Ramsay Projects Inc

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the assistant VP of the Project Management Office and Strategic Initiative for a life insurance company. We sell individual life insurance products through brokerage channels in Canada, and I manage all our company's projects.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Ramsay Projects Inc?

We brought them on to assist with our compliance infrastructure and cybersecurity projects. We had other internal project managers working on our technical product projects, but it was good to bring in outside resources for some of these peripheral projects.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Ramsay Projects Inc has worked with us on three main areas. First, they’ve helped us with compliance and regulatory projects. They've engaged with our teams to make sure that they understand the guidelines. Also, they’ve planned out some of the remediation work to do a gap analysis. In general, Ramsay Projects Inc has helped the compliance in the business areas to formulate a plan around some of that work.

In cybersecurity matters, they’ve helped us with our cybersecurity program for the last 3–4 years. They work with our chief security officer and look at the different types of assessment tools that we use. We’re currently using a NIFT framework, and they were involved in that development. Additionally, they worked with several third parties to do penetration tests and other tests to understand where we needed to improve. Then, they helped the business areas formulate a plan to enhance our security. In particular, they came up with an actionable plan that we could follow and monitor.

Now, they're working on three related cybersecurity infrastructure projects, so we’re managing it as a program. We’re rolling out Microsoft 365 cloud capabilities and other new ones. We were on Webex and moved to the MS Teams platform. Ramsay Projects Inc has worked with the infrastructure and technical teams on the planning, which has included employee communications and training.

What is the team composition?

We just work with Marcia (President & Senior Program Director).

How did you come to work with Ramsay Projects Inc?

I’m not sure because I wasn’t involved in that part. Generally, when we require a new project manager, we put job postings on different sites. Marcia probably applied for it, or it was a referral from an employee or another service.

How much have you invested with them?

They’ve worked on many projects — some have been bigger and multiyear. Overall, on average, the cost ranges between $100,000–$500,000 over five years.

What is the status of this engagement?

They were brought on before I started my current role. I’ve been working with Marcia directly for two and a half years, but they’ve been with the company for about five years.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We’ve received positive feedback; we wouldn’t have kept them for five years if we hadn’t. They’ve worked in some challenging areas and had to herd teams that aren’t as familiar with project management methodology, so they’re resistant to it. Nonetheless, they’ve been very patient, working towards success.

Also, Ramsay Projects Inc is good at escalating issues. We have a structure with a project owner, a project sponsor, and steering committees. Marcia follows the protocols and ensures the issues and risks are well documented. Overall, they’ve achieved what we’ve needed to achieve.

How did Ramsay Projects Inc perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve met all the deadlines. Also, they’re good at being creative and understanding. Our projects often start very muddled, and there isn’t much clarity about what we need to accomplish. One of Ramsay Projects Inc’s strengths is sitting down with the key stakeholders to help define the project. They’ve also helped develop business cases in the past.

We haven’t used project managers, but they’ve helped us formulate the business problem and action plan. Overall, they’ve done an excellent job with that.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Collaboration and structure are their two strengths. They engage the teams at the right level and organize them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They don’t have much product knowledge, but we can’t criticize them because we didn’t expect that from them. In general, the team has met the project needs we’ve given them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Define your expectations upfront, including the number of hours and type of involvement you want.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Founder and CEO of an electronics software development company incorporated in Ontario, Canada.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Ramsay Projects Inc, and what were your goals?

To assist us in preparing for a software request for public bid which we applied.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

Ramsay's staff and I met by coincidence. I was impressed by the teir passion ans after 1 meeting I was impressed with the level of professionalism and commitment.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

We had a initial face to face meeting to discuss their role in the proposal and what was expected. We had subsequent plans prepared and presented which guided us on the entire process.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

A senior project manager and an assistant was assigned to the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

We were able to successfully complete the application meeting all deadlines during the very rigorous screening process and were shortlisted among the bid finalists.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

We had regular stand-up meetings where feedback and metrics were shared to guide the process.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

I was impressed with their professionalism and timeliness in response to a request.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

Costing could have been less.