When things go wrong
BizWorks implementation comes with a standard set of key performance indicators, but a wizard is included in the application for users to build their own key performance indicators.
At the back end, BizWorks uses a wrapper technique to wrap around data in legacy systems, databases, applications and expose those sets of information to BizWorks through BizWorks' own information model.
The result, according to Layton, was integrated information and the ability to deliver real-time information to end-user in a defined context.
Real time information was crucial for Hayes, who had wanted a system that will help him plug the holes in his organisation's operation.
-What it (BizWorks) does is it allows us to apply a best practice benchmark only once across the organisation, and then the rest of the organisation is measured against the same set of business rules," explained Hayes. -(When something is wrong,) you can't hide it any more, you can't bury it under something else."
NBH began implementing the BizWorks solution six months ago. In that time, the company has eliminated 3 levels of management, vacated 11 positions from the main-board and restructured the whole reporting and information dissemination process.
Administrative personnel who were responsible for collecting contractor information were retrained and moved to technical and housing services division.
By Hayes estimation, the company would have saved over 2 million pounds by the third year of the system's implementation. In the first six months alone, Hayes confided, the company has already hit 35% of the 2 million pounds target.
Vendor management efficiency has been improved by 55-60%, Hayes estimates.
-Culturally, it has been difficult," said Hayes, -everyone gives lip service to empowering people, but when it comes to giving information to the workers, managers often bulked at that and ask: why do they need so much information?"
-Normally, the people who actually go and correct mistakes and make us work well are the ones who are at the bottom of the triangle, what we've done is we've inverted the triangle."
At the rate NBH is going, according to Hayes, there is no end to what the organization may want to do with the BizWorks implementation. A semi-formal steering committee is already in place to deliberate on additional services and requests. Going forward, Hayes can see the platform expanding to include mobile access to portal information, full procurement capability, and management of other branches of NBH's operation.
This is not a surprise to InterBiz's Layton, the strategy of building business apps upon CA's core technology seems to have paid off.
-People who have implemented this solution have not found an end to the things they want to do with it," said Layton. -Each new systems you introduced, you introduce ideas for 3 more... It seems to be a never-ending project."
For a pop of a basic InterBiz BizWorks solution: software licensing begins at US$125 000, service engagement for the first year is also priced at US$125 000, and implementation is conducted within a 90 to 120 days window.
