The Zurich Group is a leading, internationally recognized provider of insurance and financial services in non-life and life insurance, reinsurance and asset management. It offers financial protection and investment solutions to customers in the personal, commercial and corporate market segments. Headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, the Group operates in 50 countries worldwide and employs over 43,500 people.

The Zurich Kemper subsidiary, located in a suburb of Chicago, was formed in 1996 from the acquisition of Kemper Financial Services. This division was subsequently integrated with Scudder Investments to form Scudder Kemper Investments Inc.

Project Summary

Conducted a detailed project audit, and implemented changes that established an acceptable new completion date and budget forecasts for a policy management system renewal project.  The forecast completion date and budget had become unacceptable.

Background

A project had been progressing for nearly twelve months and was nearing its completion date, but indications were surfacing that, although the team was forecasting successful completion on time, the completion was going to be late.

Requirement

Project audit to determine true progress and status of the project, forecast completion date and costs.

Project After Discovery

The project was definitely late and would be over budget by 35%.

Approach

Reviewed project documentation including:

• Project statement (scope, requirements, organization, budget, monitoring and reporting processes)
• Development methodology, environment, tools
• Interviewed key project staff, sponsors, IT management and project user staff

Determined the current state of scope and identify insipid scope creep.  Assessed the impact of scope creep in time and cost and failings in the Change Management process.

Recommend scope adjustments, plan changes and Change Management process changes to gain control of project and prevent future reoccurrence.  Recommended  organizational change to the team.