DIGITAL REPORT 2020
Delivering a world-class digital IT strategy IN ASSOCIATION WITH
02
03
HOOPP: delivering a world-class digital IT strategy WRITTEN BY
MATT HIGH PRODUCED BY
JAKE MEGEARY w w w.ho op p . com
H E A LT H C A R E O F O N TA R I O P E N S I O N P L A N ( H O O P P )
HOOPP’s Reno Bugiardini discusses how an innovative IT digital transformation strategy has seen the business thrive against COVID-19 disruption
W
hen Reno Bugiardini and his colleagues reached the culmination of a sweeping, innovative three-year IT strategy at the
end of 2019, the disruption and impact to countless industries worldwide as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic was still a way off. That plan, which 04
aligned with the broader five-year strategic plan at Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP), has driven vast change within the organisation. It was, says Bugiardini, based around three fundamental areas of focus: a cloud-first approach, adopting Agile working methods, and ‘flattening’, through the creation of teams aligned to business groups, a previously hierarchical structure. “Our goal has always been to ensure that we are the single point of contact for the business, and that all departments feel they can come to us with any of their priorities. This is helped by the fact that I report directly to the CEO and am part of the senior executive team, which is not always the case for IT heads in organisations. By giving IT a seat at the executive table, HOOPP ensures that our digital strategy is aligned to the organisation’s strategy.”
05
w w w.ho op p . com
H E A LT H C A R E O F O N TA R I O P E N S I O N P L A N ( H O O P P )
“ From an IT perspective, it’s a new adventure” — Reno Bugiardini, Senior Vice President, Information Technology & Facilities Services, HOOPP
Bugiardini is a driven and highly experienced innovator and leader. He holds the position of Senior Vice President, Information Technology & Facilities Services at HOOPP, a role that sees him responsible for providing strategic vision and direction for IT and facilities services at the organisation. HOOPP is a defined benefit pension
That the strategy was a success,
06
plan that is tailored to the healthcare
and positioned the organisation well
sector and provides financial security
for years to come, is something of
for industry workers in retirement.
which Bugiardini, who has been with
The organisation’s purpose, says
the business since 2002, is rightly
Bugiardini, is to “deliver on the
proud. That it also placed HOOPP in
pension promise”. To facilitate this,
an enviably strong position to seam-
the IT division has to serve the entire
lessly navigate any potential disruption
organisation and, most significantly
from COVID-19 is remarkable.
two core functions: investment management and pension administration. The latter two are directly responsible for the investing and pension admin respectively, with IT empowering them to do so in the most effective
Thank you from all of us CLICK TO WATCH
|
1:27
07 way. “We’re a world-class IT organisa-
innovative IT organisation that’s
tion that exists to provide and enable
impossible,” he continues. “Each of
innovative solutions and strategies
those three areas – cloud-first, Agile
to the entire business,” he explains,
and the restructuring – gives us the
expanding on the core aspects of the
ability to innovate, to be a flexible
three-year strategy he was tasked
strategic partner and to develop quick
with leading. “The way in which we
proof of concepts for the business
deliver those IT services over the last
when it’s exploring new opportuni-
three years has absolutely evolved –
ties. Take being cloud-first as an
it has to, so as to ensure we maintain
example. Moving over 95% of our
the competitive advantage that differ-
compute infrastructure to the cloud
entiates us in the sector.
gives us a scalability and flexibility
“We exist to deliver the very best
that just wouldn’t be feasible with a
solutions to our business partners,
self-managed data centre, and it means
but if we don’t have a progressive,
we can explore and scale at minimal w w w.ho op p . com
Diane Dale, Senior ObjectSharp Consultant @HOOPP
Product Ideation & UX Design
Cloud-Native Architecture
Serverless Software Development
Embedded Agile & Coaching
DevOps & Orchestration
Automated QA Testing
Security, Data Governance & AI
End-to-End, the Sharpest Minds in Cloud-First Digital Transformation. At ObjectSharp, we have one very speciďŹ c mission: to help you deliver innovative business solutions faster, and with higher quality. True Agile experts, we partner with leading organizations like the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP) to imagine, design, build and deploy scalable software solutions that improve their competitive edge.
