Verto Case Study: working with NHS West Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Group
NHS West Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is one of 207 CCGs across England responsible for the planning and commissioning of healthcare services for their local area. Each CCG must assess its local needs, decide on its priorities and buy appropriate services. As local needs change, which they constantly do, CCGs must also adapt and respond to these changes.
CCGs have to regularly report on their plans and progress to NHS England, to their local Health and Wellbeing Board and to the public in their area. Their success is measured on how much they improve outcomes.
West Cheshire CCG serves a population of about 261,000 and has an annual budget of around £330 million. The CCG is made up of 35 GP practices from three localities each with 3-clusters. Together they work to secure high-quality, high-value healthcare that meets the needs of their local population. Their stated aim is: “Making sure you get the healthcare you need.”
What West Cheshire CCG wanted to achieve
West Cheshire CCG wanted to improve their programme management systems. They also had the challenge of needing to deliver a balanced budget in 2016-17 and again in 2017-18. This meant they had to have a rigorous financial recovery plan in place that detailed how they would find savings of around £10 million in each of the two financial years. As such it was essential that the CCG could:
- Work to consistent processes
- Easily and accurately monitor projects
- Easily and accurately report on outcomes
- Plan with confidence
- Make efficiency savings
In particular, the PMO team were under pressure. They were managing all the CCG’s projects manually on excel spreadsheets. This was time-consuming and did not allow for robust risk management or confident reporting on milestones.
How we’re helping West Cheshire CCG achieve their goals
We started working with West Cheshire CCG in July 2016. By September they were able to start introducing Verto to individual project leads. By March 2017, everyone who needed to be was working on the new system.
We configured Verto in line with how the CCG works and to make it easy for them to transfer their project data. This meant that when staff logged on for the first time they could immediately see all their project documentation.
“The team from TMI really listen. They’re keen to fix issues and do so in a really short time. They’re open to new ideas and see opportunities for development rather than problems. This makes the whole process of introducing a new system much easier.”
Reza Rahmani-Torkaman, Head of Programme Management Office, West Cheshire CCG
The benefits West Cheshire CCG is seeing
The way Verto is set up makes it easy for people to follow project management best practice. As a result, the PMO team say that since moving to Verto everyone is working in a more calm, controlled and consistent way. This means there is no longer a pressure to find funds to expand the PMO team. And may have helped the CCG deliver their planned savings in 2016-17.
Because Verto is based in the cloud, CCG staff and members can now access their data wherever they are and whenever they need. This is supporting more flexible working and is something people have commented they appreciate.
CCGs have to measure their progress against national data. Because Verto gives the PMO team reliable and current data they can now measure their progress, project future outcomes and plan with more confidence.
As well as the PMO team, Verto also gives individual commissioning managers, the finance team and the business intelligence team easy access to their project data. This means they can manage risk, monitor and report on projects in a much more robust way.
We continue to support and work with West Cheshire CCG as they introduce new programmes of work and develop new practices. For example, in the future they intend to work in partnership with other organisations and across boundaries to deliver some major projects. Verto will make this collaborative working much easier for them.
To find out more about how Verto can help your CCG please call us on 0118 334 6200 or message us here.
Working with Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire STP
Verto Case Study: working with Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Sustainability and Transformation Plan
Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire (BNSSG) Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) is one of 44 STPs across England working to improve health and care in their local area.
The BNSSG Sustainability and Transformation Plan is focused on three priorities:
- Preventing illness and injury
- Providing care closer to home
- Personalized care
Under each of these priorities is a programme of work and under each programme of work there are a number of specific projects - a total of 90 across the whole plan. Each priority, programme and project involves several partners.
The difficulties BNSSG STP was facing
As with many other health communities, the context for the STP is challenging. They are dealing with significant financial, performance and delivery issues. So, to deliver the scale of change and improvement required, they needed to take a transformational approach.
Due to the nationally set timescale, BNSSG had limited time to bring together its 15 partner organizations and start to design and deliver their plan.
Because they’re working on such a wide range of projects, the STP wanted to make it as easy as possible for all the partners to work together.
They also wanted their processes to help create openness, trust and ownership.
But, as with any partnership, they faced key difficulties, including:
- Transparency
- Engagement
- Ease of communication
- Consistency of approach
- Effective monitoring and reporting
- Achieving demonstrable improvement quickly
How we’re helping BNSSG STP overcome these difficulties
Because they were up against a tight timescale, the STP originally thought there wasn’t enough time to develop an online, shared, programme management service. As a result they considered, for example, paper-based reporting, even though with 90 projects this would be a Herculean task.
