The Challenge
A large electrical transmission and distribution company developed several in-house tools over the years to manage capital construction projects for the Transmission group. However, these systems were fragmented, lacked centralized IT support and processes, and inhibited materials and planning visibility which impacted the construction project management experience. Given rapid growth in technological capabilities and the desire to combine several legacy systems into one end-to-end project management tool, the company engaged Sendero to conduct a vendor selection for development teams.
Early on, it became clear that the effort, which was initially planned to be a short-term project, would be a longer and more involved process than anticipated. To kick off the project, Sendero had to ask the question – how do we build a single, large web application that is used differently by over 12 stakeholder groups that will also transform the connection between construction projects and technology?
Our Approach
A technology partner was engaged to complete all development of the web application, serving as a partner and complement to the Sendero Project Management, Quality Assurance, Business Analysis, and Organizational Change Management teams.
Over the course of three years, Sendero led this large, cross-functional, multi-vendor team to develop the following:
Agile Methodology: After completing initial assessment of project needs, Sendero determined that employing an Agile Methodology was necessary for development. This was one of the first, and largest, Agile projects conducted at the company, and paved the way for further Agile development in all departments.
Client Engagement: Senior Leadership, Functional Owners, and identified stakeholders within each business group were engaged early and often for demonstrations of the application which was critical to success of the project. The frequent solicitation of feedback complemented the Agile methodology and enabled quick adjustments to meet the real business needs to all engaged client stakeholders.
Shared Success: Sendero served as a true partner for the client and their needs. The team created long term relationships and were trusted to own additional phases of the project. This project is a tangible example of the trust and value placed in Sendero’s ability to lead large, complex projects that span the course of years.
