Case studies

Challenges/Opportunities

The client was experiencing performance issues with its financial system, including delays and workarounds with some core business processes. The requirements included some very specific use cases. They were unsure whether to upgrade their existing system or replace it.

Value Delivered

We worked with the client’s core team and other support services to provide clarity through:

• Structured analysis of all systems issues and grouping by category
• Mapping of all of the issues to specific underlying causes
  
• Identification of options to address both issues and future needs
  
• Informed analysis based on observational research and expert opinion
  
• Clear recommendations for future action
• Thoroughly objective perspectives

Hague’s Approach

We observed use of the existing system and followed core processes through from start to end. We conducted extensive interviews across both the core team and other teams within the organisation to gather the broadest possible view of risks, issues, and requirements. We also engaged with multiple software vendors to get their perspectives and compared our observations to experience of other solutions. We also engaged with other existing clients to obtain insights into their use of related products.

Outcome/Results

We provided a recommendation to replace the existing financial system with a strong evidence base to support that recommendation. The client went on to implement the recommendation and has since achieved a successful implementation of a new FMIS product.

<-- back to Case Studies

Start your conversation

Challenge/Opportunity

The client had inadequate or unreliable data across one key element of its sector-wide data collection. There were data gaps and inconsistencies, and effort was being expended to collect some data that was of low value. The client sought advice on the best approach to resolve these issues over the long term and provide the basis for accurate, efficient, and impactful data collection over the long term.

Value Delivered

We listened to the client and proffered advice based on our deep knowledge of their data sets and our experience in solving similar issues in another sector. Our value added included:

• Proposing a comprehensive review of all data collected and its collection method
• Proposing the development of a national data standard to secure agreement and provide a firm basis for future data collection and usage, and future systems development
• Proposing a new national shared data collection system based on the new data standard
• Creating a multi-year strategic roadmap to give effect to the recommendations

Hague’s Approach

Following discovery interviews and analysis, we prepared a paper for the client on a proposed approach to creating a data standard and a process for creating a broad consensus of the benefits and form of that standard. We drafted the first version of the standard. The client took that through several rounds of consultation. We then collated the feedback and produced a validated data standard which was subsequently used to develop a national database. We later managed the project for the first national multi-agency search and rescue incident reporting system - Sardonyx which was built by Beca and gave effect to the data standard.

Outcome/Result

It was a long and complex process with extensive consultation and technical challenges but ultimately very satisfying for all. This work ultimately created the first national data standard for Search and Rescue Operations in the world. This is a significant achievement because Search and Rescue Operations typically involve a very large number of agencies and partners.

<-- back to Case Studies

Start your conversation

Challenge/Opportunity

In the 1990s, New Zealand’s national health funder inherited an entitlements-based system for disability support services. It contracted agencies (NASCs) across the country to assess needs and allocate services then funded those services centrally through a national contract management system and payment system. By the mid 2000s, it spent $450 Million per year on services through NASCs. The national health funder managed contracts with service providers but most client data rested in individual systems and paper files held by the NASCs. Over time, issues arose with disparate services, uneven funding levels, regional service level disparities and a lack of flexibility to fund newly identified conditions, new therapies etc. There was also a growing push for people with disabilities to have more autonomy over their lives, their support services and the funding and management of those services. These matters ultimately led to the Health Minister at the time asking for a better approach to managing funding and services.

Value Delivered

The value delivered in this programme of work ultimately arose from the goodwill and commitment of stakeholders across the sector. Hague’s role in facilitating this value creation included:

• Developing the initial concept from a centralised funding system to a system that enabled and supported all the participating agencies to provide more value directly to their clients
• Building trust across stakeholders that this ambitious programme could actually succeed by confronting the biggest concerns head-on from the outset and collaboratively working towards solutions – this approach turned the biggest critics into the staunchest supporters
• Communicating and supporting change through direct and open communication and engagement throughout the programme – with stakeholders and the Project Board
• Developing a new disability services data standard based on existing health data standards, managing the consultation process for that data standard and helping agencies to implement it.
• Actively assisting 18 organisations for over 18 months to cleanse and standardise their data in 18 different databases through multiple iterations leading up to migration.
• Managing an integrated programme of work to create systems and processes to manage over $450 million of services annually.
• Successful on-time and on-budget integration with Health Oracle-based payment systems: Client Claims Processing System (CCPS) and Contract Management System (CMS)