However, one of the partners already uses Verto so we were able to “piggyback” off this and create a specific platform for the STP. We worked closely with the PMO team and had a cloud-based service up and running for them in just three weeks.
“TMI were amazing with a can do attitude. They were really responsive and sent people when we needed them, including spending all day in a freezing cold room and a half day on the phone. They went from nothing to complete build in three weeks. The portal is amazing too and we’ve had loads of positive feedback.” Ruth Hallett, Programme Manager, BNSSG STP
Now, Verto allows everyone working on the STP’s projects to access a common toolkit. This helps make sure they are all using the same language, processes and templates (to date the STP has more than 30 templates on the system). This helps the PMO do their job and makes it easier for people to adopt new ways of working.
For example, one project manager needed a stakeholder map for her project but had never created one before. With Verto she was able to download a template, guidance document and a completed example.
This made what could have been a daunting task quick and easy. In addition, she was able to upload her completed map to Verto where other team members have instant access to it.
This shared way of working also means reporting is standardized. This makes it easier for the PMO team to monitor progress and make comparisons across projects.
For example, they can see and understand where projects impact and depend on each other and so manage these relationships more effectively.
Verto has also highlighted where more than one project is trying to achieve the same results. This makes it possible to cut duplicate working and increase efficiency.
Verto’s document store is supporting collaboration across the partnership. All the STP documents are held in one place where all the partners have access to them. This means everyone can easily share information, be confident they’re looking at the most up-to-date version of every document and can clearly see what’s going on across the whole plan.
Verto has also made the STP contact list accessible to all the partners. This means people can easily see who is involved in each project and who they need to be communicating with. This helps the STP implement their feedback loop, where partners are encouraged to talk to each other, share information and comment where necessary.
The benefits the STP is seeing
After using Verto for only a few months, BNSSG STP is already seeing significant benefits.
For example, the online portal has created a shared place where partners work together to overcome difficulties and share good practice.
Consistent ways of working are helping the PMO monitor progress, identify risks and create accurate and useful reports.
And at executive level, the visibility Verto affords is helping people know where and when they need to intervene and where they can confidently leave things alone.
As Ruth Hallett said, “The right people are having the right conversations.”
We’re still working with BNSSG STP and are currently helping them use Verto to develop more detailed reporting and more proactively manage risk.
To find out more about how Verto can help your STP please call us on 0844 870 8785 or message us here.
How we can help you help your clients
Verto is widely used across both the private and public sectors.
For example, our clients include Capita PLC, Northgate Vehicle Leasing, NHS and councils across the country.
Many of our private sector clients also work with public sector organisations, helping them build shared services, deliver change and realize challenging efficiency savings.
Even when several organisations from different sectors are involved, Verto’s tools make it easy for them to work together. Because with Verto, everyone can work on the same platform and communicate with each other quickly and easily.
Here are some examples of how we’re helping our clients and what they have to say about us.
Capita
Capita uses technology to create and deliver smarter process management and professional support services across the public and private sectors.
They say:
“I have been working with the Verto team for the last 18 months and in that time we have built an excellent working relationship. The reason for this is that not only is VERTO an excellent PPM tool, but what makes the product stand out is the team behind it for their responsiveness, help, support and ability to go the extra mile in both promoting and delivering the tool to clients. The VERTO team understand real problems and issues and how to resolve them in a fit for purpose way and do so in a friendly and open manner that is very refreshing.”
Onesource
Onesource provides shared back office support services for local government and other public services. They use Verto to support their project and programme management.
They say:
“We have found Verto to be very flexible, especially when embedding our corporate methodology and workflow into a cloud-based application. [It] has enabled better collaborative ways of working and greater transparency in all aspects of project management and expenditure. Furthermore, TMI [Verto] has consistently provided an excellent customer service and [been] willing to support us at all times. We’ve enjoyed working with TMI to achieve our corporate PMO application requirements.”
Denbighshire Council
“The support from TMI Systems from day one has been outstanding, they are always willing to listen to new ideas and respond to all system enquiries almost by return.”
Wolverhampton City Council
“The support provided by TMI Systems has been brilliant to get the system up and running. The system enables us to have a cross directorate view of the projects and programmes currently being managed within the Council.”
To find out more about how Verto can help you and your clients please call us on 0844 870 8785 or message us here.
Our Top Ten Tips for Project Management Best Practice
However many projects you manage, no two will ever be the same. Even where projects share some aspects, they are unlikely to be totally alike. For example, the project team, stakeholders, funding streams or key targets could all be different.
