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Now celebrating 80 years in the aerospace industry, Marshall Aerospace (MA) operates in a technically demanding and competitive market place. From its base in Cambridge it provides bespoke innovative design and installation solutions to both military and civil customers. Maintenance services are also provided to National air forces across Western Europe and South Africa, as well as the RAF.
Major Projects is a significant part of the MA Business, with just three of the many projects undertaken in 2008 having a combined value of circa £60m.
The MA Board recognised that weaknesses existed in many aspects of process and governance around the delivery of these innovative, complex, design and install projects. These resulted in extended delivery times, overspend on resources, reduction in profit levels, unhappy customers and an increasing amount of senior management time to bring projects back on track.
Against this background, in January 2008 the MA Board tasked Intramezzo, a leading provider of executive talent, to deliver a senior interim who could conduct an in-depth review of how major projects were managed. Associated areas that the review was to address included the supporting governance structure, the project management organisation and other contributing factors from across the company. This complexity of remit required someone with broad ranging skills who could build a strategy to address both strategic business issues and operational problems.
Danny Burke was the Intramezzo candidate, selected for his proven track record in delivering solutions in complex technical environments within the nuclear, utilities and pharmaceutical industries and defence research. Initially, Danny worked closely with Engineering and Production Directors to scope the review and define deliverables and objectives. A governance structure was quickly established, consisting of a Steering Group (Board Directors) and Core Team (Departmental Senior Managers) in order to get input and buy-in to subsequent findings and recommendations.
Working with Directors and Senior Managers, Danny carried out an in-depth review of all aspects of major projects and within two weeks produced his first recommendations for implementation. This was followed shortly by the delivery of an in-depth report identifying four areas for Major Project improvements. The benefits of their implementation were clear to see, if major projects were collectively brought in one month early, the company would save £1.4m per annum. Danny’s report went further than this, highlighting significant problems beyond the parameters of Major Projects. As a result, at an away day with the CEO and Board the initial remit was broadened into an integrated Transformation Stratgey.
To read the full Case Study please download the complete document.
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