Driving Project Delivery Transformation Through Capability Building
Project Overview
Hiscox is a global leader in specialized, high-value insurance products, underwriting personal and commercial risks with operations spanning 12 countries. The company insures more than 47,000 homes in the UK and delivers business coverage to over 110,000 small and medium-sized enterprises. Facing significant industry disruption, Hiscox recognized the need to transform their project management capabilities to better align with corporate strategy and enterprise program management. Afiniti was engaged to introduce advanced frameworks for reporting and financial oversight, build project management tools focused on stakeholder communications and information flow, and deliver training to drive lasting organizational change. Afiniti’s mandate included:
- Evaluating existing project management capabilities
- Defining improvement priorities
- Pinpointing immediate value opportunities
- Creating and implementing frameworks with IT leadership and project managers
- Operating a Project Management Office to institutionalize new approaches
- Transitioning ownership to Hiscox’s internal teams
Our Solution
Afiniti implemented a comprehensive project delivery transformation designed to build sustainable capabilities:
- Conducted an extensive discovery phase to understand Hiscox’s business context and existing project management ecosystem
- Developed a customized project methodology and capability development program tailored to the organization’s unique needs
- Introduced the 3D (“Disciplined, De-Risk, Dependable”) framework, adapted to align with Hiscox’s organizational culture and scale, enabling enterprise-wide transparency into progress against business objectives
- Facilitated intensive one-day workshops that trained teams on the 3D Project Management methodology, covering governance structures, detailed processes, and industry best practices
- Delivered tiered training programs: one-day workshops for project team members and two-day intensive sessions for project sponsors and senior stakeholders, combining instructor-led content with hands-on application
- Created the innovative ‘Project Management Apprentice’ experiential learning program to strengthen project management competencies for employees supporting project and transformation initiatives
- Led customized one-day immersive learning experiences that actively engaged participants in practical project management disciplines
The Differences We Made
- Enhanced organizational capacity to execute change initiatives through effective deployment of the 3D methodology
- Achieved sustained behavioral transformation within project delivery teams, grounded in recognized best practices customized to fit Hiscox’s operational requirements and organizational identity
- Equipped project personnel with a rigorous project management approach that increased project success rates while creating a scalable platform to handle growing business transformation demands
- Applied blended learning techniques – combining multiple instructional approaches – to ensure participants developed relevant, practical expertise in implementing the 3D methodology
- Strengthened stakeholder confidence and change acceptance by incorporating authentic client scenarios into case studies and core learning modules
By building internal project management excellence and embedding proven methodologies aligned to their culture, Hiscox gained the capability to consistently deliver successful projects while managing increased change volume – transforming project delivery from an operational challenge into a competitive advantage.
