriting, employer servicing, and benefit administration
3
Vendor and delivery parties (the organization, its software provider, and its system implementation partner) coordinated into one program
4
Core roles filled, including Business Analyst, Program Manager, Product Owner, and Journey Product Manager
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