However, some areas of best practice apply to all the projects you manage. Have a look at our top ten tips and make them part of the way you work. You’ll find your job will become easier and your projects will be more likely to succeed.
1. Plan your project properly
Thorough planning before the project starts will help you be clear and realistic about what the project is meant to achieve. This means you can set well-defined success criteria that you can measure and report on.
You’ll be able to make sure you have the right budget, the right resources and the right skills on the project team. It will also help you identify and plan for potential risks and set realistic timescales.
2. Start your project properly
To help set the tone for your project and create some energy around it, start it formally with a meeting or event.
Invite all your stakeholders and use it as an opportunity to remind everyone of the project’s aims and the part they’ll all play in its delivery – and ultimate success.
3. Keep in touch with all your stakeholders
Once your project is up and running make sure you communicate regularly with everyone involved. Let them know what’s going on, including any problems, risks and delays. Be sure to share successes too, like when milestones are reached, to acknowledge people’s input and say thank you.
How you share information can include anything from a simple message to one person right through to a formal report to the project board. What’s important is to make sure everyone is as up-to-date on the project as possible.
4. Ask for feedback
Alongside keeping in touch with everyone involved in your project, ask them to share information with you too. Encourage people to give their feedback, as this will help them stay involved with the project and keep you in touch with what’s going on.
You can also use feedback to help you learn and improve your own performance.
5. Keep an up-to-date and detailed work plan
A detailed work plan will help everyone know what they’re responsible for and will make it easier for you to measure progress, hit milestones and meet deadlines.
These days, cloud-based applications make it easy to share documents. So update your work plan regularly and store it in the cloud so everyone can work off the current version.
6. Record everything that happens
Make sure you record everything that happens on your project and use it to improve performance across the board. You can learn from what has worked as well as from what hasn’t. You’ll also build a valuable source of data to help with your reporting and future planning.
7. Learn to say no
When someone asks you to take on more work or responsibility it’s tempting to say yes, especially when you know that’s what they want to hear. But always saying yes can easily lead to overload and a reduction in performance across the board.
So only say yes to new tasks or commitments when they won’t have an adverse effect on the priorities you’ve already agreed. Even small changes can accumulate over time and have a significant impact on your project.
8. Always document and agree any changes to the scope of the project
It’s likely that at some point in the life of your project, its scope may need to change. This may improve the overall benefit of the project but it can also have a negative impact.
So, before you go ahead with changes to the scope of your project, make sure the project board understands their potential impact and agrees to them. Finally, make sure you document the changes and update your project plan.
9. Be ready to respond to risk
Risk is a normal part of any project so you should build risk analysis in from the start. You can manage risk and minimise its effect by having a clear view of all the project’s potential risks, and mechanisms in place to let you know as soon as one arises.
The quicker you respond to risk the less impact it will have and the more likely it is that your project will stay on track.
10. Take time to reflect on the project when it’s ended
When your project has ended, involve the whole project team in reflecting on how it went. Look back in detail on how the project ran, its key events and issues. Learn both from what went well and what could have gone better.
Ask, for example, if the project delivered what it set out to achieve? Could it have done more and delivered bigger benefits? What went wrong and how could you have avoided these problems?
Use this learning to improve your own practice and share it with others to help future projects succeed.
Verto’s cloud-based software makes managing projects easy for you. For example, its instant messaging tool, flexible reporting, instant updates, inbuilt version control and instant access to your documents and lessons learnt will all help you put these best practice tips into action.
For more information please message us here.
From 1 to £13.2 billion: The Benefits of Verto in Numbers
Verto’s cloud-based software can help you in a number of ways. For example, it can help you cut costs and improve efficiency across all aspects of your project and programme management.
It can also help your shared practice become more effective, for example when you’re working with providers or local enterprise partnerships.
Our years of experience and understanding of the demands of modern working drive these benefits.
The numbers below tell you more.
1 Verto’s project management software has 1 clear landing page you can customise for the way you work.
2 You can choose which of our 2 systems will suit your organisation best.
7 Verto starts from only £7.50 per user per month.
10 NHS Blood and Transplant rate us 10/10 for training, configuration, hosting and system development and updates.
15 The team at Verto has been providing cloud-based applications for more than 15 years.
24 Verto’s instant messaging means you can easily stay in touch 24 hours a day.
25 We’ve helped PMOs cut their costs by 25%.
30 And helped projects secure savings of 30%.
50 We’ve helped more than 50 organisations set up and run their PMO.
60 You can trial all Verto’s benefits FREE for 60 days.
120 We’ve provided cloud-based services to more than 120 public sector departments and organisations including fire and rescue services, NHS CCGs and local enterprise partnerships.
