Our Plans For 2024
Our Plans For 2024
Stephen Cox - Head of Operations & PMO
“We've got a whole bunch of plans in the PMO, Operations, Marketing and Communications space for 2024. The biggest project which is in flight at the moment is the implementation of a new back-office ERP solution, this will include a new time sheeting system for our Associates in addition to various changes in the way processes are currently administered in the PMO Team; I’ll let Graham speak about this initiative in more detail though! We are also engaged with Chris MacCallum, a long-standing associate and ISO27001 guru who is guiding us through the accreditation and currently building out our Risk Log as well as provisioning a set of recommendations which will be included in our Cyber Roadmap. I would expect an enhanced sandbox solution for associates to be rolled out in the near future to support this.
For Sustainability we’ll be releasing an annual update around August, this will include a baseline of emissions for our upstream suppliers, a progress report on our short-term initiatives, and a re-baseline and overview of our emissions for 23/24.
Moving into the Marketing and Communications world, we are working on a new website which will launch next year, this will be supported by a renewed focus on engaging content including Podcasts, Video Interviews, and more. We also want to look at improving the value and functionality within workplace and ensure it is the most appropriate tool for our Associate community.
Finally, and looking back as we approach the end of 2023, I just want to say a huge thank you to Marie, Spencer, and Tania, they form the amazing team that will allow the above plans to be able to come to fruition and they have worked tirelessly this year to drive change and support the growth of the business. Thank you all so much for all your efforts and dedication in 2023, bring on 2024!”
Graham Wightman - Head of Finance & Commercial
“In 2023, we grew our finance function & took great strides in developing our processes and controls. Looking ahead to 2024 these processes will now allow us to develop our reporting capabilities and further our resilience and sustainability as the business continues to grow.
Our biggest goal of the new year is the implementation of a new ERP system, Platform Smart’s rapid rise has meant we have outgrown our current systems and with Workflow Max being retired in June we have taken the decision to consolidate our systems, where we can, into a single ERP. This will give us the scalability to continue to support the business as we grow. In line with the new ERP we are looking to develop and mature our reporting, not just within finance but assisting, where we can, across all areas of the business to utilise the wealth of data we have available to us.”
Oscar Roper - Head of Associate Programme & Lindsay Hill - Head of Resourcing
As we approach the end of another busy year of associates joining our growing community and starting client engagements, we have kept one eye on where our focus will lie during 2024 and what advancements we would like to make across the Associate Programme and our resourcing functions.
With the changes outlined above regarding the implementation of a new ERP, this will no doubt bring opportunities in how we can evolve our internal processes, manage our active projects, and provide valuable insight and information to our associates during their client engagements. In preparation for this, we have been conducting an internal review to assess various areas of an associate’s journey with us to assess where developments and improvements can be made as we continue to scale.
In line with the Marketing and Communications team’s desire to evolve the content provided to our associate members, we have been exploring new areas we hope to start sharing early in the new year including interviews with key clients, value-add content and insights from associates who specialise in a variety of disciplines, and case studies of the successful delivery our associates have helped us achieve over the years. We are also keen to increase the touch points and opportunities for our associates to engage with the wider PS team and community, so aim to host more frequent and varied events and ‘open evenings’ for our members.
Aside from the initiatives we have identified, we are also very interested in hearing first hand from our associates what you would like to see more of, and how we can continue to take the Associate Programme in the right direction for the benefit and value of our members. A short survey allowing you to have your say has been released, so we hope you take the opportunity to share your thoughts with us and we look forward to receiving your feedback so we can ensure our focus areas align with your desires and opinions!
Want To Catch Up?
Let’s Grab A Coffee
With imminent news of new clients and therefore new opportunities on the horizon, we're eager to engage with our associates who are interested in sharing updates on their availability and current circumstances. Whether it's a casual catch-up and an opportunity to get an update on all things Platform Smart, or a focused discussion on new opportunities or subjects highlighted in our recent newsletters and other communications, we'd love to hear from you.
If you're interested in a catch up, don't hesitate to drop us a message to get something booked in, and we look forward to speaking with you soon!