Hague’s Approach

Hague set up and managed a Programme Management Office and test lab at Hague's offices in Wellington. We managed all stakeholder management across concurrent projects, major business process change, data cleansing, database consolidation, process standardisation and new data standards. This work involved 19 diverse organisations ranging from Invercargill to Whangarei and including a Ministry, DHBs, Charitable Trusts and private companies. We also worked closely with HealthPAC - now Sector Operations which provides a variety of payment-related services for Health providers including maintenance and distribution of entitlements payment schedules, receipt, capture, validation and processing of entitlements, registers, claims and invoices and payment processing.

Outcome/Result

The Socrates programme created common processes and systems for national delivery of disability support services. This was the first national database of disability support services in New Zealand, and possibly the first in the world. The programme was a redesign of business processes and created visibility of all clients and services for the first time. It also provided for better approaches to service delivery and supported greater recognition that disability services are not entitlements to be doled out but tailored supports for the independence of people with disabilities. This project was one of three successful NZ health payments systems projects by Hague Consulting - on scope, on time, on budget and meeting quality criteria.

Start your conversation

Challenge/Opportunity

A person going into aged residential care who wants to keep their home may not be able to pay for all the cost of their care. They can apply for an interest-free Residential Care Loan which accrues unpaid fees as a debt secured by a residential property until it is sold.

At the time of this project, the system for managing this loans process transferred from Work and Income to Ministry of Health. An existing loan ledger on a simple database needed a significant upgrade and integration with an enterprise health payments system to meet legal and financial requirements.

Value Delivered

Hague provided value by:

• Undertaking structured problem definition
• Completing full stakeholder engagement to understand legal and financial requirements
• Applied knowledge of credit and finance to identify viable solutions
• Scoped a project
• Developed business process design
• Wrote functional specifications
• Drafted policies and processes
• Managed project to implement a solution

Hague’s Approach

Hague completed a comprehensive desk-based analysis of the problem, investigated a range of options, developed a shortlist of options in collaboration with subject matter experts and key business partners of the client. Developed a structured approach to the whole project, managed the process, policy and system elements of the project to completion.

The project approach included extensive design, build and testing of integration with Health payments systems: Client Claims Processing System (CCPS) and Contract Management System (CMS). The health payments systems upgrade work was completed on time and on budget and met all quality criteria.

Outcome/Result

Completed on time and below budget. The system has worked effectively for many years since. At the time the solution was implemented the loan ledger was about NZ$100 million. It is now much larger.

<-- back to Case Studies

Start your conversation

Challenge/Opportunity

The organisation had embarked upon a national budgeting and forecasting software rollout. It had proved more complex than originally expected. The budget deadline was approaching and the system was not ready. It was being used in Beta form but experiencing many issues.

The Project Sponsor didn't know the cause of the problem or what to do about it but had recognised a number of symptoms of a failing project:

• unhappy stakeholders
• missed deadlines
• no obvious structure to the project approach
• no regular project reporting
• assurances from the project lead that did not match user experience

There was a fast-approaching critical event for the organisation which would require a fully functional system.

Value Delivered

The key value delivered was:

• Allowing staff to do their work without ever-changing software
• The rapid resolution of time-critical faults and stabilisation of buggy software
• Descoping work that could not be completed in time
• Delivering a stable product

Hague’s Approach

We redefined the scope, implemented structured project methodologies, logged and ensured the resolution of over 60 software faults, wrote and implemented a software testing plan, developed a user manual and training course, trained accountants as trainers, and wrote a deployment strategy. Key steps included:

• Taking charge of the situation
• Freezing all development on the live system and creating a separate test instance
• Rapid analysis of the project based on observation, testing, documentation review, interviews with users and key stakeholders and extensive review of data
• Taking control of the test and release process
• Putting a structured, milestone-based approach in place with scheduled release dates
• Creating user documentation and training users

Outcome/Result

Rolled out the application nationally across the organisation

<-- back to Case Studies

Start your conversation

Challenge/Opportunity

An established social services agency sought to increase its reach, viability and effectiveness. A key funder had created a programme to fund capability mentors to increase the capability of its service providers.

