Streamlining IT & IT security ways of working

Novamedia is a social enterprise, working to bring together business and ideals. Novamedia raises structural funds and awareness with charity lotteries in The Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, United Kingdom and Germany. With similar operations in the different countries the challenge is to ensure that for the Novamedia Group as a whole, functions are optimized while not hindering the local operations. ProjectBlauw designed the working processes for the IT and IT security function with two objectives in mind: (1) initiatives driven by local and (2) initiatives shared for efficiency and effectiveness. The Novamedia people involved worked out the solution, guided by ProjectBlauw. ProjectBlauw supplied the method (RACI table defining the ‘ways of working’), referenced to models like COBIT5, ISO & ISF and facilitated working sessions. As a result the Chief Operations Officer (responsible for IT and IT & Information security), the Group IT managers, the Group Information security officer and their staff have a common definition of ‘the ways of working’ available to streamline their work within the IT and IT security function and with the other parts of the business.

Alec Burrett, Group IT Manager

‘ProjectBlauw helped us to take a step back, and have an objective look at how our international IT function is organized and works together. We reviewed how we currently work, where our processes could be improved, and then undertook a process of simplifying how we can collaborate. The level of confidence, trust and enjoyment in our cross-border collaboration has gone up considerably since we established and documented this simple, low bureaucracy approach to collaboration.’

Anneke Rijsemus, Group Information Security Officer

‘The added value of ProjectBlauw is that Joost provided us with a structured approach and guided us in defining our own ways of working. This overview of responsibilities which we created ourselves, enables us to work more efficiently and collaborate more effectively‘

Coaching project manager

De Zijlen – a care institution for the disabled in North-Holland- had started a project to develop a new client support plan (for their patients). In 2018 the next step of the project was the selection of a new system for their Electronic Client Filing system (ECD), supporting this new client support plan. The project needed additional expertise; knowledge about the different suppliers and their ECD applications and experience with selection projects. ProjectBlauw was asked to deliver this expertise by coaching the project manager. Due to multiple factors the selection process needed to be completed in a very short time frame. The suggested approach was to ‘claim success’ when a system was selected that meets all requirements; accepting that maybe not the best system was selected. This way we could quickly come to a few candidates by eliminating -in sessions with key-people- the applications from the long list for which there were doubts (of meeting the requirements).  This proofed to be a good approach, as an application was selected within the agreed timeframe that meets the requirements.

Machteld Koopmans, independent project manager

‘Sharp, concerned and subject-matter coaching with large value add, where humour is included’