Integrated Solutions Group
The Driving Force behind Exceptional Public Services

Successful public service initiatives require thoughtful strategic planning and efficient execution. While IT professionals understand this, it’s much harder to focus on best practices during a crisis. Such was the case when a central service provider agency in Washington State was significantly over budget, was not delivering on customer expectations, and was a subject of an in-depth legislative inquiry. Not surprisingly, the agency also experienced high staff turnover. Recognizing they needed a partner to navigate the storm, the agency reached out to Integrated Solutions Group (ISG), an organization specializing in strategic planning, technical advisory, project management, and organizational change management (OCM) services within the public sector.

Stepping in as a strategic partner, ISG conducted thorough analyses of a 3rd party financial assessment, the current state technology portfolio, historical customer service data, and inhouse capabilities. With a solid understanding of strengths, weaknesses, capabilities, and opportunities, ISG facilitated the leadership team to prioritize activities with a focus on delivering business value, while engaging with customers and managing expecations on what was acheivable and by when. The effort resulted in a comprehensive strategic plan and roadmap to achieve the transformation expected by the agency’s customers and the legislature. The plan included communication strategies and governance models to ensure awareness and accountability.

With 20 transformational projects in the roadmap for modernizing the agency’s services, ISG provided project management services on three priority initiatives that were completed on time and budget. The remaining initiatives are currently in the planning and/or implementation stage. The initial projects resulted in a return on investment (ROI) that converted a USD 10 million deficit to a positive cash balance in the most recent budget.

“Empowered by an average of 25 years of experience, our team of world-class consultants listen carefully to what our clients need and bring the right mix of technologists, project managers, and change managers to partner, strategize, plan and execute to meet the overall business objectives,” says John E. Anderson, president of ISG.

ISG focuses on four practice areas including: 1) Technical Advisory (TAS); 2) Project Management (PM); 3) Organizational Change Management (OCM); and 4) Quality Assurance/ independent Verification and Validation (QA/IV&V). The firm’s TAS group offers top-notch technologists who partner with clients on a strategic and tactical level to successfully guide them through market analysis, planning, authorization, and execution on modernization efforts, including staff augmentation when specialized capabilities are needed.

ISG’s PM practice is rooted in the principals’ experience implementing some of Washington State’s largest enterprise technology projects in the last two decades. ISG continues today with a talented pool of senior-level PMs, BAs, schedulers, and support personnel. These PM services enable state and local governments to significantly reduce project risks and costs, saving revenue for other investments, and more effectively employing the workforce to strategically aligned initiatives.

Recognizing that technical and PM prowess is not enough, ISG also provides OCM services to prepare the people side of transformative change so the organization realizes the full value of intended benefits and measurable objectives. ISG’s team of certified OCM and lean practitioners partner with clients to enable governance models, assess impacts, and execute on change management strategies. The firm also coaches executive team members to lead their organizations through change, while providing OCM services that adapt to the specific culture, and capabilities of the organization using data-driven solutions.

Empowered by 30 years of experience, our team of worldclass consultants listen carefully to what our clients need and bring the right mix of technologists, project managers, and change managers to partner, strategize, plan and execute to meet the overall business objectives.

Another notable trend emerging in the public sector is the need for independent QA/IV&V services to comply with the latest state and federal regulatory guidelines. Deploying its decades of experience and business maturity, ISG conducts end-to-end quality assessment services aimed at assessing and mitigating project management and technical risks, independent of the project team. As a 3rd party, ISG often identifies blind spots that the embedded team does not recognize, thereby increasing the likelihood for success.

Moving ahead, ISG’s primary goal is to maintain the same level of excellence in its services to further broaden its clientele. Driven by its exceptional workforce that is passionate about public service and distinct methodologies, ISG is determined to help more public service bodies enrich their citizens’ quality of life and pave the way to a constructive, amicable society.