Leadership that moves work forward
Moving a project forward takes both perspective and an understanding of people. dba consult finds freelance consultants for project management, programme management, PMO and advisory work. People who can connect decisions, deliverables and collaboration around what you want to achieve.
Direction that becomes action
Decisions are waiting. Suppliers are working from different assumptions. The organisation lacks time to absorb the change. Even with a good plan, a project can lose momentum. The person helping you move forward needs experience of that particular situation.
Together, we clarify the mandate and the responsibility involved. A project manager can bring a specific delivery together, a programme manager can establish direction across projects, and an adviser can inform a decision. At dba consult, we assess people against the complexity of the assignment and the colleagues they need to work with.
Expertise
Leadership across the assignment
Project management
Project managers who bring together requirements, planning, budgets and deliverables. They need to follow up, manage dependencies and make the consequences of changes clear to both the project team and the steering committee.
Programme management
Programme managers who align several interdependent projects around shared objectives. They clarify decision forums, responsibilities, priorities and sequencing across deliverables. The connections between investment, change and expected value need to be visible, allowing management to make decisions beyond an individual project plan.
PMO and portfolio management
PMO specialists who bring plans, resources, risks and budgets together to support prioritisation. The work may cover portfolio oversight, shared reporting and following up decisions. The structure should make dependencies and capacity conflicts easier to see and help projects move forward in practice.
Advisory and supplier selection
Advisers for technical and business clarification, requirements and supplier selection. They assess possibilities, limitations and consequences, and can prepare a decision basis with a recommended sequence. This may be before an investment or during an assignment where the assumptions have changed.
Change and implementation
People who connect technical delivery with workflows, responsibilities and those who will use the solution. This may include engagement, training and coordination of the transition.
Test management and quality
Test managers who bring together test strategy, planning and follow-up. They coordinate business, technical teams and suppliers, making it clear what has been tested, what remains and who can approve the next step.
Case stories
From decision to delivery
Five assignments show how leadership connects technical choices, deliverables and the business’s next steps.
Featured case
A shared solution across group companies
A group needed to implement a new ERP system with BI and project management across its companies. The assignment required both business clarification and management of a programme involving internal participants and external suppliers.
The consultant acted as project manager and business adviser. The work covered requirements, supplier assessment and recommendations to the steering committee. Processes such as procurement, sales and invoicing formed part of defining the shared solution.
During delivery, the consultant coordinated deliverables and monitored time, budget and milestones. Workshops and regular follow-up connected the needs of individual companies with the overall project plan.
The new ERP solution was implemented together with BI and a project management application. For the client, this connected advice and delivery from the initial requirements through implementation across the organisation.
AssignmentShared ERP, BI and project management across a group.
ResponsibilityProject management, business clarification and supplier coordination.
ContributionImplementation across group companies.
Combined responsibility for programme and projects
An international business had both a customer programme and several development projects within the same business area.
The consultant stepped in as interim PMO director, reporting to the business area’s senior management. The assignment included leading the customer programme and managing several development projects.
The role connected overall programme responsibility with management of individual projects. This combination is relevant when the need includes both shared leadership responsibility and someone who can take on specific deliverables.
Assignment
Leading a customer programme and several development projects.
Responsibility
Interim PMO director reporting to the business area’s senior management.
Contribution
Programme management combined with management of individual projects.
A shared structure for testing and quality
A major programme was implementing a new platform with a global supplier. Testing needed a shared method and a plan that could be turned into specific activities.
The consultant joined as test manager and led the testing activities. The assignment covered developing and planning the testing framework and making it work within the overall programme.
The test methodology and activities were developed with the supplier. This gave quality questions a clear place in the programme and connected overall expectations with the work the teams needed to perform.
The requirement here was a leader with depth in testing. Precision in defining the role matters when a specialist takes responsibility for a defined part of a larger programme.
Assignment
A shared method and plan for testing within a major programme.
Responsibility
Test management and collaboration with a global supplier.
Contribution
Development of a testing framework, methodology and specific test activities.
Technical perspective before the next decision
A company with a digital logistics platform needed an overall view of the technology and its priorities. The platform collected data and supported continuous tracking while the business prepared for further development.
The consultant stepped in as interim technical leader. The assignment was to establish an overview of the platform, identify the key technical issues and plan how to address them.
Management received a technical overview and a plan for prioritising the work. This provided a concrete basis for discussing what to resolve first and which technical decisions the company’s next steps depended on.
Assignment
Technical overview and prioritisation for a digital platform.
Responsibility
Interim technical leadership and assessment of the key issues.
Contribution
A plan connecting technical work with management’s next decisions.
Unified monitoring of critical infrastructure
Several monitoring systems needed to be combined into one solution at a company responsible for critical infrastructure. The existing SCADA systems came from different suppliers, and consolidation involved both technical interfaces and overall project responsibility.
The consultant led the project to bring the systems onto one SCADA platform. The role was to manage the consolidation, with responsibility for taking the overall delivery through to completion.
The new platform replaced the separate monitoring systems. The project was delivered within the agreed time and budget. The case shows the value of a project manager who can take responsibility for a technical consolidation where the solution forms part of critical operations.
Assignment
Consolidating several SCADA systems into one monitoring platform.
Responsibility
Project management of the complete technical delivery.
Contribution
A shared monitoring system delivered within the agreed time and budget.
Experience with the responsibility you hand over
We clarify which decisions the consultant needs to make, what must be delivered and who should be involved. This allows us to assess both professional experience and the ability to make collaboration work in your organisation.
It avoids starting again with someone who looks right on paper but has handled a different type of responsibility. Our job is to find the combination of perspective, expertise and personality your project needs.
Contact
Talk to Peter about the assignment
Does a project need to move forward, or do you need an overview across several initiatives? Call Peter to discuss the responsibility you need help with.
Questions and answers
What clients often ask
When do we need a project manager rather than a programme manager?
A project manager is typically responsible for a defined project. A programme manager brings together several interdependent projects and initiatives. We review the mandate, dependencies and leadership needs with you, so the role fits the responsibility involved.
Can you strengthen an existing project or PMO?
Yes. You may need additional capacity, particular experience or help gaining an overview of work already in progress. We clarify how the consultant will collaborate with the existing management team and organisation.
Can the consultant help before implementation begins?
Yes. Advisory work can begin with needs, requirements and assessment of solutions or suppliers. The aim is a practical basis for decisions and a clear starting point for delivery.
How do you assess the personal fit?
We talk to you about the organisation, its stakeholders and how decisions are made. We use this alongside our assessment of the consultant’s professional background and working style. You meet the relevant people before making your choice.
Can a consultant take over work that is already in progress?
That can be the right solution. First, we need to understand the status, mandate and key dependencies. We then clarify the experience needed to take over responsibility and establish a shared basis for moving forward.