A London council’s journey to visible, consistent project delivery

Background

The council delivers change through four distinct portfolios – Digital, People, Capital, and Place, each focusing on a different aspect of project delivery but all with a broader ambition to embed a unified culture of change and to adopt a single approach to the delivery of change projects to build greater consistency and alignment throughout the organisation.

Serving a diverse community, the council is engaged in a wide range of initiatives spanning digital innovation, public infrastructure, and community services that ensure residents and stakeholders remain at the heart of its transformation efforts.

Their Challenge before Verto

Before implementing Verto, the council faced a familiar challenge. Its four key portfolios were operating independently, each with its own approach to project management. While there was a shared understanding of core tools and principles, the way in which each team applied them varied. Templates, processes, and reporting formats differed slightly between portfolios, leading to inconsistencies and inefficiencies.

This lack of standardisation created significant challenges around reporting and data management. Project managers were required to compile updates from a mix of documents and spreadsheets, often relying on Microsoft Word and Excel for tasks such as monthly status reports and risk logs. The process was not only time-consuming but also prone to human error.

How they implemented Verto

The decision to implement Verto at the council stemmed from a clear organisational goal: to unify project delivery under a single, consistent approach. As part of its vision, the council was seeking a tool that could support standardisation across its four portfolios while aligning with existing templates and ways of working.

During the initial procurement exercise, several options were considered, but Verto was ultimately chosen for its flexibility and ability to complement the council’s established processes.

To ensure a smooth transition, the council adopted a phased rollout. The digital team, being more familiar with online tools and platforms, was the first to adopt Verto. From there, the implementation gradually expanded to other portfolios. This approach allowed the council to build momentum while learning and adjusting along the way.

However, rolling out Verto to the Capital and Place portfolios highlighted additional hurdles. Teams within these portfolios were more accustomed to longstanding methods and, understandably, more resistant to change. Adopting new templates and reporting structures required a shift in mindset and a period of adjustment. It was clear that the implementation needed to be more than a technical rollout, it had to support a cultural shift.

To support adoption, hands-on training sessions and open communication was prioritised, helping users build confidence in the system. The importance of aligning Verto with the organisation’s existing templates made the transition smoother and allowed users to see Verto as a digital extension of their current processes. Engagement has remained a key focus post-implementation. Feedback from users is regularly gathered, enabling the system to evolve in line with user needs.

Overall, the implementation of Verto has been a carefully managed journey of change, balancing technical rollout with culture, communication, and support. The result is a platform that now underpins consistent, collaborative project delivery across the council.

The impact they have felt

Since implementing Verto, the council has seen a significant shift in how projects are managed, reported, and understood across the organisation. One of the most notable outcomes has been the increased consistency in project management practices.

This has reinforced standards and aligned teams around a unified way of working, which has helped support the council’s broader vision of greater cohesion and collaboration.

Reporting has also vastly improved. What was once a manual, time-consuming process has been transformed into a streamlined, one-click experience. Verto now enables the production of portfolio-level reports that consolidate key information into a single, coherent view, making it easier for executives to interpret project statuses and make informed decisions.

The introduction of Verto dashboards has provided greater visibility into project risks and performance. Project teams can now view programme-wide risks in one place, prompting more informed conversations about interdependencies and challenges. This increased transparency has empowered better decision-making and fostered more collaborative discussions across portfolios.

User engagement has grown as teams have become more confident in the system. Some are proactively exploring how to get more from the platform, demonstrating a strong appetite to embed Verto into day-to-day work.

The tool has also delivered tangible benefits. Built-in Gantt chart functionality means there’s no longer a need for additional software, and a reduction in manual reporting has freed up project managers to focus on delivery rather than admin, representing a significant efficiency gain.

Financial reporting has also seen a marked improvement. With a centralised, consistent view of financial data, the council is now better positioned to track budgets and allocate resources effectively, supporting stronger governance and more accurate forecasting.

Overall, Verto has helped the council create a more consistent, visible, and responsive project management environment, and the shift in culture, engagement, and efficiency is clear across the organisation.

.