Our part-time CTO was pivotal in reshaping a SaaS e-commerce platform, steering it towards its commercial goals through transformational change.
Company Profile
An acclaimed developer of SaaS services, this company excels in empowering publishers and membership organisations to offer premium, paywalled content. Utilising cutting-edge audience engagement tools across various channels, their platform is anchored by a robust Customer Data Platform (CDP), enabling advanced analytics and seamless integration.
MD’s Mission
The Managing Director identified that the company’s project-focused approach was limiting strategic growth and impeding the transition to a recurring revenue model. The goal was to fully transition to being cloud-based, enhancing strategic revenue opportunities and increasing future valuation. To realise this, the MD saw the need for a CTO experienced in cloud services, adept in Agile and Waterfall methodologies.
CTO’s Objectives
The CTO’s responsibilities included:
- Managing all technical resources.
- Creating an agile product roadmap for organisation-wide alignment.
- Formulating a data strategy for enhanced performance insights and data-driven decisions.
- Improving interoperability and cost management of IT services.
- Ensuring uniform security and compliance measures.
- Facilitating continuous operational and process improvements.
- Collaborating with the MD to enhance company valuation and prepare for potential sale.
- Promoting a culture of operational excellence, continuous learning, and collaboration.
What the CTO/Director Did
Provided Leadership and Strategic Insights
The CTO undertook a thorough review of operations, collaborating with department heads and board members. This review identified critical areas needing alignment with the MD’s vision, leading to the implementation of transformational change initiatives.
Designed and Delivered a Transformational Change Roadmap
After a comprehensive organisational assessment, the CTO recognised the necessity of a client-focused, product-based approach. They developed a transformational change roadmap, prioritising continuous improvement and balancing the needs of employees, products, operations, and customers.
Managing the Business Day-to-Day
The CTO introduced Agile processes to refine and predict internal workflows. This led to enhanced team engagement and alignment of performance metrics with business objectives. Establishing measurable OKRs, the CTO’s initiatives fostered accountability, agility, and alignment, paving the way for sustained success in a dynamic market.