Resource Management Case Study with US Defence Contractor

SharpCloud connects and visualizes the entire enterprise portfolio, strategically managing and navigating complexity to transform production performance and capability within the BlueForge Alliance's multibillion-dollar portfolio.

Challenge

A leading defence contractor, supporting U.S. Navy submarine industrial base initiatives, was under pressure to deliver more critical assets in a shorter timeframe. They needed to accelerate production within existing resource limitations without compromising quality or increasing risk or resource challenges to the current portfolio. To achieve this, they had to identify resource-sharing opportunities, determine ramp-up needs, and understand how to re-map technologies for new capabilities. However, they crucially lacked holistic oversight of project alignment and resource and capability gaps.

Cause

Their existing project prioritization approach was simply ‘yes or no’ and lacked strategic alignment. This led to a lack of coherence between projects and overarching goals, which meant they struggled to decide which projects merited prioritization and therefore resource allocation. As the rationale behind resource decisions was unclear, unforeseen roadblocks or constraints were more likely to occur and critical projects stalled.

Solution

The defense contractor used SharpCloud to digitize their roadmaps, specifically within the Research and Development (R&D) space. These roadmaps outlined their plans for initiatives such as technology integration and workforce enhancements over the next 5 to 10 years. With SharpCloud, they were able to visually analyze their current project resource allocation mapped against a timeline and highlight critical areas where additional resources were necessary to effectively achieve their objectives.

Benefits

By using SharpCloud to create digital roadmaps, the defense contractor was able to tell a more comprehensive story about their goals and understand the “why” behind projects. They could identify resource conflicts or bottlenecks ahead of time, enabling strategic project prioritization. This allows them to reallocate key resources in order to deliver more in a shorter time frame. Strategic planning and objective decision making have taken the guess work out of which project to work on, there is now data behind which project has the most impact at a given time.

Success

After successfully digitizing their R&D roadmaps, the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) recognized the need to implement the solution across their entire production environment. They achieved this in three weeks and saw immediate, significant improvements in their efficiency in managing extensive asset projects worth billions of dollars. The CTO remarked that while they’d always known what they were doing, understanding the deeper ‘why’ behind their actions was a game-changer of considerable magnitude.

“While we always knew what we were doing, understanding the deeper 'why' behind our actions proved to be a game-changer of considerable magnitude.”

Chief Technology Officer

Solution

The implementation of digital roadmaps with dynamic visualization capabilities has revolutionized our approach to project management. With resource allocation seamlessly mapped onto timelines, gaps and blockers are effectively highlighted, allowing for proactive resolution and optimized resource utilization. Moreover, these digital roadmaps offer a comprehensive big picture view of all projects, illuminating their collective impact on top-line strategy. This holistic perspective enables stakeholders to make well-informed decisions that align with overarching organizational goals and objectives.