Value Delivered

Hague delivered the following key elements of value to the client:

• Worked with the client to develop a funding proposal for capability improvement funding
• Developed and ran a nationwide capability development initiative
• Setup the organisation to continue the work and to measure its effectiveness

Hague’s Approach

• Developing an understanding of the core values and culture of the organisation
• Working from a strengths-based approach that values and builds on internal ideas and resources
• Running workshops that used both creativity and reflection to break through established positions and views.
• De-constructing elements of capability to assess strengths and key gaps.
• Using the ADKAR change model to support real change from within.
• Involving several hundred staff in a ground up strategy building exercise to demonstrate authenticity.
• Targeting all levels of the organisation with a range of key tasks to ensure widespread participation.
• Using evidence-based models wherever possible to achieve credibility.
• Confronting issues honestly while supporting people individually.
• Achieving both top leadership support and high levels of ground-level engagement

Outcome/Result

High levels of engagement and low levels of resistance have been witnessed and reported by staff and management. The organisation has improved its capability to deliver effective social services.

<-- back to Case Studies

Start your conversation

Challenge/Opportunity

The New Zealand organisation was frustrated by its apparent inability to leverage its ERP system effectively to meet some specific management goals. It was unsure whether it could achieve its goals with its existing system or whether it needed to look at replacing it. Hague Consulting was briefed to conduct a system review to determine if ERP replacement was justified.

Value Delivered

Hague delivered value by:

• Investigating and clearly defining the core issues
• Observing and testing to discover root causes
• Researching the viability of potential solutions
• Revealing some core underlying issues that had not been recognised
• Identifying ways to improve performance of the existing ERP without the need for replacement

Hague’s Approach

Performance was assessed through document review, interviews, observation, data analysis, and comparison to industry benchmarks. We also applied knowledge of working with other ERP and core systems.

Outcome/Result

Report was frank and hard-hitting but was welcomed by the client. It recommended improvement to the use of the existing ERP system rather than replacement. The report focused on ways to leverage the legacy system for operational improvement. It was used to guide change and produced a major turnaround in performance within a few months. It continues to form the basis for a sound delivery model.

<-- back to Case Studies

Start your conversation

Challenge/Opportunity

Lower income and tight budgets required the client to review all its operations to identify opportunities to save money and ensure that expenditure delivered the most value possible. The client sought to cut costs without compromising its strategic goals, so there was a strong focus on value for money.

Value Delivered

Hague was able to take an objective and strategy-focused approach to savings opportunities, including:

• Improvements in timetabling efficiency
• Reducing inefficiency through introducing Procure to Pay processes
• Improve materials planning to reduce loss and wastage
• Centralisation of student enquiry handling
• Simple energy conservation steps
• Centralising academic results processing

Hague’s Approach

The review involved over 40 face to face interviews, examination of business processes and systems and a review of documentation and data.

Outcome/Result

The client accepted all the recommendations. This consulting assignment reflects Hague’s approach of supporting and enhancing internal capability in client organisations.

<-- back to Case Studies

Start your conversation

Challenge/Opportunity

Existing processes to manage the maintenance and logistics of equipment were cumbersome and time-consuming. They were also overwhelmingly paper-based and laborious to collate. The amount of time being spent by high-value staff to audit equipment using laborious methods to provide basic assurance was inefficient. The client needed a process improvement methodology that would engage staff effectively and produce verifiable data to set performance targets, plan measurable benefits, and evaluate costs and benefits effectively for the project business case. The client needed to reduce risks around operational equipment management and tracking, and to increase organisational intelligence about both the readiness and overall lifecycle of the equipment fleet.

