Technology Strategy & Architecture of Award-Winning Digital Media Advertising Platform

Context

The client’s current and future revenues were under threat by larger, global competitors. Its competitors used disruptive technologies to create an entirely new business model, enabling them to enter and quickly gain traction within the Australian market.

The client not only sought to impede the progress of its competitors, but to grow its own market share in the face of this challenge. It wanted to do this by investing in a strategic digital platform of its own. Given the strategic importance of getting this right and the emerging nature of the technologies required, the client sought external expertise to validate their technology strategy, develop an independent technology architecture, advise on a sourcing strategy, and devise a transformation roadmap and business case.

ACTION

The first activity was to establish a baseline of the client’s business imperatives and technology strategy. Input information and data, combined with client interviews, enabled this view to unfold. Independent expertise was leveraged to devise a fit-for-purpose target state architecture. Cloud, machine learning, and analytics technologies formed the backbone of the platform. A gap assessment, against the client’s target state thinking, was conducted. Design thinking workshops were conducted to explain the rationale, test hypotheses, and to ensure the most optimal result.

The final activities centred around sourcing and defining a forward execution pathway. A localised sourcing strategy was devised. Insourcing versus outsourcing strategies were considered. For areas to be outsourced, a market scan and vendor due diligence was conducted. A roadmap and business case were put forward, to enable the client to respond in the manner and timeframes that it required.

RESULT

The resultant platform increased the client’s stock price by 150% upon market announcement. It increased incremental revenues by hundreds of millions of dollars and was released on-time to market. The platform won many industry awards for its innovativeness and impact.