26,000 We support 26,000 registered users.
38,000 And track 38,000 tasks and milestones every day.
13.2 billion We’re helping our clients deliver £13.2 billion of planned savings.
For more information on how Verto can help you please call us on 0844 870 8785 or message us here.
How Verto Is Helping CCGs Manage Their PMOs And Achieve Effective Collaboration
Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are responsible for planning and commissioning health care services for their local area. They are responsible for the entire local population and are measured by how much they improve health outcomes.
In order to meet this broad remit CCGs work with a wide range of partners and deliver a wide range of projects.
What is a PMO?
A PMO (programme or project management office) serves as a central point for all a CCG’s projects. An effective PMO will help a CCG make sure it delivers its projects on time, on budget and in line with the project’s stated aims.
Because a PMO collates data from all a CCG’s projects, it gives managers the information they need to identify priorities and target resources. This data will also help the CCG show the tangible service and patient care improvements they are delivering.
A PMO will serve as a centre of excellence, providing control and governance as well as advice and guidance to project managers. This is particularly helpful for project managers who are not formally trained in project management.
Overall, a well-run PMO will help CCGs improve efficiency across the board, leading to savings in time and costs – essential for organisations that are under increasing financial pressure.
How Does Verto Help?
Verto’s project management and collaboration software is specifically designed to:
- Support partnership working by bringing together, on one secure platform, everyone involved in managing and delivering a project. This includes the project’s wider stakeholders.
- Make collaboration easier with tools such as instant messaging, file sharing, real-time updates and notifications.
- Improve practice by linking project outputs with performance outcomes and through best practice templates and controls.
- Strengthen governance and transparency with accurate data, flexible reporting and a clear view of all projects at any given time.
- Standardise practice with a range of templates for key activities in the project cycle.
“18 months on and with over 350 projects loaded we are reaping the rewards of our Verto application.”
NHS Thurrock CCG and Basildon CCG
Comprehensive Support and Training from Verto
We provide support and training to help you set up your PMO and get the most from it once it’s up and running.
We provide full onsite training for your PMO staff and Verto administrators. We can run either train-the-trainer or end-user courses, whichever you prefer.
We can create bespoke workflow and reports to suit the way your CCG operates. We can offer useful insights from our own experience of PMOs and put you in touch with other clients who can share with you what they have learned. We can even set up forums for you to receive valuable feedback from the people who use your projects and services.
And if you need any help once your PMO is in use, our helpdesk team are there for you.
To find out more get in touch. And look out for future blogs where we’ll take a more detailed look at how we support an increasing number of CCGs and now STPs.
Northgate Vehicle Hire, Aylesbury Vale CCG and Perth & Kinross Health & Social Care Partnership All Choose Verto
We are delighted to now include Northgate Vehicle Hire, Aylesbury Vale CCG and Perth & Kinross Health & Social Care Partnership to our list of Verto users.
Northgate Vehicle Hire
Northgate vehicle hire provide van hire and leasing options to businesses as an alternative to purchase, contract hire or lease. With a growing network of 75 branches from Aberdeen to Plymouth their business continues to grow. Their fleet is made up of LCVs from the UK's leading manufacturers, including Mercedes Benz, Ford, VW and Peugeot, and a majority of branches have their own workshops which enables maintenance to be planned and scheduled at times that will cause least disruption to customers. Northgate Vehicle Hire also have a partnership in place with the AA to provide breakdown support and recovery. Verto enables them to maintain communication with their suppliers, while supporting their PMO and the management and delivery of their key projects and programmes.
Aylesbury Vale CCG
Verto has proved popular amongst many CCG's and now Aylesbury Vale CCG has been added to our list of users. The clinically led membership organisation is responsible for commissioning local NHS services to meet the needs of local people. Supporting the development of partnerships between patients, healthcare professionals, social care, voluntary services and commissioners in North Buckinghamshire, Verto is also instrumental in helping Aylesbury Vale CCG support collaboration amongst their project teams and with partner organisations, allowing them to build effective working relationships with other CCGs including Oxfordshire and Milton Keynes.
Perth & Kinross Health & Social Care Partnership
An initiative of Perth & Kinross Council, this strategic commissioning plan has been designed to ensure that the needs of the local community and individuals are met. Perth & Kinross Health & Social Care Partnership use Verto to support their coordinated approach to the way in which care services are delivered. This includes working collaboratively with GPs, hospitals, health workers and social care staff forming integrated partnership arrangements.