objectsharp.com
1-877-767-4277
@ObjectSharp
Driving Digital Transformation With True Agile Delivery at HOOPP HOOPP works every day to build the foundation for a financially secure retirement for Ontario’s healthcare workers. The mission of its IT team is to deliver highvalue, right-sized and timely solutions that enable the plan to deliver its pension promise to its more than 350,000 members. Since 2014, ObjectSharp’s team of senior consultants have worked embedded with HOOPP’s IT teams, helping them navigate change and foster innovation with the right combination of people, processes and products. HOOPP chose ObjectSharp for its unique embedded partnership approach. A true partner, ObjectSharp is not just another consultancy that advises and walks away. ObjectSharp is different. Our culture is one of results-driven partnership; we work embedded with you to identify and provide value where you need it most, coaching your teams in the Agile delivery model as we go. Initially embedded with HOOPP’s Investment Services Group, and then later its Corporate Services and Pension Services groups, ObjectSharp’s team of senior consultants have leveraged their deep knowledge of Agile and expertise in DevOps and the Microsoft Azure Cloud to drive digital transformation by: implementing CI/CD and establishing a true DevOps culture that drives rapid development and faster release cycles; increasing software delivery velocity and quality with sophisticated automated regression testing and reporting solutions; building HOOPP’s first reusable React UI component library, used by HOOPP’s in-house team of investment professionals in their daily management of the plan; using infrastructure as code to reduce help desk ticket response times by 80%; improving data governance and risk management by operationalizing security and privacy policies as code and configuration in the Cloud; and coaching executive leadership and management to lead and succeed with Agile.
“ObjectSharp has been a key partner in our digital transformation over the last 6 years, working embedded within HOOPP to identify and unlock value, solve complex problems, and coach our teams in the Agile delivery model.” - Reno Bugiardini Senior Vice President, Information Technology
End-to-End Capabilities, Full Stack Results As HOOPP’s needs and priorities have changed on its digital transformation journey, ObjectSharp has met them at every step of the way. A full service consultancy, ObjectSharp provides expertise across the entire spectrum of the software development lifecycle. Our capabilities include: embedded Agile and CI/CD automation cloud-native development and architecture DevOps & automated testing AI strategy and machine learning data security and governance
Embedded Expertise, Where It Matters Most Whether it’s building a product, improving a user experience, adopting Agile delivery backed by automation, or transforming your business to realize the promise of the Cloud, ObjectSharp works embedded with you to navigate change and foster innovation. Whether you’re just beginning your digital transformation journey, or face new questions along the path, ObjectSharp’s team of embedded experts are ready to help you lead and succeed with digital and the Cloud. objectsharp.com 1-877-767-4277 @ObjectSharp
H E A LT H C A R E O F O N TA R I O P E N S I O N P L A N ( H O O P P )
10
cost and meet business needs when
sprints whereas, previously, that just
required. Similarly, now that we’re an
wouldn’t have been attainable for us.”
