Clients, colleagues and partners,
Connected Insight was launched over three years ago to build an innovative “transformation apps + advisory services” capability enabling clients to take bigger steps, move faster and be more effective. The journey has been a deliberate evolution of CI’s capabilities and our cloud-based app, starting with data and analytics for shared services optimization, then expanding to enterprise-wide. We’ve recently reached a milestone by completing our own “bigger steps” with the release of our gateway integration to Microsoft PowerBI and process integration with APQC benchmarking.
For our clients, it’s clear that our app-based capability is a far more effective method for gathering and analyzing the data necessary to set transformation targets and drive momentum. Speed, depth, flexibility and collaboration are the valuable differentiators compared to the traditional firms and their traditional methods. We call this choice “platform vs files,” and platform wins every time.
The CI app has been used in a broad range of use-cases including merger integration, cost optimization, shared services startup and RPA prioritization. The data and analytics are enabling our clients to drive improvements in cost, focus and agility. There is more on the horizon, but we are grateful for the support and insight from our clients, colleagues and partners. Read below for progress on our three important objectives.
Read below for progress on our three important objectives.
1. Build out the left side frame!
The left side frame on the CI app is the navigation menu for our end-user modules. We are now complete with our two latest releases. In November, we released our gateway integration with Microsoft PowerBI. Now from the CI app end-users can jump over to PowerBI for custom modeling, reporting and adding additional data sources for more analytics. The data in CI is mirrored to your own PowerBI environment (or ours).
In February, we released our APQC benchmarking module, featuring process integration with APQC’s Process Classification Framework and benchmark structure. Your company-specific structure and definitions can now work seamlessly with APQC definitions to provide fingertip access to “best demonstrated performance,” a combination of your own internal benchmarking with APQC external benchmarking. Using the CI app you can also set targets, drive progress and sustain momentum.
2. Enhance our 3 areas of IP
We are clear where the value of our app is for our clients: Depth of data and analytics to set informed targets, Flexibility to fit your company definitions and structure, and Speed to complete the full cycle in a few days, not a few weeks.
- Depth: As we’ve been using the app with clients we are discovering new useful angles and dimensions which we’ve been able to add (without altering the structure of the data collection). The depth and breadth of our data and analytics eliminates the blindspots encountered when using traditional methods by traditional consultants. We are always searching for more to eliminate!
- Flexibility: In addition to our gateway to Microsoft PowerBI, we’ve added additional ways to set targets and track momentum. We’ve also added more dashboards and analytics using integrated data from Center (the shared services module) and Enterprise (the business). The CI app is configured to reflect your company structure regardless of size or complexity, and the analytics apply to a broad range of programs and objectives.
- Speed: Yes, we are done in 7-10 days. From “let’s go” to you logging into your own device to see your own analytics and navigating to what you want to see. We like to point out we are done by the time traditional consultants are done with planning. Moreover, you aren’t held captive in a conference room only able to see what your consultant is projecting on a screen. And our deliverable isn’t powerpoint and excel. How can we improve on that? We can’t. However, what we did do was add the modules for PowerBI and APQC without impacting speed. Our APQC process for scoping, configuring and uploading is completed in hours (and after data collection is launched). Using CI’s data tables in your PowerBI environment is simplified through our pre-configured table views. We make it simple and simple means fast.
3. Expand Use-cases:
From the beginning three years ago, the goal of our app has been to provide our clients with a platform able to drive improvements in cost, focus and agility through a broad range of programs. For some, it’s a big project, like merger integration. For others it’s more tactical like RPA. For us, it doesn’t matter. What’s important is having the insight required to set informed targets and the ability to drive progress and momentum. During the past year, we’ve seen CI analytics used for focusing an RPA programs, launching a greenfield shared services organization and driving a reorganization, in addition to merger integration, reverse-BPO and cost optimization. You can read more about our client success stories at https://connected-insight.com/consulting/
What's ahead?
Our app-based approach is a different way to work with clients. In addition to continuously investing in the development of the CI app, we are building our advisory capability to have a global reach. That too is a deliberate journey, ensuring we build a team and partnerships that reflect the objectives and requirements of our unique business model. We don’t measure our success by the number of hours invoiced or the size of an engagement staffing pyramid. We value expertise, transparency, and agility...the same as our clients.
About Connected Insight
Our “Transformation Apps + Advisory” business model has a simple goal in mind: help our clients take bigger steps, move faster, and be more effective. The Connected Insight cloud-based platform can be licensed by our clients to drive a broad range of programs such as enterprise transformation, RPA or other IT investment, cost optimization, merger integration, shared services optimization, BPO re-transition and others. We put insight at the fingertips of the people who need it. Our advisory work helps clients evaluate their situation, set informed targets, and develop practical plans. Using the CI platform means our focus is on advising not compiling. To learn more about Connected Insight or request a demo contact us at hello@connected-insight.com.