Value Delivered

Hague worked with the client to add value in the following ways:

• Built internal capability for the client to respond promptly and effectively
• Provided a clear view of where equipment is, at all times
• Ensured prompt visibility of any damaged, lost, or stolen equipment
• Enabled the client to check equipment in and out quickly and easily
• Removed the need to manually record equipment usage
• Helped remove administrative burden so staff can continue to add value as they work
• Introduced a connected, national solution to capture issue and return of equipment, streamline auditing and checks, and track transfers
• Created a Current State Map which identified the process, time to complete each step and its completion and accuracy.
• Identified value and non-value-added steps
• Created a Future State Map which could potentially improve process time and efficiency
• Provided verifiable data for cost savings and efficiency improvement

Hague’s Approach

Hague led a Value Stream Mapping exercise to identify wastes in processes. This included:

• Site visits to view how the process was done at the ground level
• Engaged with employees during the site visit to help identify and reduce waste
• Map the current and future state process and identify the barriers to flow
• Use the evidence gathered to identify quality improvements and cost savings

Outcome/Result

The value stream mapping workshops and site visits provided the client with verifiable data for the current and future state of the process. This was used to set performance targets, provide measurable cost and time savings for the benefits realisation plan and project business case.

Start your conversation

Challenge/Opportunity

The client had identified that its current accounting and property ERP system was nearing end of life. The company was also growing and needed a new ERP that could scale successfully. They selected Yardi as the preferred software supplier but the team had no experience of an ERP implementation. They sought an implementation partner to manage the project and to provide strategic advice on process improvement and change management.

Value Delivered

Hague Consulting provided a strategic roadmap, created a Project Charter, and managed the project. Hague also identified and facilitated a range of other strategic and change management activity, including mapping, review, and redesign of business processes and planned and led software testing.

Hague's Approach

Hague and the client agreed to take the time to set up the project to succeed. We worked through the strategic drivers for the project, mapped out the journey and sought out advice from others who had implemented the product before. We captured lessons that we could apply at the start of the project and recorded our own lessons at the end. We then set up project governance and scoped the project. This was all time well spent.

There were weekly team meetings, formal project update reports, as well as less formal sessions. The Covid rules and lockdowns required much work to be done remotely and we adapted, maintaining effective communication through many very technical design meetings.

Hague facilitated business process change workshops and created 'as is' and 'future' process maps. We developed a Data Migration Plan and a Test Strategy and Test Plan. Expected change was documented in the Project Charter and updated through the project, supporting change management activities and communications. Expected benefits were agreed and defined, updated during the project, and reviewed on completion and subsequently.

Project quality was controlled with requirements documents, scripted testing documents, formal reporting of test results and a comprehensive pre-Go Live quality checklist. Acceptance criteria were set at the start of the project, monitored and assessed prior to Go Live and at project closure. Project benefits were defined and reviewed during the project. Hague maintained a strong focus on tasks that produced benefits rather than just deliverables.

Outcome/Result

The project was completed on time, on budget, and realised a range of business benefits beyond the direct improvements from more advanced software. Yardi's ERP was implemented successfully. It functioned as planned, correct invoices were sent to all tenants on time and all creditor invoices were paid on time in the first month. The first month-end was completed. There was no negative impact on tenants, creditors, suppliers, or the client post Go-Live. The company achieved its expected benefits and achieved further process improvements.

Hague Consulting can plan, support and manage Yardi implementation projects in New Zealand or Australia.

<-- back to Case Studies

Start your conversation

Challenge/Opportunity

The client provided a very broad range of services within a common mission and had enjoyed success through a combination of good systems, talented people and effective marketing. Some recalcitrant longstanding issues remained and the Executive Team were looking to review the range of services and how they were delivered in the future as growth slowed and more ambitious targets remained out of reach.

The brief included the need to improve service quality including reducing delays, service inconsistencies, inefficiencies and redundant effort and to identify how to better align services to strategy. The review team were asked to review documents, conduct interviews, gather data, synthesise all the information received and provide recommendations.

Value Delivered

Hague Consulting provided a presentation to the Executive Team backed up by a succinct report with a small number of actionable recommendations. The report highlighted the strengths of the organisation, centred on talented people, strong relationships and specific technical skills. It also identified a lack of specific investment in certain areas of operational capability which hindered delivery of consistent and scalable service provision. There were also recommendations for changes to some core service lines.

