Posted on by Clem Maloney

Fractional Delivery Management for a Digital Uplift

Description

Fractional Delivery Management for a Digital Uplift

Sector: Professional Services
Service: Fractional Delivery Management
Objective: Provide fractional Delivery Management (3 days per week) to align a portfolio of technology initiatives, strengthen governance, and embed sustainable delivery practices.

Context

A professional services firm with around 800 staff was running multiple technology initiatives simultaneously — including a CRM migration, Wi-Fi upgrade, and cyber AI uplift. Each project had its own team, but collectively the portfolio was drifting: milestones were slipping, scope was creeping, reporting was inconsistent, and stakeholders lacked visibility across competing priorities.

The CIO recognised that a full-time Delivery Director was not yet warranted but an additional layer of coordination and oversight was needed to prevent further slippage. 123.EXPERT proposed a Fractional Delivery Manager to step in three days per week, realign the portfolio, and embed governance practices to ensure consistent performance and sustainable outcomes.

Approach

123.EXPERT applied its delivery-focussed insourcing model, drawing from its network-based consulting team. In this case, one of our internal consultants stepped in as a broad IT-wide Fractional Delivery Manager, engaged three days per week on an agency/on-hire basis. Because 123.EXPERT’s internal team form part of the same practitioner pool, clients benefit from an extremely flexible model — gaining contingent expertise spanning IT consulting, governance, portfolio oversight, and resourcing without the cost of a full-time consulting, contracting, or employment engagement. Once timelines were restored, the consultant remained engaged on an as-needed basis, providing continuity without unnecessary overhead.

The solution delivered the following outcomes:

  • Introduced portfolio-level reporting to provide executives with visibility of risks, dependencies, and resource allocation.

  • Supported project managers and coordinators, aligning delivery practices and setting consistent standards.

  • Enhanced vendor relationships, renegotiating contracts and service expectations.

  • Chaired steering meetings to clarify priorities and strengthen governance.

  • Embedded frameworks for benefits tracking and post-project reviews.

The part-time structure allowed the firm to benefit from executive-level oversight without committing to a full-time role, while still ensuring continuity of decision-making and delivery discipline.

Impact

Within months, delivery consistency improved, project risks reduced, and executive confidence was restored. Projects previously at risk were realigned, while governance processes became business-as-usual.

Through the 123.EXPERT delivery-focussed insourcing model, the organisation gained fractional but effective contingent oversight, balancing cost with impact. The contingent FDM solution facilitated timeline alignment and left the firm with sustainable delivery capability — without the overhead of a permanent executive appointment.