Celerity consultant Adam Josephs introduced Risk Up Front® to SunGard Trading Systems, a provider of sell-side financial products, including SunGard Brass. Celerity worked with the executive and software project teams to improve their speed and the reliability of project execution.
Management and team members were trained in the Risk up Front ™ principles and tools. Using these techniques, the management team began to plan and execute their fiscal quarters as 90-day projects. Their multi-national product development teams leveraged the Risk Up Front ™ methodology to identify and mitigate risks early.
To describe their experience using Risk Up Front on their projects, the following slide was presented by SunGard’s Executive Vice President of Engineering at a 2008 meeting of the New York Chapter of the Project Management Institute (PMI).
In 2009, SunGard deployed the Risk Up Front ™ project-based change methodology to integrate several product organizations into a unified product group. The outcome was a streamlined multi-product sales offering and higher-performing cross-functional business processes. Of SunGard’s 42 critical measures of success for the integration project, 39 (93%) were achieved.
“Most organizations know and understand project management concepts; what Celerity is great at is helping organizations create the necessary structures to make their projects successful.”
-Andrew Cinquina, Executive VP, Engineering, SunGard, New Jersey
“[Celerity]’s approach has transformed the way we approach and execute projects. It has improved the way we engage each other on a daily basis by providing a common language that brings individual concerns “up front” and ensures people know what is expected of them. The effect has been better execution by SunGard Trading’s teams, which has improved our client satisfaction, turned clients into references, and brought in more revenue.”
John Krog, Vice President, Product Management, SunGard, New Jersey
“The “Celerity” way of running projects is an innovative, path-breaking, no-nonsense approach tailored for organizational success without introducing unnecessary documentation and processes. Adam is a skillful mentor and tough coach. The two-day Celerity workshop… was clearly the best training session I have ever been to. Highly recommended!”
Satvik Sharma, Senior VP & CTO, SunGard, Pune, India
“We had gone thru multiple iterations of different project management techniques and tools, but the tools and techniques introduced by [Celerity] were the best that I have seen so far. The tools are simple, inexpensive, easy to use and are effective in managing complex projects.”
Sanjay Kulkarni, Engineering, SunGard, New Jersey
“[Celerity]’s methodologies really improved productivity with focus on risks up front and a proactive and transparent approach to project management. I would recommend the Celerity approach to any firm looking to increase productivity and really transform their project management organization for the better.”
Will Krinsky, Managing Director, Assent LLC, SunGard, New Jersey
“[Celerity]’s guidance and concepts have enabled me to organize effectively, drive change, and utilize a common language to work with my peers to get a lot done in very little time. [They] instilled a sense of urgency in me early in my project work. [Adam’s] message about ‘creating the urgency now’ and ‘acting like each week is a mini project’ were core to this. I will take these lessons with me beyond this particular project and apply them, where appropriate, to new challenges. Thanks for adding to my toolbox.”
Wade Saadi Jr, Client Services, SunGard, New Jersey
“Adam has a high-energy personality that motivates colleagues, [he] has unflagging high spirits and is dedicated to achieving results. I respect his style and approach as well as his constructive leadership. Adam’s emphasis on the principals behind successful project delivery and applying them within the context of a broader organization make him one of the most effective consultants I have ever had the privilege of working with.”
Dean Landis, SunGard Consulting Services, SunGard, New Jersey