Agile development shop, we’re much
Naturally, achieving such a tech-
closer to our business partners –
nological transformation relies on
aligned in teams so we can deliver
close collaboration with best-in-
solutions significantly faster and
class partners. Bugiardini is keen to
more accurately. The result is that
highlight two in particular: Thinkwise
our business is leveraging solutions
has been instrumental in our migration
sooner to meet their business needs
to the cloud and the decommission-
and demands. We can leverage
ing of our self-managed data centre,”
the advantages and opportunities
he explains. “They provided consul-
of cloud to very quickly procure-
tation, leadership, and programme
compute and explore new ideas
planning, which made for an overall
and complete tasks in two-week
far more seamless transition. Similarly,
ObjectSharp has been a key partner in
concerns and allow HOOPP to
our digital transformation over the last
continue to deliver on its pension
six years, working embedded within
promise. This ability to continue pro-
HOOPP to identify and unlock value,
viding the highest levels of service
solve complex problems, and coach
was greatly helped by the tireless
our teams in the Agile delivery model.�
work of Bugiardini and his team
Of course, global events this year have created a landscape in which
to deliver that digital strategy. From the challenging transition
traditional approaches to business
to a significant remote working
count for little. As an organisation
programme, through to continuing
HOOPP has responded rapidly, rec-
to serve the needs of the organisa-
ognising the unprecedented change
tion, the scalable, flexible and newly
facing its members and launching
restructured HOOPP business has
a series of measures that address
allowed COVID-19 disruption to be
E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E :
Reno Bugiardini Title: SVP, Information Technology & Facilities Services Industry: Financial Services Location: Toronto, Canada Reno brings with him more than 25 years of IT leadership experience from various industries. He is an innovative leader focusing on providing his business clients with agile technical solutions that are driven by business requirements, challenges and opportunities. Having a great passion for IT and its dyanmic nature drives Reno, accompanied with his strong client service attitude. This ensures that his team delivers technical solutions aligned with HOOPP’s strategy that are enablers and differentiators to our business. w w w.ho op p . com
11
CONGRATULATIONS HOOPP ON YOUR TRANSFORMATIONAL SUCCESS!!
Thought provoking leadership with sensible governance
Unleash the potential of cloud for your organization!
dealt with in a remarkably seamless
successfully with few challenges in a
fashion, he recounts. “We’d been
72-hour period borders on the heroic.
closely monitoring the crisis through
The team did a great job that weekend
our Business Continuity Management
and really demonstrated the impor-
programme since early January,
tance of the work we have done.”
considering the impact on our organi-
Indeed, the most noticeable chal-
sation, and modifying operations
lenge – a VPN performance issue
accordingly. It was on 12 March that
– was rapidly dealt with. “We were
we took the biggest step yet – to move
able to procure additional hardware,
to work-from-home for the whole
we spun up another VPN, mobilised
organisation. With more than 700 peo-
our IT team to test it and ensure func-
ple, that’s not a small transition. The
tionality with minimal disruption to the
IT team had practiced before and,
business,” Bugiardini says. “In a tradi-
of course, we had contingency plans,
tional data centre or workspace that
but that they managed to do it
capability simply wouldn’t be possible.
“ We’re a world-class IT organisation that exists to provide the very best services to the entire business” — Reno Bugiardini, Senior Vice President, Information Technology & Facilities Services, HOOPP
noted that the transition to the cloud in particular was fortuitous, affording Bugiardini and HOOPP a level of security that, instead of disruption, saw the company effectively in a ‘situation normal’ mode. Technology aside, Bugiardini is a keen proponent of the benefit of flattening the structure within an IT team, a process he describes as critical to the way in which the organisation
Similarly, if we didn’t have that Agile
operates. “You don’t have red tape,”
way of working and our teams organ-
he says, “and that makes everything
ised the way we do, I don’t think we’d
more simple. People and teams are
have been able to achieve what we
empowered to make their own deci-
did to accommodate the business
sions and to take ownership of the
in 72 hours.”
