Mark Simmonds

We’re proud to share the news that Ecovadis has rated us ‘Silver’ for our sustainability position for the 12 months ending November 2024. This means that – of all the thousands of organisations they audit globally – Partners in Change sits in the Top 15%! The Ecovadis rating process is demanding; they review our stance […]

Organisations know that they risk being left behind if they fail to embrace AI and automation. But decisions are difficult to make and far-reaching in impact. In a marketplace dominated by hype and obfuscation, identifying the best path forward is challenging. Factor in the bewildering pace of AI innovation and it can be tempting to […]

aTOM – a new approach to building a better operating model. An effective operating model is a vital component in the smooth and profitable running of any organisation. All organisations have them (whether informal or fully documented) but, over time, they are inclined to slowly drift ‘off track’, reducing efficiency and negatively impacting the day […]

Across three decades of my involvement in customer projects, I have developed some reliable rules-of-thumb for what is likely to succeed, what is going to be harder than it needs to be and what is doomed to fail. Frustratingly, hundreds, if not thousands of important marketing, sales, service, field service and other digital initiatives kick-off […]

The pace, potential benefits and disruptive nature of technological change means that organisations must always be open to transformation if they are to compete with challengers and the rapidly changing expectations of their customers. But every transformation eats time, human resources and money and not every transformation succeeds. So what steps can you take ahead […]

As those who know me well know, my secret workplace passion is about helping organisations design operating models that drive efficiency, delight customers and empower people. There are many dimensions to consider when designing a target operating model. One crucial ingredient is a positive ‘cultural’ intent i.e.  a situation where everyone involved wants the organisation […]

In the early 2000s I remember watching the original ‘Shift Happens’ video with hundreds of colleagues at an annual conference. It dominated the evening’s conversations – it gave everyone a new perspective on the speed at which change was coming down the line. Even now, in 2024, it is eye-opening. Much of what is featured […]

“The Magic is in the Deal.” IT services contracts tend to be weighty and they tend to be complex. This isn’t a surprise when you understand they effectively underpin the core delivery engine of most modern organisations. Here in my home office there’s a trophy shelf with some personal ‘greatest hits’ on display – each […]

ISQM1 is a challenging standard, yet it has the potential to offer terrific rewards for firms that embrace its principles and recognise them as a platform for value creation.    ISQM1 – The story so far The International Standard on Quality Management (ISQM1) is now a year into its implementation journey. For firms that perform […]

Is the metaverse emerging as the next big thing? Like ‘big data ‘in the 90s, CX in the noughties and ‘digital transformation’ in the last decade, senior leaders everywhere are already being swamped by a heady mixture of speculation, propaganda and wishful thinking. Here’s a two-minute read covering what you need to know right now.  […]

Despite what technology providers tell you, new technology in any organisation is rarely plug and play. Before any commitments are made, we would recommend that ambitious businesses ask themselves these ten questions. Digital transformation can bring about significant benefits for businesses, including increased efficiency, improved customer experiences, and new revenue streams. However, it is important […]

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly becoming one of the most transformative technologies of our time, with the potential to revolutionise industries and improve our daily lives in countless ways. The world of AI is constantly evolving, with new breakthroughs and innovations happening all the time.  Most recently we’ve all been witness to Chat GPT and […]

The agile framework is often portrayed as a panacea to cure every organisation’s change challenges. It clearly has its place and has worked wonders for some, yet we see ‘agility’ as a far more valuable capability within which the agile framework may, or may not, play a part. Embracing agility is a key business trend, […]

Digital is often thought of as being synonymous with technology and data, and it is true that these are important aspects of the digital landscape. However, digital is about much more than just tech and data. In fact, if any digital transformation is to be truly successful it must encompass and orchestrate change across a […]

Understanding current and future digital trends is a vital activity for every organisation. With tech developing at ever-increasing speeds, mapping the future technological ‘art of the possible’ to your customers’ wants and needs is a core capability that should sit at the heart of your organisation’s growth engine. At PiC we see eight important trends […]

With our business now well established and growing at pace, we’ve spent time over the summer thinking hard about what sustainability means to us. We’ve chosen to define sustainability in its broadest sense, using John Elkington’s increasingly influential ‘people, planet, profits’ model, first formulated in 1994. In an article published by Forbes in 2019, Elkington […]

Did you just buy what they think they sold?  IT services contracts tend to be weighty and they tend to be complex. This isn’t a surprise when you understand they effectively underpin the core delivery engine of most modern organisations. Here in my home office there’s a trophy shelf with some personal ‘greatest hits’ on […]

Our employees, associates, community members and commercial partners met up at Manchester’s Midland Hotel on November 4th 2021 to celebrate our 3rd birthday and catch up with colleagues and network. After almost two years of virtual meetings and home based working for many, it really was fantastic to finally meet face to face. Our founders, […]

Emmaus UK is the charity partner of Partners in Change and we are proud to share the news that we are extending our fundraising and pro-bono consulting relationship for a second year.  At our recent team event we presented the organisation with a cheque for £10,550, representing the total monies raised over a successful first […]

Developed the omni-channel strategy for a major UK retail bank. Managed a team of channel and product experts, successfully delivered omni-channel activities that merged digital and retail experiences helping the client deliver significant cost savings and increase revenue.

Created and launched a programme of ‘digital disruption’ innovation projects for private banking which led to a significant increase in customer awareness, traffic and conversion . Developed and rolled out apps increasing customer awareness, simplifying customer journeys resulting in improved conversion rates.

