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We have delivered innovative solutions for a wide range of client engagements.
Strategic Review and Benchmarking
Client Overview
This financial services client conducts an annual company-wide employee perspective survey through which staff provide feedback on a number of key areas, including learning and development. The results from most recent employee perspective survey revealed a negative perception of the learning and development function across the retail banking business unit of this organisation. The retail banking business unit has a 50 person strong learning function with a centralised budget to design and deliver predominately compliance and accreditation training to the 14,000 employees. Anecdotal data suggested some disconnect between what the retail business requires and what is being delivered by the learning function. Reporting and tracking of costs and benefits delivered by the learning function are minimal.
Description of Services Provided
The client engaged the Cape Group to conduct a comprehensive review of its retail banking learning function. The intended outcome of the review was to ensure that the retail bank has the appropriate support to build capability in the short and longer term. Additional outcomes were to ensure that the current learning function is optimised, providing value and operating efficiently and effectively.
The Cape Group conducted a current state analysis using a variety of organisation information sources. During a 12 week period, the review team met with over 60 people from across retail bank, the learning function and other key stakeholders from other areas within the organisation to gather feedback on their experiences with the current learning model. Interactions with each business area within the retail bank were mapped as were all as-is processes.
At the same time, a number of external organisations were identified as target benchmark organisations. These organisations consisted of Australian banks and financial institutions, international banks and financial institutions, insurance companies and a handful of organisations from other industries selected on their reputation as leading learning organisations. A benchmarking exercise was conducted with these organisations; results from guided interviews were summarised and then compared to the client organisation. A desktop review was also conducted to examine trends and practices in the design and management of high performing learning functions. Particular attention was paid to research related to the financial services industry and innovative approaches to training development and delivery, application and use of technology, and leadership & management of the learning function.
In order to ensure that improvements could be realised in the current financial year, short-term recommendations were developed to be implemented within a three month period whilst the longer-term solution is being designed. Short-term recommendations included "Hygiene" and "Quick Win" changes that target the operational efficiency and effectiveness of learning function and provide a foundation for productivity improvement to be realised in the second half of the financial year. "Hygiene" changes impact only the learning function directly, whilst "Quick Wins" involve the entire retail bank. Neither category of improvement requires additional financial investment beyond current plan expenditure. The Cape Group assisted in the implementation of the short term recommendations, including conducting a comprehensive skills audit.
Longer-term recommendations aim to assist the retail bank in building capability. To do so, a vision for learning for the retail bank was developed. To support this vision, a new operating model for the learning function will be required. The Cape Group provided the client with six operating models to choose from. These include: in-house centralised, in-house decentralise, centralised out-tasking, decentralised out-tasking, a hybrid of centralised and decentralised out-tasking and full service outsourcing. The client is currently implementing these recommendations.
Outcomes - Successful engagement of wide spectrum of stakeholders across the bank
- Comprehensive assessment of as-is processes
- Buy-in and implementation commitment from senior stakeholders
- Quick implementation of short term recommendations resulted in immediate improvements and increase in client satisfaction with services provided
Performance and Learning Management System Selection
Client Overview
This consumer goods client had in place an established and mature performance management process that closely aligned company goals and objectives with those of its employees. This organisation had automated its performance management process via a bespoke system and is unique amongst its counterparts, many of which continue to operate paper-based performance management systems. The existing system also included limited learning management functionality. The bespoke system was sold as part of an organisational restructure and was being maintained by an external vendor.
In recent years, the system offerings in the global performance management space have significantly improved and there now exists a wide range of solutions which can be maintained and hosted by the vendor, enabling the client to focus on more strategic activities. The challenge for this client was to find a system which provided the same level of functionality as its current bespoke system. The current system was widely accepted within the organisation at all levels; a new system must provide desired functionality without impacting user acceptance.
The client required a vendor solution which delivers basic training management requirements and a strong performance management piece. This was to prove particularly challenging when navigating the vendor landscape, which is generally more mature in the learning space than performance management.
Description of Services Provided
Based on our in-depth knowledge and experience in the HR systems space and our systems selection toolkit, the Cape Group was engaged to conduct and manage the vendor identification and selection process. The Cape Group system selection toolkit was utilised to enable a more rapid, efficient and measured approach to system selection.
The first step in the process was to conduct in-depth interviews with key business stakeholders to gather their input on the necessity for replacing the existing system, and their priorities for what a new system must deliver above and beyond what was provided by the current solution.
