Challenge
The Tertiary Education Commission faced the challenge of modernising its data systems and processes to enhance efficiency and align with future business requirements. The primary objectives were to engage stakeholders effectively, translate requirements into functional specifications, and ensure that the data solutions met both business and technical standards within an Agile framework.
Solution
Polaris Ventures addressed these challenges through a comprehensive approach:
- Stakeholder Engagement and Requirements Translation: Led requirements gathering sessions with stakeholders, translating their needs into functional specifications that aligned with enterprise architecture principles.
- System and Process Analysis: Conducted thorough analysis of current data systems and processes to identify areas for improvement and optimisation.
- Development and Implementation: Developed work plans and served as the cross-squad analyst and technical product owner, ensuring that data solutions aligned with both business needs and technical standards.
- Stakeholder and Change Management: Supported product owners, change managers, scrum masters, and BAU teams in managing requirements, assessing change impacts, identifying risks and opportunities, and exploring implementation options within the enterprise architecture framework.
Result
The partnership resulted in several significant achievements:
- Accelerated Agile Delivery: Facilitated the earliest delivery among program squads operating within an Agile methodology, ensuring compliance with enterprise architecture standards.
- Aligned and Timely Delivery: As the sole BA, ensured timely delivery across squads and platforms, focusing on aligning current and future business needs with enterprise architectural goals.
- Managed Multiple Deliverables: Oversaw up to five concurrent deliverables across the programme, maintaining architectural integrity and strategic alignment. Key deliverables included:
-Document sharing, Portal Identity, Access, and Notifications functionalities within the bespoke .NET Data Exchange Platform
-Two public REST APIs (Single Data Return and Work-based API)
-Fees Free policy updates and implementation analysis - PowerBI solution design, data lakehouse support, and early preparations for enabling enterprise data governance.