Expertise
Value of a CTO from Digital Value Creation
Supports execution of the organization’s mission and vision by strategizing use of the most appropriate and cost-effective digital technology.
Oversees digital infrastructure and enterprise systems operations to ensure:
- Constant alignment of digital systems with business and operational needs they are setup to to serve
- Effectiveness of digital systems supporting regulatory compliance and statutory reporting needs
- Readiness of cybersecurity systems protecting data under stewardship
- Reduction in costs-to-serve as well as the costs to create and deliver value
- Control over expenditure on contracted digital service providers (e.g. communications, internet service, cloud and cybersecurity services), computer and network equipment and enterprise systems maintenance
Collaborates with the executive leadership team to strategize digital powered innovation and growth while optimizing productivity
Unlike larger enterprises, nonprofits or small or medium sized businesses cannot justify a full time IT department. That is why they rarely have more than one or two individuals who “take care” of all matters digital.
Some not even that. While this has worked in the past, with the inescapable drive to digital-centric, value-creation the need of the hour is much deeper expertise to “take care” of all matters digital.
This raises questions of cost versus benefit, affordability and organizational impacts.
Above all, the question is “how” do nonprofits or small or medium sized businesses engage the right expertise?
A part-time Digital Value Creation CTO is a compelling option.
The primary expertise of the CTO lies in an ability to rapidly evaluate the current situation and develop a plan customized to fit a client’s needs, to harness the right digital capability bearing in mind practicality, the competitive landscape, regulatory requirements, affordability and scalability to match growth plans.
Once a plan is developed a part-time Digital Value Creation CTO orchestrates the various actions and initiatives needed to implement it.
A typical Digital Value Creation approach is to contract source expertise required to accomplish each objective.
Recent examples of value delivered:
Non-Profits that serve health challenged or homeless or economically disadvantaged population groups
Case management is critical for such organizations. Besides the core functions there are myriad other considerations when using digital systems to support complex business workflows weighed down by a plethora of rules and conditions. This could make such systems complex and expensive. Then there are statutory reports to be provided to funding and sponsoring agencies and of course the need to be able to quickly corral data required to support applications for grants. Many nonprofits are either stuck in the dark ages with no technology or have a legacy system maintained by a long serving team of system administrators who use on tribal knowledge and have no documentation
Such non-profits often cannot afford to spend more on staff or on a system refresh and feel trapped.
Faced with such a situation here is what a DVC part-time CTO did:
Evaluated the state of the legacy case management system and its effectiveness in serving the client’s needs. Developed a plan to move it to the cloud and supervised its execution without any disruptions to operations. Eliminated the costs and challenges of maintaining in-house servers. Outsourced application maintenance to reduce costs, eliminate dependence on individuals and gain access to a wider range of skills as well have the ability to flex capacity on demand.
The competent leadership team didn’t have the skills and experience to do this. But it was affordably achieved by bringing in a part time CTO who planned and orchestrated the entire digital transformation.
Small Medical Services Facility serving economically disadvantaged population
Faced with need to implement an Electronic Health Records (EHR) system the executive leadership didn’t have the capacity or inclination to deal with the entire process. There were budgetary constraints and the need to report on a range of demographic parameters of the served population.
Preliminary evaluation of EHR system options showed that there were no affordable off-the-shelf options.
Faced with such a situation here is what a DVC part-time CTO did:
Identified an affordable EHR system that served 75% of the need. Developed a plan to bridge the gap with a data platform based on Microsoft PowerApps technology. Leveraging the low-code, rapid time to value characteristics of PowerApps based solutions the client obtained a no compromise solution that was affordable to acquire and maintain.
The competent leadership team didn’t have the skills and experience to do this themselves. But it was affordably achieved by bringing in a part time CTO who “walked in their shoes”. Then designed the solution and orchestrated its implementation within budget.
A well established and successful California based retailer with nearly 50 locations looking to bring an innovative digital centric value proposition to market.
Getting the idea quickly off the whiteboard into an actionable plan was a challenge. Digital Value Creation’s lean startup innovation methodology helped rapidly articulate the concept with a solid business case, an operating model and a pitch deck to garner sponsorship and initial funding. In the mobilization phase Digital Value Creation developed the customer journey models that have enabled matchlessly rapid time to value.
Why Digital Value Creation?
Because we took the idea from initial brief to mobilization in a fraction of the time it would have taken a significantly more expensive management consultancy firm. Digital Value Creation’s competence and operating model make it agile and cost effective. The natural choice for executive leadership at a large enterprise looking to swiftly evaluate an innovative idea without making a great deal of noise and fuss.
A startup in early stage looking to build an MVP on a limited budget
Given that it was not a fully defined concept and there were many unknowns the challenge was budget. How far would available funding take the founder who was looking to build and launch a service based on a cloud platform?
Digital Value Creation experience helped:
From leading the effort that selected the best low-code, rapid time-to-value technology to managing the program to develop the platform through the refinement of the MVP Digital Value Creation anchored the effort. Its Lean Start Innovation Methodology enabled the rapid accomplishment of the MVP build out well within available budget.
Expertise rooted in experience and continuously updated skills
DVC Principals
Noel Heredia
Noel is deeply experienced in digital delivery architectures and engineering processes from master planning transformation through execution and operation, working closely with Fortune 500 IT leaders and large organizations to design, develop and implement enterprise capabilities that enable value creation in the digital economy.
He has 20+ years’ experience leading enterprise and program level – IT process assessments and framing detailed remediation strategies, roadmaps to execute them and supporting implementation plans. He provides thought leadership in initiatives to upgrade enterprise development operations and delivery orchestration. He has expertise with shared/remotely-sourced service delivery models that drive calibrated, non-disruptive transformation of existing capabilities.
Noel Heredia holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Electronics Engineering and is credentialed in Software Engineering Process Management as well as is an ISACA Certified IT Auditor (CISA).
Frank Huybrechts
Frank holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology with graduate work in Computer Sciences. He has 30+ years’ experience creating and re-building organizations with a focus on clear strategies and managing to target.
As a well-practiced leader in product development, services and operations for start-ups and mature organizations, he co-founded 3 ventures and led numerous successful turnarounds of operations and businesses.
He is a practical strategist, focused on sustainability of tactics, the product and the service model. His expertise spans start-up business modeling and buildout that is committed to sustainable operation through to developing business reinvention approaches and plans in response to the evolving digital economy.
He is experienced in reviving failing services and technology businesses from addressing customer satisfaction issues to stabilizing product management.
