A featured contribution from Leadership Perspectives: a curated forum reserved for leaders nominated by our subscribers and vetted by the Construction Tech Review Advisory Board.
Melbourne Cricket Cub
Insights from a Business Process Improvement Expert
Rey Sumaru
For APAC CIOoutlook’s upcoming edition, we would like Rey Sumaru, General Manager, IT and Innovation, at Melbourne Cricket Club, to share his insights on the importance of business process improvement and project management based on his industry experience.
In the interview conducted, Rey Sumaru elaborated on his experience of being a business improvement and project management expert. He further talked about the challenges to this and the new techniques coming up in this field.
As a business improvement and project management expert, what does a typical day look like for you at MCG?
As GM of IT & Innovation, I am responsible for the strategic directions, innovation and operations of the IT & Innovation department and the delivery of the Smart Stadium Initiative, which includes, a fully converged network, stadium wide Wi-Fi, IPTV, CCTV, audio, video, broadcasting , digital assets / transformation, cyber security and innovative technologies.
Some of the key objectives of the role is to identify and evaluate new and emerging IT technologies, innovations, digital strategies and service delivery models and provide appropriate strategic advice to key stakeholders, so my typical day varies from dealing with day to day operational issues to briefing the CEO & the board on technology initiatives / strategies.
According to you, what are the prominent or most occurring challenges when delivering solutions for business process improvement and project management?
To have a good understanding of what the business requirements are and what specific problem is the business wanting resolved. It is important to engage with the business and work through options and not jump to solution mode straight up, as it is important to take the business on the journey and get buy-in and ownership, so it does not end up being an IT department driven solution.
The other important aspect of any project is to have a well-defined project framework and governance model in place.
Can you talk about the prevalent pain points that hinder smooth operations and why do you think these situations occur?
Managing Business expectations; I think it is important to scope the initiative / project correctly and get business endorsement prior to starting a project, as scope creep / variation is a prevalent pain point and managing your customers expectation becomes more challenging as they were expecting “X” and our understanding of the scope was “Y”
What according to you are some of the key benefits of deploying innovative technologies for continual business process improvement?
The key benefit of deploying cutting edge technologies from my perspective is that it challenges the business to reassess their processes, and in a lot of cases re-engineer, and streamline the processes, as what was relevant 5 years ago, may not be effective now. With the emergence of new technology, we at the MCG, review our technology stack / platforms every-time we have a major upgrade to perform and go out to market to see if there is a more efficient and effective solution for our business.
Do you follow a set methodology to increase the overall operational efficiency of MCG?
We work towards a hybrid methodology, with an overlap of lean and critical path method (CPM), however we have a well-defined project governance framework in place, which is adhered to by all of business.
What according to you are some of the headlining innovations the market has seen today?
In our industry, there has been a greater expectation from our customers (fans & teams) for personalized, accurate and timely information and there have been many innovative solutions that has augmented the experience, just to highlight a few;
I would strongly recommend that a well-defined Governance Framework is in place and that every initiative has a business sponsor and business owner, who will champion the solution within the business, otherwise it becomes an IT driven initiative and there is reluctance from business to get on board
• Using Big Data to enhance the fan experience, based on customer insights, and trend analysis, which will lead to exceptional customer service.
• Sensory strategy – elevate the sensory (feel, sight & sound) experience of the fans, provide a stadium experience that cannot be replicated at home.
• Connected clothing and wearables, both for players and fans, which will enable greater interaction between the players on the field and the fans in the stadium.
• Using NFC, RFID to measure movement, speed, acceleration, location, of players which will assist teams with management of players health and injury.
• Utilizing VR / AR to connect with fans and bring them closer to the action, being made to feel part of the team.
• Use of Biometrics and microchip ticketing for ease of access to sports stadiums and ensuring the fans safety.
• Cashless transactions, (Grab & Go) enhances speed of service
• Enhancing, IoT related technologies, to personalize the fan experience.
On an ending note, can you share some of your own experiences that would guide other senior leaders and CXOs working to achieve sustainable business improvement through impeccable project management?
As previously mentioned, I would strongly recommend that a well-defined Governance Framework is in place and that every initiative has a business sponsor and business owner, who will champion the solution within the business, otherwise it becomes an IT driven initiative and there is reluctance from business to get on board.
