AZL

AZL: health check makes quality projects measurable

AZL, like many organizations, is in a state of flux. Every year we run dozens of large and small projects aimed at renewal, improvement and change. Of IT, the organization, business processes, the culture, and you name it. But how do you know how these projects are doing, whether they can be done better, faster, easier, with more results? AZL decided to measure this with the Valid Project Health Check. Conclusion: things are going well, but they could be even better!

Challenge: holding project progress up to the light

Nearly sixty projects are underway at AZL within the change, innovation and implementation portfolios. Major drivers are business growth and the revision of the pension system. This brings many changes, for the organization, for IT and for clients.

Rob Meyer is manager of change at AZL and responsible for managing and executing projects. When he was appointed, his assignment was to further professionalize the way AZL handles and executes projects. Managing tightly on planning and budget is the challenge. Innovation is important, but it must be done carefully and cost-consciously. How can you know if these conditions are being met?

AZL office building
AZL office
Solution: Valid Health Check

The Valid Health Check allows AZL to keep its finger on the pulse, says Meyer. ''To see how we can work even more efficiently and customer-oriented." You can think of this check as a kind of thermometer you stick into a project. A baseline measurement to hold the state of affairs around projects up to the light.

Benefit of collaboration: outside critical eye

Meyer did not consult Valid lightly. AZL and Valid's relationship goes back more than a decade. Valid supports AZL in the area of IT services and application development. In addition, Valid provides project management experts and expertise.

"Valid's approach makes the outcomes widely accepted. This facilitates improvement measures."

Rob Meyer Manager of Change AZL
Valid - consultation laptop
Valid - male, female
The result: picture of project management maturity

"Thanks to the Health Check, we were able to give AZL a picture of the level of maturity of its project management. We always take a positively critical look at what areas can be improved, and where adjustments may be necessary," says George Schrooten, Senior Project Manager at Valid. Together with Valid colleague Roger Geilenkirchen, also Senior Project Manager, he conducted the Health Check.

Geilenkirchen: "Through interviews with stakeholders and the completion of a questionnaire, eleven building blocks for successful project management were scored. The results can be nicely summarized in a so-called radar diagram."

These are the building blocks:

  • Business case
  • Financial
  • Risks
  • Quality
  • Project Team
  • Scope and changes
  • Procurement and contracts
  • Communication and stakeholders
  • Configuration and information
  • Planning
  • Implementation

The score per building block can vary between 0 (worst possible score) and 40 (best possible score).

Future: further professionalization

Within weeks of being commissioned, we could already start working on the results," says Meyer. "We picked up a number of aspects immediately, such as strengthening the Business Impact Analyses, and getting a sharper picture of the wishes and requirements of all stakeholders."

Meyer looks back on a pleasant and fruitful cooperation with Valid. The thorough and practical approach, and the open and respectful communication led to a successful project. Everyone felt heard. This means that the results are widely supported. This support facilitates the improvement measures because they are understood. "Everything in the report leads to improvement, everyone sees that," Meyer says.

AZL is ready for the next step: toward a process-oriented orientation. Schrooten: "The general impression of the project management processes: there is vision, the structure is neat, but the sharpness in execution and steering could be better. Everyone we spoke to has a genuine heart for the matter and a positive critical attitude. Collegiality and coordination between project managers is seen as positive. In short, the basis is good and that makes it easier to connect the dots."

AZL
  • Exists for over 55 years
  • Advises more than 50 large and small pension funds and handles their administration
  • There are thousands of employers affiliated with these funds and a total of some 1.5 million employees
  • More than 600 employees