Our client was one of the largest betting company in the UK and needed to upgrade its IT platform in order to maintain a competitive offer and improve its market position. The client engaged a technology partner to build a platform and we were engaged to get the business ready to adopt the technology and realise the benefits.
Challenge
Our client was one of the largest betting companies in the UK, and the biggest retail bookmaker in the world, with several thousand retail betting shops and a significant online presence.
In order to maintain a competitive offer and improve its market position, the business needed to upgrade the IT platform that supported their fixed-odds betting operations. With the growth in in-play betting and 24/7 betting opportunities, they needed a technology platform that would enable it to significantly grow its product offering without increasing its resource base within the Trading and Operations teams.
The client engaged a technology partner to build a platform enabling the business to take in data feeds on sporting events from suppliers and present them as betting opportunities to the customer, removing a lot of previously manual processes.
We were engaged to get the business ready to adopt the technology and realise the benefits, whilst managing the impacts of automation on the organisation and implementing new ways of working.
Approach
As specialists in technology-led change, we understand that in order to carry out an effective transformation, the change needs to take account of the impact of technology on people, processes, organisation design and culture.
We worked with the Trading leadership team to redesign the organisation structure to deliver the benefits of automation, redefining accountabilities within and across teams, mapping new processes and redefining role descriptions. To ensure business readiness, we planned and managed the operational cutover including business take up and training design and delivery for both end users and support teams. With a focus on sustainability, we adopted a “train the trainer” approach, transferring knowledge and capability into the business.
We also designed and implemented the programme benefit tracking processes, supported by regular reviews, to ensure the technology was being adopted and driving the benefits. Throughout our engagement, we managed the communication and mobilisation strategy for the new programme, engaging within and outside Trading and Operations.
Originally brought in to focus on the technology-led change, through engagement with the business and an understanding of the gaps in the existing operating model, we were able to support the business with a wider transformation.
In the second phase of our engagement we worked with the Trading leadership to develop a strategic roadmap, identifying the initiatives to deliver the stated business objectives. We programme managed the delivery of these initiatives, providing content expertise around specific process, people and business performance management deliverables.
Outcome
The IT upgrade was successfully completed and the business was ready and able to receive the technology and deliver the benefits. There was increased business engagement in, and ownership of, the new technology. The business worked more closely and effectively with the IT department than they had before we had come on board.
We redesigned the organisation to help them maximise the benefits of the technology and offer whilst enhancing the customer proposition.
