"We've announced a public date to launch a new business but the overall programme is behind schedule and doesn't look likely to deliver in time"
Business Manager, Blue Chip Retailer

Our Brief

The end goal was the very public launch, spearheaded by a multi-million pound advertising campaign, of a new retail catalogue business that was proving highly complex to organise and had no widely-agreed timetable for delivery. Existing staff were under immense pressure to succeed but had become dispirited due to the lack of clear strategic leadership and focus. Our brief was to turn this around and ensure a successful launch.

Our Approach

The first priority was to get management to externalise their critical deadlines. We then worked with the multiple project teams to develop a realistic timescale for programme delivery, taking the inter-dependencies into consideration. The result was a plan that was challenging, but considered achievable by the teams. This plan was agreed with senior management and a functional governance and reporting structure put in place. The collaborative approach re-energised staff and created a culture of self-belief and commitment which increased productivity. We then acted as the buffer between senior management and the project teams, so that when issues arose, they were quickly escalated and closed to resolution.

End Result

The programme was delivered to the promised deadline and the business launched successfully.