Assessing program milestone readiness with Cedar’s RAPID model

Managing technology transformation is notorious for its technological and organisational pitfalls and challenges. However, using best practices and lessons learned from successful transformation projects, companies can leverage a proven approach to maximise their probability of success. 

One crucial step for any technology transformation is transitioning from one project phase (or major milestone) to another. For leaders in charge, it is key to ensure that the organisation is ready to make this jump, across all facets of the transformation. Moving ahead insufficiently prepared or too early (with some fundamentals not in place) could risk a setback in the next phase, which in turn typically needs more recovery efforts vis a vis a more synchronised transition. 

To help leaders with this assessment, Cedar Consulting has developed the RAPID framework: an approach that provides a holistic view in assessing readiness for program milestone initiation or completion. The framework draws on the experience from 100+ successful technology transformations completed and outlines five essential components that require consideration. 

These five factors are: Resources, Application, Process, Infrastructure and Data. These factors are assessed at two levels of preparedness – strategic and operations – and evaluated both separately as well as in conjunction with the other factors to gain insight in key interdependencies and cross-functional risks.

The RAPID Framework can be applied at any juncture of the program lifecycle, from preparation and program launch through to the process design, system build, data migration, business simulation and go-live phases.

According to Cedar Consulting’s thought leaders, using the holistic framework enables organisations to bolster their odds of getting things right before advancing to the next phase, contributing to a more effective and sustained change process. Meanwhile, it provides program owners a means of reporting and inspiring confidence in overall approach and progress.

Since the model’s inception, RAPID has been applied by Cedar Consulting’s teams at several of its clients internationally, at multiple levels of programme governance including the Board, Steering Committee, Working Committee, Portfolio Management Board and the Program Management Office.