Improving mission tracking as an independent consultant

Before AirSaas was set up, steering missions and switching between accounts went through the tool every independent CIO has used at some point: PowerPoint. Updates and transformation-plan tracking were consolidated onto a single slide. Fortunately, collecting, processing and tracking are now far simpler thanks to AirSaas.

Challenge: simplifying mission steering as an independent

“Before AirSaas I used PowerPoint files. The same ones for all my clients — it was a pain to maintain”.

Even though he admits to enjoying highly complex contexts (the polite version ^^), our AirSaas user, an interim CIO, was until then overseeing around ten clients in parallel with a single file that had become harder and harder to maintain over time…

It was particularly hard to report to the client on unframed projects in order to show the volume of projects with no leadership.

The need is indeed to be able to zoom in on the volume of projects as well as on the company's capacity to manage them (tied to leadership on the projects).

“In a slide it's complicated… the back-and-forth means you often forget things.

When I had to get back up to speed on every return to the mission, I could run into a few difficulties…”

After the recommendation, when he gets to rollout… David was looking for a canvas for executing the digital transformation on the governance side.

The challenge of having a good initial snapshot of the project portfolio, clarifying the overall understanding for every stakeholder, was a real one.

David then potentially tackles the transformation and the realignment of the project portfolio, with the governance master plan. For him, the main challenge is going to be addressing the silos.

Another challenge he mentions: at the end of a mission, when our CIO comes back into the account — where before he had to get back up to speed on every return — he could sometimes feel uncomfortable… because he hadn't seen the project for two or three months. He found it hard to add value… busy with a tedious review of the project sheets in PowerPoint and a check…

The solution: a “multi-workspace” that makes tracking client transformations easier

On the challenge of being able to zoom in easily on each mission, the platform answers that use case.

“I put everything in AirSaas; at the start of a mission I don't filter. As soon as someone mentions a project to me, I log it and start documenting. That's the first step of the selection process that comes next”.

Among the tips he uses for filling in the initial project sheets, David mentions creating a “ghost” user for those with no staff/role assigned — a certain “Mr T. B. Defined”. ^^

The idea: make the organisation accountable in project management and bring in leadership.

David's use of the platform is decisive in making cross-functional projects easier to steer in coordination with internal allies.

Very quickly, clients ask for access to the tool. He points out that, in parallel, this lets him look for allies.

“Horizontal in its approach, AirSaas answers the underlying question of silos.”

Indeed, for our CIO, project management isn't the first focus.

‍“Operational excellence in project management isn't my first topic; I'd rather align the business departments towards a shared target before tackling that”.

He goes on: “I talk about governance, about strategy, and with AirSaas's help I look for allies who want to break down the silos. I show the tool and we agree that we need routines around it.”

On the challenge of coming back into the company "after" the mission

David highlights a second observed benefit:

His read of the trajectory is different too:

“I'll now open the tool and look carefully at the topics. Thanks to my perspective as an experienced CIO, I'll be able to determine quickly whether the situation has drifted off course or whether everything is still on track.

In fact, I open the tool, I look, I go through the topics with my experienced-CIO lens, and I can tell you very quickly whether it has drifted or whether it's still OK.

“I love the global project kanban view. I think it's great. I often spend a lot of time on it because it's very clear: it shows you project progress, the whole picture — almost everything is on that view!”

Bonus section:

AirSaas's strong point?

I genuinely see AirSaas as the catalyst of a digital transformation on the governance side. I start with a 360-degree diagnosis, putting in place what's needed to open the way — and doing it non-intrusively.

It's not comparable to implementing a complex six-month waterfall process, or to rolling out JIRA; it's far less constraining.”

I'd say it's the logical next step after a 360 diagnosis, to open the way for a digital transformation.

Primarily on the project-governance aspects, and then from a more global perspective, since every project tied to the master plan from the diagnosis can end up in the tool…

Your favourite feature?

“For my use, being able to switch easily from one client to another is ideal!

David mentions that sometimes he catches himself switching, while working on one client's project, to another client's workspace “because the project I'm on lets me enrich another client's project at the same time”.

Before, I had to put it in my to-do so as not to forget, and come back to it several days later… In short, today, with that ease and speed, I can do it straight away. It's instant. And I don't forget.

To conclude, David tells us: “I love this tool — why didn't I think of it sooner!”

Context:

After 15 years running IT and supply chain in large European groups.

David Langlade has been an independent interim CIO for three years and mainly supports mid-market companies, notably in retail. This CIO, who takes an interest in “liberated company” approaches, particularly likes tackling organisational "silos".

Meeting David means discovering both a very curious CIO and an expert in steering technology projects (ERP, CRM, e-commerce, WMS) as well as in management. Asking about his career, you discover he was lucky enough to be there at the very beginning of the first Decathlon.fr e-commerce site

Finally, beyond those salaried experiences, he was also behind a startup project, “Probikeshop”, which he supported through hyper-growth (from €7m to €150m in revenue) on the IT and Supply scopes. An experience he was able to build on a great deal.

Today, as an independent, his particularity is that he has built a company with other people who work with him. Notably a more technical CTO who lets him frame his clients' bespoke development effectively.