Following stakeholder consultation, a preliminary business case was developed that outlined:
- Current and forecast expenditure relating to the existing system
- Potential benefits of replacing the existing system
- Recommendations for proceeding with an investigation of the vendor landscape
The next step was to apply our in-depth industry knowledge and expertise to conduct an evaluation of the current vendor landscape and provide the client with a shortlist of potential vendors for target distribution of the RFP. Concurrently a comprehensive RFP was developed which included business, functional and technical requirements as well as business scenarios for vendor system demonstrations. In addition to this, a scoring tool was developed to enable an objective and quantitative assessment of all RFPs and vendor demonstrations.
On receipt of vendor RFP's, each submission was assessed to determine a shortlist of two potential vendors for invitation to system demonstrations. The Cape Group facilitated vendor demonstrations and, in partnership with the client, conducted the qualitative assessment of vendor demonstrations.
Following vendor demonstrations, a report was produced that detailed the outcomes of the vendor assessments. The preliminary business case was also up-dated to include an ROI analysis of the two short listed vendors as well as a buy vs. build analysis which justified the departure from the existing "home grown" system and recommendations.
The ultimate outcome of the process was the identification of a preferred vendor and reserve vendor; the client was the key decision maker and ultimately selected the vendor. The client was then in a position to proceed to the contract negotiation phase.
Outcomes - Successful engagement of senior executives
- Successful buy-in from key stakeholders
- Rapid development and sign-off of the business case for system change
- Comprehensively documented and measured process including business, functional and technical business requirement development, laying the foundation for the more detailed solution definition phase
- Identification of a broad group of vendors including a number from outside the Australian market, offering the client a wider pool from which to select
- Selection of a vendor with a high level of fit from a cost, functional and cultural perspective
- System selection completed in 12 week timeframe
Employee Engagement Survey and Action Plans
Client Overview
The client is a global pharmaceutical company. It undertakes a number of global surveys each year. Last year, selective employees were engaged in a survey to measure engagement levels within the organisation; selected recommendations are being implemented as a result of this project.
In order to gain broader baseline measures of the organisation to improve Employee Engagement, the client develops and conducts a new survey twice a year in July and January. The survey combines questions from various existing surveys as required for employee engagement.
The client also engages a consultant to plan, facilitate data collection, analyse and develop recommendations from the survey on an ongoing basis.
Engagement Deliverables
- Review and modification of the employee engagement model
- Finalisation of employee engagement questions
- Data collection and analysis execution
- Recommendations and action plan development
Description of Services Provided
On commencing the engagement, our first activity was to develop a project plan consisting of activities, methodology and infrastructure of conducting the organisation survey. The employee engagement model and survey questionnaire were reviewed and refined.
Data was then collected and analysed using statistical methods to gain insights of the results and to be able to pinpoint specific areas of concern. Recommendations and action plans were developed for the organisation.
A communication plan was developed and implemented to ensure the same level of understanding and commitment of key project stakeholders.
All of services provided were delivered within 1 month timeframe.
Outcomes The short term and long term outcomes are as follows: - Ability to quickly target areas of weak engagement
- Quick implementation of recommendations
- High momentum of recommendations
- High commitment from key and senior stakeholders
- Return of investment (ROI) from the project in short period
Talent Management Customer Research
Client Overview
This leading financial services organisation developed a talent strategy, and 18 months later wished to update it to ensure its practices were current and relevant. As part of the updated strategy, the organisation required assistance in conducting the "front end" research into talent management practices locally and off-shore, inside and outside the financial services industry. The focus of the research was to be on innovative and leading edge talent practices.
Description of Services Provided
The Cape Group was engaged to: - Research into global best practices in talent management across the employee lifecycle from recruitment to exit/rehire
- Identify and gather external data for comparison with the organisations own practices;
- Guide the organisation on the internal collection of data required for the analysis;
- Analyse the organisation's competitive position, based on the internal and external data (benchmarking);
- Develop case study examples to raise innovative thinking and awareness including an off shoring scenario;
- Develop recommendations on what best in class looks like;
- Outline predicted trends in the coming 3-5 years; and
- Develop a talent scorecard.
Outcomes
The resulting report was used to inform the redesign of the organisation's talent management strategy. A talent scorecard was also developed to measure specific talent results at both an enterprise and line of business level. A key component of this engagement included a benchmarkign exercise in which five leading global organisations were interviewd to gain insight into their current and future talent management challenges, their talent management initiatives, the systems and processes in place to support their talent management efforts as well as how they are measuring and funding these efforts.
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