Blog

Why bigger isn’t always better…. Maximising returns through cloud-based proof of concepts:

Part 1 – Starting out and getting over the first hurdle!  So, about ALL of that data you have…  Pushing data into the cloud was once seen as a skill confined to tech companies, who had either started with at least one foot in the door or had the skills readily available to make it happen. However,  it is now much more commonplace for organisations to want to lift and shift their data and operations…

The Use Case For Project Analytics

In this final article of the Project Analytics series, now that we’ve covered how to launch your Project Analytics capability, we explore what each category of users will make of their newly created capabilities now the skills, processes and technology are finally in place.  There are typically four basic use cases that we observe when building out…

The Four Phases of a Project Analytics Roadmap

In this article, we continue our discussion into the process of building out a complete Project Analytics capability for your major projects initiatives.    Last week, we explored the engineering architecture required for a modern Project Analytics capability. This week, we look at how to create a roadmap from your Project Analytics pilot into a production-ready solution that…

How to implement a data engineering strategy for your project analytics initiative

In this third article of our Project Analytics series, we expand on the team roles we introduced in our last article by explaining how everything comes together to build the data engineering requirements of a Project Analytics initiative.  Getting to grips with the reality of project data  If you’re focused on delivering Project Analytics, sooner or later,…

So, another year, another CDO Exchange event in the bag with IPQC

With some new faces, some new organisations represented, and some familiar ‘data friends’ in attendance, what did we learn? Interestingly whilst the number of newly represented organisations was a big plus this year (certainly from our perspective), the mix of challenges for senior data leaders remained strangely familiar. Data leaders are still navigating the technologies…

Project Analytics: Getting to know your data.

Welcome to part 2 of our 5 part series exploring the evolution of Project Analytics and how it’s transforming the performance and outcome of major projects initiatives.   In this article, we explore some use cases and best practices for getting started with project analytics.   Closing the Project Analytics ‘Imagination Gap’   “We need a critical mass of people…

The Evolution of Project Analytics

Welcome to the first in a five-part series examining the fast-changing world of Project Analytics and its vital role in the major projects sector. This first article explores how the major projects sector is responding to a need for more intelligent project analytics. We explore how recent advances are beginning to dramatically improve the decision-making…

How to build a Data Governance Program by Stealth: Introducing the Lighthouse Projects Concept

Chances are, you’re reading this article because you’ve been asked to launch, or support, some form of data governance initiative. Firstly, congratulations. You’re embarking on a worthy endeavour.  Here at Oakland, our Data Governance Team have trodden a similar path as we guided our clients across multiple data governance implementations. The results have been profoundly…

What is a Digital Twin? Definition and examples of next-level performance improvement

This article introduces the digital twin concept and its application to operations management through the lens of real-life examples. From operations management to customer experience and beyond, digital twins are transforming the way our clients are delivering products and services. The missing link between performance and data There are several questions clients routinely ask me. Some…

2020’s closing cloud releases – what’s new for tech consumers in 2021?

Technology is not an entity that stands still, this is evident from the myriad of new releases, both small and large, that can be seen from companies like AWS and Azure, who continuously push the capabilities of what they can offer. However, this constant barrage of incremental gains can seem overwhelming and often will not…

When Data Geeks and OPEX collide

It is just me, or are the years speeding up? It only seems like 5 minutes ago, we were attending the IQPC OPEX Exchange 2019 (https://www.processexcellencenetwork.com/events-opexexchangeeurope/) and before you know it, a year has passed, and we’re onto the next event. This year has been like riding an out of control rollercoaster. The OPEX community…

AI to assist projects has been around for decades – why aren’t we using it?

I recently read a fascinating article entitled ‘Using Artificial Intelligence Techniques to Support Project Management’. It discusses AI-assisted decision-making on projects, knowledge-based interactive graphics and hybrid computer-human systems. It sits well with the large number of articles and reports that both APM and IPMA have been sponsoring recently, and with the launch of the Project Data…