02 | Digital, Data & Innovation
Enablers, not ends in themselves
Technology, data and analytics do not create outcomes on their own. In the context of an organisation’s overall strategy, they are enablers of delivery and, when applied well, differentiators in the market. An ERP system, a data platform or an analytics capability creates value when it is clearly connected to what the organisation is trying to deliver.
We approach this area as a continuation of Strategy Outcomes. Having helped define the direction, we help determine what the strategy requires from technology and data, for today’s operations and the organisation’s future ambitions. This includes traditional technology implementation, working alongside CTOs, CIOs and internal teams, as well as developing cost-effective, agile roadmaps. These are sequenced so investment follows value and the organisation can adapt as its strategy and the technology landscape evolve.
Services within Digital, Data & Innovation
02.1 | Digital, Data & Innovation
ERP Planning and Implementation
Discuss ERP Planning and ImplementationWhat it means
An ERP platform integrates core business processes, including finance, operations, supply chain and people, into a shared system. Done well, it gives leadership a reliable view of the business and reduces the manual effort of running disconnected systems. Done poorly, it can impose processes the business did not choose and absorb investment without improving performance. Major platforms include SAP, Oracle, Workday, Unit4 and NetSuite, each with different strengths for different organisations and sectors.
How we help
We help organisations determine whether, when and how an ERP investment serves their strategy. This includes defining what the business needs from a platform, assessing fit with the current systems, preparing the organisation for the process and behavioural changes an ERP brings, and supporting implementation decisions. We are independent of software vendors, so we start with business needs rather than a particular product. We are not technical IT specialists or system integrators. Where specialist technical delivery is required, we work alongside IT organisations in our delivery alliances, bringing business-led direction and technical execution together in an overall programme. VCM provides the strategic and readiness perspective; our delivery partners provide the technical implementation capability. This applies across our digital, data and innovation services, not only ERP.
What it means
Technology architecture is the structure connecting applications, data, infrastructure and integrations. It influences how easily an organisation can change, add new capabilities and get information to the people making decisions.
How we help
We help leaders understand their current architecture in business terms, identify where complexity constrains the strategy, and set a target architecture with a realistic path towards it. We work alongside CTOs, CIOs and technical teams, keeping architectural decisions connected to business priorities and delivery.
What it means
Data management ensures an organisation’s information is accurate, accessible, governed and usable. It includes master data, quality, ownership, security and the practices that keep information trustworthy as the business grows. Strategy execution depends on reliable data, because decisions based on poor information can undermine even a strong plan. Larger customers and regulators may also expect evidence of data discipline.
How we help
We help organisations identify what data matters to their strategy, where quality and ownership need attention, and what governance and routines will keep information reliable. We connect data management to business readiness, helping organisations evidence their approach when buyers, auditors or partners assess them.
What it means
Analytics turns an organisation’s data into insight for decisions about operational performance, customers, financial drivers, risk and forecasts. It ranges from dependable management reporting to predictive capability. Its value comes from improving decisions, not from sophistication alone.
How we help
We help organisations build analytics capability in proportion to their strategy by identifying the decisions that matter, the information needed and a practical route to delivering it. Data management and analytics fail when the foundations are not ready, so we help avoid investing in tools before the underlying data and questions are settled. We also help organisations prepare for the analytical expectations emerging in larger supply chains, including AI-related readiness.
The roadmap ahead
Beyond implementation, we help organisations develop a forward roadmap that is cost-effective yet agile, sequenced against value and capacity rather than technology fashion. The aim is for technology and data capability to keep pace with the organisation’s ambitions, with each investment grounded in strategy and the ability to adapt as circumstances change.