results.” He refers back to the per-
That success is testament to the
formance challenges experienced
effectiveness of Bugiardini’s digital
during that hectic first 72-hour period
vision for HOOPP. Indeed, so water-
as a good example of this. “We had
tight were the deliverables of the
speed and the agility to do whatever
strategy that he somewhat casually
we needed to. There were several
describes the process as “really just moving folks from the physical office to their homes. Because of the infrastructure in place many of the concerns being discussed about such a transition – cybersecurity, for example – just haven’t really been a concern for us”. On that point, it should be w w w.ho op p . com
13
H E A LT H C A R E O F O N TA R I O P E N S I O N P L A N ( H O O P P )
14
1960
Year founded
$94.1bn Assets in Cdn dollars
725
Number of employees
“ We can leverage the advantage of cloud to very quickly procure compute and explore new ideas and complete tasks in two-week sprints” — Reno Bugiardini, Senior Vice President, Information Technology & Facilities Services, HOOPP 15 automation and process tasks in that initial period that just happened; no one needed approval to carry out a task, or to ensure they were in sync with the broader thinking of the business. If we weren’t built that way we’d probably still be here debating whether we should deploy another VPN in the cloud or not.” Of course, it would be foolish to state there has been no challenges. However, rather than being technology-related, these have been based around the sheer change management and shifting of workplace culture that every organisation has undoubtedly w w w.ho op p . com
H E A LT H C A R E O F O N TA R I O P E N S I O N P L A N ( H O O P P )
16
experienced. “Collaboration has
capabilities of certain technologies
always been a big part of how we work
like video conferencing tools, for
at HOOPP, particularly as a result of
example, but there’s positives to that
the teams we have created and the
shift too. It’s refreshing to ‘open up’
technologies that we can now lever-
your personal life to your colleagues –
age. Sure, moving to a working from
whether that’s kids in the background
home environment has meant a ramp
or your dog barking during a meeting
up in terms of understanding the full
– and it’s refocused our perspective
on working from home when we consider future IT and business strategies, for example.” Having reached the culmination of the three-year plan at the end of last year, Bugiardini is naturally already focused on the next step of his digital vision. The changes brought about by COVID-19 have, he says, reorganised the prioritisation of some of the digital initiatives being considered, particularly around the greater automation
refinement rather than anything dras-
of some processes, for example. But,
tic. “Our ability to do business hasn’t
it would seem the success afforded
really changed, we’re just not doing it
by the existing strategy calls for
in the office. There are so many businesses that have had to rethink their
“ If we didn’t have that agile way of working and our teams organised the way we do, I don’t think we’d have been able to achieve what we did to accommodate the business in 72 hours” — Reno Bugiardini, Senior Vice President, Information Technology & Facilities Services, HOOPP
entire processes because they’ve previously failed to leverage technology to its fullest. “On the contrary, we’ve been able to scale and to meet demand while delivering services to our members and pensioners – productivity hasn’t dropped at all,” he continues. “The market has been impacted by the volatility, but on our plan operations side, our service delivery levels to members actually improved. And, on that investment management aspect of the business, we were able to give w w w.ho op p . com
17
H E A LT H C A R E O F O N TA R I O P E N S I O N P L A N ( H O O P P )
18
“ We’ve been able to scale and to meet demand while delivering services to our members and pensioners – productivity hasn’t dropped at all” — Reno Bugiardini, Senior Vice President, Information Technology & Facilities Services, HOOPP
our investment management staff full
stand still. Accordingly, Bugiardini is
computing capability at home right
in the process of forming the next IT
away, and scalability when they need it
blueprint for HOOPP, which will be
through the cloud, to ensure they were
developed in collaboration with busi-
able to adapt to the volatile markets
ness partners. It will, he says, align with
and not miss out on any opportunities.”
the organisation’s broader strategy
Any digital transformation, even
and be built around delivering the high
when it is facing unprecedented
performance culture that is instilled
disruption and uncertainty, doesn’t
in every part of HOOPP.
19
“This has certainly changed everything,” he explains. “It’s opened up the
strategy in place to continue to absolutely succeed at that.”
opportunity to hire the very best talent from around the world – there are fewer barriers to business now. From an IT perspective, it’s a new adventure that is now about us serving and supporting 700 internal clients remotely and we have the infrastructure and w w w.ho op p . com
1 YORK STREET SUITE 1900 TORONTO ON M5 J 0B6 CANADA T 416 6 46 6 4 45 www.hoopp.com
P0WERED BY