Find out more about which organisations are using Verto here.
How Cloud-based Software Makes Project Management Easier
Here at Verto we understand the demands project managers face every day. No matter what sector you work in and the projects you’re responsible for, you’re in a constant cycle of planning, delivery and reporting.
You’re managing risk, people, performance, time, change and budgets.
You’re expected to know what’s happening with a project at any given time.
And you’re expected to make sure everyone else does too.
Cloud-based project management software, like Verto Go and Verto Pro, help you do all this. Quickly and easily.
Instant Access
We provide and maintain Verto on our secure servers and you access it from the internet. This means you and everyone else involved in the project can have instant access to your project’s data. Whenever you need it and from wherever you are.
So even if you’re working round the clock and only have your mobile with you, you’ll always be in touch
Instant Messaging
Verto has an instant messaging tool so you can easily keep in touch with everyone involved in the project.
You can update the whole team at the same time so they always have the latest information.
And you can message people individually to let them know exactly what you need them to do.
Automatic Document Control
Because all your data is stored securely in one place, everyone will always get to see the latest version of any file. Verto even has an automated document control feature that takes care of this for you.
Supporting Flexible Working
Flexible working may eventually become the norm as more and more organisations recognise the benefits it brings in terms of recruiting and retaining the best staff.
Cloud-based project management software has a key role to play here as it means you and your team can access your project’s data whenever you need to from wherever you are. Exactly what you need to work flexibly.
And there’s more…
Alongside the benefits that being based in the cloud brings, Verto has a whole host of other project management tools to help your PMO run smoothly.
Things like free automatic updates that mean you’re always working on the latest version of the software, tools to help you manage risk and best practice templates, all save you time and make your job as a project manager easier.
To find out more get in touch.
21 Reasons Why You Should Use Verto for Your Project Management (as told to us by our clients)
We’re lucky enough to have received some great testimonials from our clients over the years.
And, like you, we listen to all the feedback we get and use it to help us continuously improve what we do.
Here are 21 reasons you should use Verto as your project management software, taken from what our clients have told us.
We’ve summarised their comments but you can see them in full here.
- Verto is a flexible management tool that will support your PMO.
- It means you can easily keep all your project documents up-to-date and secure in one place.
- It’s easy to navigate.
- Verto gives senior leadership improved visibility of projects across the whole organisation.
- You can easily see exactly what is going on in a particular business or service area.
- Everyone involved in the project can access the system to view and update it as appropriate.
- It removes the risks of silo working and makes it easier to work collaboratively.
- It will help you improve communication.
- It will help you improve accountability.
- It will help you improve stakeholder involvement.
- Verto will give you a clear view of all project budgets.
- Verto will give you a clear view of all project risks and help you manage them effectively.
- Verto will help your PMO allocate their time more efficiently and effectively.
- Verto is preset with best practice templates and controls to help ensure the integrity of your data.
- Its reports are quick and easy to customise, update and run.
- It will help you produce your corporate and strategic plans.
- We can tailor Verto to your exact needs, for example by creating bespoke reports.
- Verto gives you automatic document control.
- It’s good value for money.
- We’re continuously improving Verto’s scope, tools and functionality.
- Verto is backed-up by fantastic support from a first-class team.
For more information on how Verto can help you please call us on 0844 870 8785 or send us a message.
With thanks to Brent Council, Camden Council, Cheshire West Council, Denbighshire County Council, Gloucestershire County Council, Harrow Council, Horsham Council, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, Basildon Council, Newham Council, Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Council, Wolverhampton Council, York Council, Central Eastern CSU, Thurrock CCG and Basildon CCG.
Verto available now on G-Cloud 8
What is G-Cloud?
The UK Government G-Cloud is an initiative targeted at easing procurement of commodity information technology services, that use cloud computing, by public sector bodies in departments of the United Kingdom Government.
G-Cloud allows public sector organisations to call off services without needing to run a full tender or competition procurement process, thanks to a series of framework agreements with suppliers.
Public sector bodies are able to search for services that are covered by the G-Cloud frameworks by visiting an online store - the "Digital Marketplace".
Verto is a UK Government G-Cloud Supplier
Verto has again successfully completed the G-Cloud tender process and is now available through the recently published G-Cloud 8 framework.
Verto is available under Lot 3, Software as a Service with a further listing under Lot 4 available for Specialist Cloud Services.
Find Verto in the Digital Marketplace here: Verto G8