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With new FE wins in the pipeline can we get a 'standard' migration going (eg like we tried from the ILR files)

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Could there be a way of flagging the more interesting roaming/perm staff. Letting institutions know of our concerns with particular appointments. (open hostility to the product/company, or indicating that they know the product when they quite obviously don't)

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New implementations: How do we only deliver the 3 standard days?

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Difficult customers... Significant time and effort has been expended to manage customer expectations and take a firm line, only to be overruled by AMs and SMT. This has been exhausting.

Escalation may have to take place sometimes but this should not be to the detriment of the day-to-day project management.

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We are all working hard. We're at the point where we are reacting to get things done. But we can do better - there are lots of things that we are all doing in isolation that if we took some time to review and revise could help us to deliver more effective solutions more quickly.

Examples:

OLS implementations that could benefit from a standard Prof Serv template

IIWE and II Desktop apps that could be based on a common template

Documentation - do we all use the same template for consultancy reports, technical documentation, user guides, business process reviews?

Before starting a new project is there something that has been provided for another customer that can be used as the basis for this new project? I do this with my own projects but not so good at looking at others' projects

Can we use next year's meetings to develop some standards?

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This is something that is also becoming an issue within the English customer base and is quite concerning when these people are making decisions that will have a detrimental effect on our reputation at a personal level and as CAPITA.

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For new implementations there are only 3 days allocated to OLS but inevitably customers want changes. The days get taken over by customisations and I think we miss some of the standard OLS set up/training that needs to be covered. How do we set the expectation with customers and can we revisit the OLS outline to try and make it clear exactly what is covered in the 3 days as standard and stick to it?

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Development issues are a concern, yet an inevitable aspect of web development. How can we better plan for this?

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Consultancy lead time is an ongoing issue. We may have additional resource in the pipeline but this will not immediately resolve the problem. Customers are becoming frustrated at the extensive lead times.

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If not quick start are there more focussed areas of implementation where we can agree to deliver the same configuration/reports/... to most if not all? - eg some specific Staff Advantage pages, Student Advantage menu items.
If so then would need to accept a slightly reduced fit for the customer.
Would probably need to influence the customer to fit with what we have.

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Can these be changed/dropped to reduce the burden on staff?
(I doubt it myself)

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We typically recruit from within the existing customer base ... but the skill levels amongst our customer base appears to be declining.

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Feel like I have spent a lot of time complaining this year - esp. 2nd half of year. Instead of complaining I'm going to ask myself 'what is my part in this - what can I change here?'. Sorry to all for moaning.

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Is this a risk?
Is 'burnout' a risk?
In the context of satisfying customers and hitting income targets what can be done to ease the strain on staff?

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We should strive to continue the good work we have done.

Sharing information, techniques, problems and issues.

Identifying risks earlier can mitigate some risks and lead to strategies to avoid risks altogether.

Ensure relevant expertise (Sector, Technical)  in team is maintained.

Be more awesome.

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Is it possible to 'top slice' some income from each job to provide an allowance to pay for follow up and contingency? - Only used if absolutely necessary, not as planned/expected activity so can take the contingency income element remaining when the job is complete.

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The work that we do off site is just as important as the work that we do onsite ... but that requires time!

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I have complained about the lack of deep UNIT-e knowledge amongst our Scottish customers. It is time for me to accept this reality and to accept that part of my role is to fill that gap. This is an opportunity and I will discuss with Adrian Bancroft and Francis how we can sell more PAS to our customers by offering them help to build a business case for the spend.

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can we work with the PMs and the Customers to reduce the open-endedness of some Zoho issues lists?

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Can we make this role more effective/involved? How could a fuller involvement be funded?

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Additional TLC is required within Training Database to reflect best practice

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Complacency.
Resting on our laurels
reflecting on past glories

resource, resource, resource

Fast paced change...changing technologies

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Lack of Learning and Development opportunities 

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Lack of Learning and Development opportunities 

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There is no real career path within the team or opportunity/ time to be involved or learn about new developments and products. We should have an annual rolling programme of available staff training for new staff or to refresh current staff to maintain and improve skills and motivation. Appraisals should be carried outon time and followed up effectively by both parties.

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Consultancy Notes / User Guides / Implementation Notes:

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Consultancy Notes / User Guides / Implementation Notes:

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We need to have more time to do this documentation more consistently.  It shouldn't end up being a chore but a vital part of the project.

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Web edition message is going to be key to maintaining a good customer relationship.  The message must be clear, concise and not cuase disharmony.

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something that will hopefully continue to improve in 2017 is the product relationship and the input of the consultancy voice. This needs to be pushed and further developed, otherwise we will be in the same position as at the start of 2016.

