Delivering An IT Strategy

Background

National Museums Scotland (NMS) cares for many of Scotland's museum collections of national and international importance.  Currently caring for over 3 million objects and specimens, from all around the world, these collections are shown to the public at NMS's six museums across Scotland.  NMS also provide advice and expertise to the Scottish museum community.

To achieve their vision of being a world class museums service, NMS developed a Corporate Plan for 2004-2008 which outlined clear corporate objectives and focussed activities.  In order to support their objectives, NMS were looking for a robust IT strategy that would complement their goals and deliver an efficient and joined up IT/IS operational structure within each division and department.  NMS chose Sopra Group to develop the strategy.  Sopra Group consultants have a wealth of public sector experience and practical expertise in devising value for money strategies to enable organisations to fully exploit the use of technology.

Solution

By working in partnership with NMS, our consultants developed the strategy following the Sopra Group tried and tested methodology.  Through a series of interviews, workshops and general research sessions the consultants were able to establish a better understanding of the organisational goals, the relevant operational processes, and the current infrastructure as well as providing a road map for the future.

A key part of delivering benefit from strategic reviews, is gaining organisational buy-in.  Our consultants documented their findings for distribution to provide the basis for evaluating the strategic choices with all the stakeholders.

As with many organisations a significant barrier to delivery of a joined up IT strategy was the lack of joined operational processes between departments.  The consultants designed the IT strategy in such a way that mechanisms would be in place to seamlessly establish collaborative working and maximize the value of data held in the many existing data stores.

The strategy looked at a three stage implementation over three years:

• Rectification – looking at unlocking the investments already made in IT by better utilization of the applications available, actions to resolves outstanding issues and weaknesses as well as detailed planning for phase two & three.
• Integration – Moving NMS towards a Integrated Environment which unites the "Islands" of systems already in place without having to replace legacy systems that are performing satisfactorily.
• Exploitation - maximizes the value of the installed applications and changed culture from the earlier phases to assist operational efficiency, improved decision making and return on investment.

One of the recommendations was that an IT governance board was set up to prioritize projects, resources and funding, this has since been established and Sopra Group's Head of Consulting sits on the board to ensure the successful implementation of the strategy.

Benefits

By using the expertise amassed by Sopra Group consultants, NMS now have a practical IT strategy and an integrated framework for the future to ensure that information assets are fully utilized.  The creation of recommended facilities will improve the overall effectiveness of the organisation and enable cost savings and benefits to be realised in every department.

The new IT strategy provides NMS with an effective road map for delivering joined up services, enabling them to comply with government regulations and ultimately provide best value and a better service to their customers.

Andrew Patience, Director of Finance and Resources at NMS said "The consultants from Sopra Group were quick to understand not only the IT barriers to successfully achieving our corporate objectives but also the cultural barriers which existed within National Museums Scotland.  Their experience in the public sector enabled them to develop a realistic strategy which we are now taking forward to implementation.  The company's ongoing involvement in the implementation has made them a valuable partner to achieve our goals."