Liverpool City Council is a local government authority responsible for providing a range of services to the residents of Liverpool. The council’s IT department plays a crucial role in managing technology, digital services, and various projects that ensuring that the council operates efficiently and effectively in delivering its services to the community. The Project Team Manager, Vicki Boult, oversees a team of project managers, while Chris Cotterill serves as an ICT Project Manager, leading the implementation of technology solutions to enhance operational efficiency.
Before adopting Verto, Liverpool City Council faced significant challenges in project management. The existing system was primarily focused on procurement and finance, lacking the necessary tools for effective project management.
We were sort of shoehorned into that application and workflow was sort of put in a very long winded, complicated workflow… It wasn’t fit for us, really.”
Vicki Boult
This led to a convoluted workflow that was not tailored to their needs, resulting in inconsistent project processes across different teams. Project managers were using various methods to record and track projects, leading to difficulties in accessing reliable data and maintaining visibility over project statuses. The council recognised the need for a more standardised and effective project management solution to streamline their operations.
The decision to implement Verto was driven by the council’s desire to enhance project management capabilities. A thorough evaluation process was conducted, involving engaging in early discussions with various departments to ensure the selected platform would meet their collective needs.
The implementation has also been facilitated by Verto’s support services, including Verto Admin as a Service (VAaaS), which allowed for a smooth transition without the need for extensive in-house training. VAaaS has provided the council with expert assistance in configuring the system and managing the implementation process, enabling them to focus on using the platform effectively.
Having VAaaS has been great because, obviously, it’s helped us with our implementation… It’s been delivered quickly and in a streamlined way.” — Chris Cotterill
The team have kept the initial configuration simple, focusing on essential features such as dashboards and mandatory fields to ensure consistent data entry. This approach allowed for quick adoption and immediate visibility into project statuses.
We sort of kept it simple… We’ve made a few mandatory fields to ensure that the information is recorded for all projects and programs.” — Chris Cotterill
While Liverpool is still in their early stages of implementation, the ICT team have experienced significant improvements in project management. The introduction of dashboards has provided project managers and senior leadership with real-time visibility into project progress, risks, and dependencies. This has facilitated better decision-making and communication across teams.
Since we’ve had Verto, we can see the programme and all the projects that are underneath them… That’s just been fantastic for us really from a management perspective.” — Vicki Boult
The ability to generate highlight reports with a click of a button has saved time and increased efficiency, allowing project managers to focus on delivering value rather than administrative tasks. The council has also begun to standardise their project processes, which has enhanced collaboration and accountability within the team. The team has reported a greater sense of control and clarity in their operations, which has positively impacted their overall productivity.
Looking ahead, Liverpool City Council aims to further leverage Verto to enhance their project management practices. They plan to expand the use of the platform across additional departments, creating a unified approach to project management within the council.
We’re looking at the resource element… and talking about a skills matrix now. We know that Verto can help us with this… sort of give us the building blocks and the starting point for us to have those conversations.” — Vicki Boult
Additionally, Vicki mentions,
We want to grow it to other areas within the council as well. It’ll be a one system approach for project management.
The team is also exploring the financial tracking capabilities within Verto to improve budget management and resource allocation. As they continue to refine their processes and expand their project management office (PMO), the council is committed to building on the foundation established with Verto, ensuring they can effectively manage the increasing complexity of projects in the future.