Business analysis adds value to any IT project.

In this article, learn more about the project I made it to the finals of the Business Analysis Achievement Award 2023. Proud to have been there as the best entrepreneur.

An international award on business analysis.

Digital transformation: Overcoming challenges of legacy IT systems: cut operational lead time in half

As Lead Business Analyst, I successfully led a digital transformation at Zicht Advisors, modernizing their risk insurance tool. This not only resulted in a 50% reduction in operational turnaround time for 90% of cases, but also increased employee satisfaction and operational efficiency.

Legacy IT problems

• Zicht Advisors, a subsidiary of Nationale Nederlanden with 450 employees, was facing challenges with their outdated Risk and Insurance tool. The tool, which dated back to 2009, came from a smaller IT vendor and presented problems such as limited development capabilities, expensive customization and an outdated interface.
• The problems ranged from limited development capacity to high customization costs and from outdated interfaces to hosting vulnerabilities.
• This did not align with Zicht Advisors' strategy and compromised their technical strategy of working only with SaaS companies responsible for their own hosting. And it compromised their customer-facing service quality.

Providing high quality service to customers was under pressure

Sharp insights from business analysis were key to success in all three phases:

1. Proof of Concept (PoC).
2. IT project/digital change project
3. Implementation

As Senior Business Analyst, I was responsible for all business analysis activities in all three phases.

Slide I used during my pitch to 125 people for the Business Analysis Achievement Award 2023:

We consulted several IT vendors and decided to move forward with Finly based on their capabilities and alignment with our vision. Our first big step was a comprehensive PoC with Finly.

1. Business Analysis during Proof of Concept

• Gather requirements by interviewing subject matter experts (SMEs), reviewing previous documentation and analyzing past incidents.
• Reviewed the functionality and performed a gap analysis against Finly's standard functionality.
• Multiple methods for documenting requirements were used during the PoC phase:
  • MoSCoW ("must-have," "should-have," "could-have," and "won't-have (this time)."
  • User stories
  • This careful approach was applauded by Joost Heijligers, CEO of Finly.

"We have never received such a good requirements document. To avoid disappointments in an IT project afterwards, this is perfect." - Joost Heijligers, CEO of Finly

After the Proof of Concept was a success, we moved on to the next phase, the digital change project.

2. Business Analysis during IT project/digital change project.

• Involved key users from five regional offices in extensive testing, changing organizational culture and increasing acceptance of the system.
• Addressed key initial challenges and worked closely with the Product Owner (PO), IT vendor, functional management and project manager.
• During the iterative agile way of working, I facilitated testing and set up essential configuration documentation for insurance policies, checklists for validating on knowledge rules and PDF output:
  • Insurance policies: for insurance policies, I mapped and documented integration with the core policy system. Where necessary, data was cleaned up from the source application.
  • Checklists for validating on knowledge rules: Knowledge validation checklists developed based on user input and domain knowledge. The front-end, driven by Finly, performed real-time validations using an API integration with the secure client data system ANVA.
  • PDF output: standard text and PDF layout was built based on Marketing and Communications input. As Lead Business Analysts, I facilitated this process.

3. Business Analysis during Implementation

• We chose a phased rollout strategy for each office. We visited each office with the project team by giving a demo and being available for questions during on-the-job training.
• Fostered a culture where mistakes are embraced and resolved quickly, bridging the gap between IT and the business.
  • The people working with the new software had bad experiences with previous IT projects
  • By embracing mistakes and fixing them quickly, we turned this mindset around. Feedback loops between business and IT were as short as possible. I took on the task of facilitating this here.
  • In addition to the project scope, we implemented requirements from the business in an iterative manner.

Throughout the process, we maintained a continuous improvement mindset.

Challenges and lessons learned

During the PoC, digital change project and implementation, we learned a lot. Here three lessons learned:

1. Proof of Concept (PoC):
   • During the PoC phase, we encountered "scope creep," which lengthened the timeline. We had to recalibrate and quickly complete the PoC to move to the IT project/digital change project phase.
   • Lesson learned 3: Always keep the objectives of the PoC in mind and emphasize its role in assessing IT vendor suitability.
2.  IT project/digital change project:
   • The iterative nature of the agile approach can sometimes blur the end point, leading to constant testing and adjustments. Although we initially set an implementation date, the system was not quite ready at that time. We delayed the implementation for three weeks so that the rollout on the next date went more smoothly.
   • Lesson learned 2: In agile projects, it is crucial to set tangible milestones and maintain the discipline to stick to them to the best of your ability.
3.  Implementation:
   • Before each rollout, we presented a demo to users, showing potential future enhancements alongside current features. However, this approach sometimes caused confusion for users because this was their first introduction to the system.
   • Lesson learned 3:ash 3 Communication must be clear and tailored to the immediate needs of stakeholders. It is essential to prioritize their current context over possible future changes.

Greatest added value of business analysis

According to Gladys Geurts - Product Owner Zicht:

"I have experienced the failure of IT vendors to deliver on promises several times during system implementations. In addition, they often only looked at the cost, but not at what it would bring to the business. During the digital change process for a new risk insurance tool, we approached it carefully with an extensive Proof of Concept and by involving users extensively. Mellius was responsible for the business analysis during the PoC, change project and implementation. I would definitely recommend working with Mellius! He has a helicopter view, is good at setting priorities and connects business and IT. The system successfully went live and has resulted in more user convenience, a 50% reduction in turnaround time for the bulk of the cases and less frustration in the department. As far as I am concerned, the methodology of this change project is the blueprint for all future digital change projects we will implement within our company." - Gladys Geurts Product Owner - Zicht Advisors

•  The success of the project lay not only in the implementation of a more efficient system, but also in the approach taken. By emphasizing collaboration, careful preparation and user involvement, we ensured a smooth transition and tangible benefits.
• The endorsement from Gladys Geurts, Product Owner at Zicht Advisors, attests to the importance of this initiative and how it can serve as a blueprint for future digital transformations.
• Last but not least, this project was successful thanks to the team. I enjoyed working with: Peter van Berchum (IT consultant Finly), Johan van Miltenburg (Project Leader Zicht), Gladys Geurts (Product Owner Zicht) and Arjan Mulders (Functional Administrator Zicht). 

In short: deep business analysis leads to unique results.

If you have any questions after reading this article, feel free to contact me! You will always receive a response.

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Kind regards,

Mellius Brouwer