Delivered global eCommerce & ERP re-platform and builds for Europe, North America, Australasia. Led programmes to map the customer journey processes, existing and Target Operating Model. Delivered B2B and D2C eCommerce platforms managing end to end fulfilment, pre and post sales processes. Delivered global digital marketing strategies for SEO, Content, PPC and Social Media.

In the late 2000s I remember watching the original ‘Shift Happens’ video with hundreds of colleagues at an annual conference. It dominated the evening’s conversations – it gave everyone a new perspective on the speed at which change was coming down the line. Even now 14 years on it is eye-opening. Much of what is […]

Thanks to all who responded to our recent post focusing on Digital Transformation nightmares.  We received an avalanche of anecdotes and points of view from colleagues and clients happy to share their experiences. One trend stood out; the lengthiest (and most emotionally charged!) exchanges were those that had impacted our lives as consumers. It quickly […]

As organisations consider their future direction and identify what change to pursue in order to remain relevant to their customers, attractive to their workforce and profitable for their investors, digital transformation is often high on the priority list. Speaking with clients and colleagues across our network, legacy systems are mentioned frequently as a problem; they […]

Each and every one of us is exposed to the digital transformation efforts of all sorts of organisations every day. Whether it is business, local councils, central government or the NHS we are all rapidly learning to adapt to and embrace the rapid evolution of digital technology. The eighteen months of global lockdown we’ve all […]

There are many factors which contribute towards an organisation’s ability to change. Whatever factors are relevant to your organisation, trying to improve your ability to land sustainable change from within starts by establishing clarity for your specific organisation (now and in the foreseeable future) on what will contribute towards your ability to make successful change [...]

Enhancing your organisation’s change capability can sound like a rather theoretical exercise, taking away focus and effort from day to day change delivery. This can be especially true in the situation where the pressures to deliver are high, everyone is heads down focused on this, and finding the time to look up and at the […]

Transformation and complex change programmes are usually high stakes activities that eat up time, money and human resources. Before embarking on any such programme there are many preparatory steps to be taken. However, in practice there are nine questions that must be asked first and foremost. If the answer to any one of these is […]

We’re proud to say we’ve now exceeded the £5000 mark in our fundraising for Emmaus. This includes £900 raised via a weight-loss challenge (the 8 participants lost over 20kg). As I write we have a team member midway through her ‘Marathon Challenge’ and we’re planning an online Treasure Hunt at our Summer Event. Beyond raising […]

Any complex change or digital transformation programme needs a well governed and well executed steering group if it is to deliver effective, efficient and sustainable results. Working at its best, a steering group should drive your change programme forward by removing blockers, resolving issues and mitigating risks and, as a result, ultimately keeping things on […]

Mobilised the PMO for an ERP finance transformation programme to support the delivery of a global, cloud-based ERP solution.

In this guest article written by leadership expert Jonny Man, he explores the future of change leadership in light of the challenges posed by the pandemic-triggered ‘great acceleration’ and the ‘fourth industrial revolution’.  I recently had the chance to speak with a range of senior executives to hear their views on the future of change, […]

Managing a Crisis: Ten leadership lessons – Dave Jepson In my career I have been involved with two crises in which serious unexpected events threatened the health and lives of many people. A year  into the Covid crisis, I’ve watched the government navigate a course through countless issues and come to the conclusion that some […]

Established control of spend with incumbent partners and suppliers by implementing process, governance and contractual changes whilst maintaining good working relationships.

Designed, established and ran the iPMO to oversee a programme delivering over $1bn in savings for a pioneering digital technology company.

Orchestrated Europe’s largest retail ERP programme, supporting Programme Director with mobilisation, governance, delivery control and the relationships with key stakeholders.

Supported Digital Transformation of a Global Bank’s Open Banking programme, providing full PMO Services and ensuring regulatory compliance.

It is fair to say we all owe a great debt to the brilliant work that has driven the development of the various vaccines that have emerged around the world in the past few weeks. Each of the three widely reported western programmes seems to have achieved their desired outcomes in 10-20% of the time […]

Workplace bullying is currently a hot topic with events in the UK Home Office under the spotlight, but this is just the latest of many alleged transgressions by individuals and organisations to hit the headlines. For all those charged with leading change, it is a pertinent topic. Change leadership often requires people to be persuaded […]

As I’m writing this article, the sun is low in the sky and we’re about to embark on at least another month in lockdown. It would be easy to be gloomy about the coming weeks but, in the spirit of continuous improvement, I thought it worthwhile to share the pooled wisdom of my colleagues on […]

None of us have ever known a period like this. At a time when the UK economy shrank by more than 20% in one month every individual and every organisation is having to grapple with what the future might be and what they want their place in that future to be.

Continuing PiC’s series of articles and items reflecting on the challenges of leading through disruptive change, this one summarises some of the communication challenges, and above all the certainty that you will not be able to please everyone. We summarise that four key outcomes are desireable from leaders’ communications: the importance of establishing authority and […]

Navigating Through Disruptive Change: The Change Curve

Around 18 months ago I vividly remember a conversation with Samantha, my wife. It was about leaving my great job after ten years and setting up our own consulting company with, my now business partner, Dave Jepson. She gave me a look that I’ll never forget – brilliantly supportive of someone standing on the edge […]

Assurance is a vital component of change delivery, and therefore an essential delivery competence, though, all too often, like a visit to the Doctor, it is applied too late. A recurrent theme for us at Partners in Change is that prevention is better, and cheaper, than cure – but you do need to make sure […]