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We need to ensure that we have a balanced skillset across the team with at least 2 consultants able to deliver a product. We are lacking in several key areas.

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Challenge is another word for opportunity.
We need to win more sites, however

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Resource.  Resource.  Resource.

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ensuring that everyone's singing from the same hymn pamphlet, and conflicts between consultant opinions can be managed

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Do we need to provide full detailed test plans - or at least significant guidance to customers so that they can create an adequate test plan?
Is it reasonable to expect the customer to find problems or should we have thought through fully all aspects of our work - ease of use by the actual users, the processes they follow, ....?

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Would it be worth having a list in Sharepoint where we post work carried out. I think there is already one. I'm sure we waste time doing things that others have already done/started but others are not aware of

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More people with OLS skills.

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While the focus is on utilisation, it is becomming impossible to produce detailed site reports expected of each of the team. The expectation now seems to be for a multi-page explanation of every action, issue and event on site.
we need to review the purpose and/ or requirement for site reports in light of this.

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Over the last 6 months I have given serious consideration to my future at CAPITA

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Communication within our team is better than it has ever been. Thanks to Mary, Jon, Francis and Chris for this.

Professional Services is working well as a team - that is in no small part down to this improvement in communication. But also because of what I feel is a mutual respect for each other and our various capabilities. How can we pass this on to the rest of CAPITA F&HE so that we can be a real team?

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Better Best Practice and sharing examples

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Better Best Practice and sharing examples

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need to have a better internal appreciation of work each of us has done, rather than re-inventing the wheel every time because we think its what we should do.

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Internal development and training is a very important however, having training and not then being able to use those skills is pointless.

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Very little time this year if any to prepare for visits causing the level of service to drop

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Can we assist the customer more in understanding what they are buying (do we assume that customers are more aware/capable than they have time to be?)  and at the same time limit our exposure to risk?

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Not having a systemic mechanism for sharing work:

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Not having a systemic mechanism for sharing work:

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We shouldn't have to reinvent the wheel every time.

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Make customers fully aware of their responsibilites at the start of an implementation

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Make customers fully aware of their responsibilites at the start of an implementation

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The level of service I have provided to our customers this year has fallen short of my personal standard. I have less / no time to follow-up issues effectively and more seriously, much less time to prepare.

This situation has been created partly due to increase in remote working. Remote working is a good thing, but I feel that it is seen as 'easier' than on-site working by all in the PS team and that it is OK to book someone for a 5 day week of remote work. I used to think of it as an easier option than visiting a customer site, but my view on that has changed now.

I would like for us as a team to agree that one day per week is ring-fenced for administration - no 5 day weeks booked out to customers.

- Tony

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Appears to be insufficient planning and short-term reactive methods to manage the workload of the team. Utilisation is the primary objective but we lost staff as a result of reorganisations, now find ourselves overstretched and recruiting again. Why does strategic management seem absent when we know that there are new customers coming onstream and potential wins in the pipeline.  Better planning in light of events this year will aid the spread of work and inform recruitment requirements.

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getting into whatever the new technology will be asap, the challenge being to have significant time to learn the new technology

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Are consultancy meetings value for money?

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Planning is key.
Be mindful of what you say on site - setting expectations.

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A workaround in the early stages can cause greater issues in the future ...

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2016: Use of 'admin' days for incomplete work.

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2016: Use of 'admin' days for incomplete work.

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Can we reduce the need to use admin days for customer work but retain the service levels and customer satisfaction?

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Things we can change - UNIT-e best practice guidelines on common processes - creating users etc. Maybe some toptips

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Reduction in Days for training to reduce cost

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Reduction in Days for training to reduce cost

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Means customers don't pick up some of the more complex/ non-intuitive areas of functionality resulting in follow-up issues that must be handled in own time and Helpdesk cases

We need to identify areas of the product for new implementation that are risky in this sense and take longer to embed

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Difficulties for PMs and consultants to hand over work from large projects to ease the burden. Although sensible to pass work over, not necessarily easy to do - no time!

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Realistic in context (customer resource/money, Capita resource/skill)

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Having a set of items that you can quickly & easily add within consultancy report (add within Appendix)

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Customised work that we do for customers can sometimes be complex, and when circumstances change it is not that easy to unpick the logic to reflect the changes.

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Advantage compromising Curriculum build.

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Time.  It has felt like we have been full steam ahead this year withlittle time for relection and self learning.

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Lack of meetings in the back end of 2016 has caused consternation due to lack of information about product changes over a 4 month period. Being informed about product changes from a customer is not a good place to be