One specific recommendation was that the organisation reconsider one of the core assumptions behind its organisational strategy because that assumption appeared to be driving behaviours which were hindering some of its core relationships and growth prospects. The Chief Executive and other members of the Executive Team maintained contact for a prolonged period after our engagement ended to discuss progress as some recommendations took a long period to work through into operational changes.

Hague's Approach

Hague and the client worked together to develop a carefully-worded brief designed to enable a full and frank review but to exclude areas that had been well-traversed already and which the client did not wish to revisit. Hague accepted those constraints as a virtue rather than a hindrance as they provided a clear focus for a review which remained complex despite its restrained scope. Our approach was to avoid the easy and obvious paths of organisational or programme level restructuring recommendations and to focus instead on the key value streams and how they could be enhanced. Our data and document review and interviews retained a strong focus on delivery of value to customers.

Outcome/Result

We received feedback that the thoughtful and far-reaching consequences of the review's recommendations were both welcome and very helpful. The engagement was completed within the time, cost and quality criteria agreed. Most importantly, the strategic review raised issues that had not previously been considered and suggested actions which had not been anticipated but were nonetheless adopted and successfully contributed to desired outcomes.

Start your conversation

Challenge/Opportunity

The client came to us with a business idea they had developed from a longstanding passion of theirs. They wanted to realise their idea but had limited knowledge of how to do so. They sought business advice on how to get the idea off the ground.

Value Delivered

Hague Consulting helped turn the idea into a clear value proposition broken down into distinct customer groups. In doing so, we helped the client define specific products and services and how and why they would appeal to customers. This created the clarity necessary to centre a business model.

Working through the creation of the business model, the client began to see the full scope and scale of activities, partners, resources, channels and customer engagement necessary to create a viable business based on the initial idea.

Hague completed the value proposition and business model within one week. Hague then arranged meetings with two of the most important partners in the business model to present the concept and seek feedback on what would be necessary to bring it to fruition. Those partners engaged openly and honestly in that process and identified next steps.

Hague’s Approach

Firstly, Hague Consulting facilitated a half-day workshop for the client to generate the Value Proposition. This was followed by a half-day Business Model workshop. Both the value proposition and the business model were subject to analysis, review and some polishing. The client was keen to identify enablers and obstacles to proceeding with the idea, so Hague set up meetings with two key potential partners, helped the client prepare for those meetings and assisted with presentation.

Outcome/Result

The client has a clearly articulated concept, understands the value proposition at the core of the business, has a documented business model and now knows what would be necessary to bring the idea to fruition. Partners, finance, and rights acquisition would all be part of creating a successful business from this idea. The client is now in a position to seek those elements, or to pass the work done to date on to another party.

Start your conversation

Challenge/Opportunity

Two organisations identified an opportunity to each meet specific capability challenges in their organisations by collaborating on a joint facility and operation to meet various demands. The idea had been talked about for a long time but no concrete proposals had been developed and it was unclear how a collaboration could work in practice, where it would occur and what it might cost. Discussions had largely centred on "what" could be done rather than "how" it could be done. The scope and scale of the proposal was vague and not in a position to be progressed with any clarity.

Value Delivered

Hague Consulting identified the gaps in analysis and the need for a structured approach to develop the proposal further. We proposed a two-stage approach with the first stage being a feasibility study and the second stage being a business case if the steering group wished to proceed further after the feasibility.

The feasibility process commenced with a stakeholder scoping workshop, followed by interviews, data gathering, review of past reports and proposals and site visits to potential sites for the proposed facility and to existing facilities of a similar type run by other organisations. Hague also conducted a detailed demand analysis for potential internal and external users of the facility and created a volume model to support demand scenarios in the feasibility.

We interviewed other providers of similar services to identify success factors and learn lessons. We carefully examined all the constraints that could prevent or hinder successful implementation and we looked for things that would help the idea succeed. We put all that together in a series of options then we wrote a report that presented the findings in plain English. We put the details in appendices for traceability. It was well-received.

The real value from this evidence-based approach to feasibility is that it provided a structured framework which could easily be adapted and reused if thinking about options changed. The organisations gained the capability to plan and assess options themselves.

Start your conversation