Information Systems Assessment
The client writes over $5 billion in annuity, life, and property and casualty products. The organization’s P&C division had recently redefined its business strategy. This strategy was heavily dependent on the implementation and utilization of emerging technologies for marketing, distribution and product administration. It also required rapid IT development cycles to meet aggressive business requirements.
The client's internal IT organization provides information technology support to the Risk Management business community and its customers. The Nolan Company was selected to work with key members of the client's IT organization and a cross section of the client's user community. They were to evaluate the current environment in relationship to the business strategy, identify gaps in support that would affect delivery of the business strategy and develop a strategic plan to address any gaps identified. The assessment was to cover the client's plans through the next five years with a primary focus on the next three years.
Nolan designed and developed programs to track and analyze information relating to the number of applications, languages and platforms, and the associated people and skill sets.
A steering committee comprised of members of the client's business and technology divisions was formed to validate business strategy, confirm process goals, review progress and approve recommendations. The steering committee confirmed that the key enablers of the business strategy would be People, Process and Technology. This set the stage for the analysis process and provided a central focus for the recommendations that would ultimately be developed.
Technology
The Client-Nolan team completed an inventory of existing technology and defined the inventory of technology that would enable business strategy delivery. Based on this information, they performed a gap analysis between the current and desired state and developed recommendations to address the gaps identified.
People
A skills evaluation of all existing IT and business support staff was performed and the results were compared to the required skills, traits and experience to support required technologies and effectively deliver the business strategy. A plan was developed to address all identified gaps.
Processes
The team also examined existing technology development processes and identified the modifications that would be required to support reduced implementation timeframes. They also evaluated how to maximize teamwork between the business and technology communities and meet the organization’s evolving strategic requirements.
The client's redesigned technology strategy supports faster delivery of new applications and reduces traditional implementation and maintenance costs. It capitalizes on existing technologies and utilizes new technologies to provide added functionality. The strategy also promotes effective selection and management of vendor business partners and the effective transfer of knowledge to internal support staff.
Recommendations
To increase productivity and enhance internal employee skill sets will reduce reliance on outside vendor resources and create significant savings over the next five years. The maximization of current technology and the strategic investment in new technologies will result in additional savings.
The client now has a sound business strategy, with an IT plan that will support effective, timely delivery of that strategy and assure achievement of expected business results.