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.

 

 


Why it’s Worth Investing in Collaborative Working

No one ever said collaborative working is easy. To make it a success definitely takes effort. But making that effort is worthwhile because the benefits of collaborative working can be significant, for both your service users and the organisations taking part.

 

In future posts we’ll look at some of the barriers to collaborative working, what can go wrong, and how you can make it easier.

 

But for now, perhaps because we’re still in a positive New Year frame of mind, we’re going to focus on the benefits of collaborative working.

 

What is collaborative working?

 

Before we start, it’s worth being clear what we mean when we say collaborative working.

 

There are many definitions posted on the web and published in guidance documents, some of which will suit your organisation and specific collaboration better than others.

 

From our experience supporting people and organisations involved in collaborative working, we’re happy with:

 

Collaborative working is two or more departments or organisations working together. This may be to contribute to a particular activity, function or project, or to contribute to a new organisation. The arrangement may be for a fixed time or it may be permanent.

 

Why do we work in collaboration?

 

It’s also worth looking at what’s driving us to work in collaboration.

 

The impetus may come from public opinion, government policy and the ongoing public sector drive for improved efficiency and effectiveness – most likely it’s a combination of all three.

 

However, what initially led to the collaboration is less important that what the outcomes may be. Because when collaborative working goes well, these can be extremely positive.

 

 

  1. Collaborative working helps you save money

 

Organisations working together are usually much more cost-effective than, what we now call, silo-based working. From joint procurement to cutting duplication, there are many ways that collaborative working can lead to savings. As evidence of this, our clients are currently using Verto to help them track £13.2 billion of planned savings.

 

  1. Collaborative working helps you be more effective

 

At the heart of collaborative working is improving outcomes for service users. When we focus more on why we’re providing a particular service and work together to find solutions, both of which collaborative working makes us do, we’re more likely to make a positive difference.

 

  1. Collaborative working helps you learn, share and repeat success

 

Closely linked to the point above, working with others and learning from their knowledge and experience, helps us understand more about what we really need to provide and how best to do this. Over time, services can become more resilient and expertise in teams can grow.

 

  1. Collaborative working helps you build a strong and united voice

 

When we share our knowledge and experience, we may also uncover shared problems and concerns. If we then need to lobby for change, one clear message sent by many will have much greater impact.

 

 

We designed Verto to help make collaborative working easier and more successful for you. In future blogs we’ll look in more detail at how Verto’s specific tools do this. Because whether you want to make communication, reporting, risk analysis, task management, resource management, performance planning or document storage and sharing easier, we can help.

 

For more information please call us on 0844 870 8785 or message us here.


Happy New Year! We’d Like to Help You Get 2017 Off to a Flying Start

The merry and indulgent days of Christmas are behind us for another year and it’s time to get back to work. It can be hard to be enthusiastic during the dark days of January, so anything that helps us ease back into work after the holidays is always welcome.

We’ve pulled together some of our favourite comments on collaborative working and project management to motivate you for the year ahead. They remind us how rewarding and exciting working with others, planning and delivering successful projects can be.

Take a break for a few minutes and read them. We think they’ll inspire you and help get 2017 off to a flying start.

 

 

“Project managers are the most creative people in the world. We have to figure out everything that could go wrong before it does.” Fredrik Haren, author and speaker on business creativity, innovation and change.

 

“As a collaborative leader, you support people in their work – you remove roadblocks and help them win.” Kenneth H. Blanchard, American author

 

“They [project managers] are organized, passionate and goal-oriented, who understand what projects have in common, and their strategic role in how organizations succeed, learn and change.” Project Management Institute

 

“Collaboration is about team work. It’s not a cliché, it’s a practical reality.” JA Perez, humanitarian and author

 

“Project managers function as bandleaders who pull together their players, each a specialist with individual score and internal rhythm. Under the leader’s direction, they all respond to the same beat.” L.R. Sayles, Emeritus Professor, Columbia University

 

“Open collaboration encourages greater accountability, which in turn fosters trust.” Ron Garan, astronaut, speaker, entrepreneur

 

“Project managers rarely lack organisational visibility, enjoy considerable variety in their day-to-day duties, and often have the prestige associated with work on the enterprise’s high-priority objectives.” Meredith and Mantel, authors

 

“An outstanding project manager is able to take the team on a journey by sharing an appealing vision and a roadmap for achieving that vision.” Susanne Madsen, project leadership coach and author

 

“Project managers need to be unique when it matters; finish what they start and show strong leadership.” Lindsay Scott, careers specialist and director at Arras People, a project management recruitment company

 

“Project management isn’t just about working with tasks and deadlines. It’s about working with and understanding people. If you’re a good communicator and collaborator then you will also be a great project manager.” Jacob Morgan, author and journalist

 

“Project managers seem to forget that many of the conventional forms, charts and tables they must fill out are intended to serve as aids, not punishments.” Mantel, Meredith, Shafer and Sutton, authors

 

And finally;

 

“I’m a project manager, not a magician. Magicians have way cooler hats.” Merlin Mann, writer, blogger and podcaster

 

 

Whatever hat you wear (or don’t), we wish you a happy, healthy and successful 2017. And if you’d like to make success easier this year, with all your project management and communication tools in one place, Verto can help.

 

For more information please call us on 0844 870 8785 or message us here.


Who can benefit from Verto’s project management software?

You can benefit from Verto’s collaboration and project software, even if you don’t have the words programme or project management in your job title.

It doesn’t matter if you work in the public or the private sector either.

 

The benefits of our cloud-based software extend to a wide range of roles in a wide range of organisations, such as:

  • Private sector companies from SMEs to large corporates
  • NHS STPs
  • Other NHS organisations and health authorities
  • Local authorities including county, city and borough councils
  • Fire and Rescue Services
  • Government departments
  • Shared services organisations

 

Any PMO, organisation or individual who manages a number of different projects will benefit from using our software. For example, Peterborough City Council was managing 70 individual projects when we started working with them.

And any organisation working in collaboration with others will benefit from Verto’s shared platform too.

 

Verto can help you with:

  • Service delivery
  • Performance planning
  • Client and stakeholder engagement
  • Programme control and governance
  • Risk analysis
  • Shared practice
  • Managing resources
  • Flexible working
  • Costs and timesheets
  • Measuring project delivery
  • Business intelligence and reporting

 

We don’t just provide the software either.

We can train you and your team how to use Verto, and train you to train others in your organisation too.

We can help you move your operations to the cloud.

We can configure Verto to suit your individual requirements. For example, we can help NHS organisations run their QIPP reports and ISFE returns.

We can help you manage corporate transformation programmes.

We can help you manage your capital portfolio.

We can help you improve levels of governance and visibility across your projects.

And we can help you manage resources more effectively and make savings – to date we’ve helped our clients plan and track savings of £13.2 billion.

 

We could go on, but the best way to find out how Verto can help make your work easier is to talk to us. 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.