How threon helped Sanquin discover that successful project delivery is in their blood

Sanquin is responsible for safe and efficient blood supply in the Netherlands on a non-for-profit basis. The organization develops and produces pharmaceutical products, conducts high-quality scientific research and develops and performs a multitude of diagnostic services. Over 300,000 patients are depending on their success. With this serious responsibility on their shoulders, effective project management is crucial for implementing complex projects to keep up with the pace of change. Especially with continuously increasing legal and pharmaceutical requirements.

In 2017, after a first well received session with Sanquin’s project management staff, threon came on board. Together with their PMO, we focused on establishing ‘one project management language’ within the project organization. Secondly, we supported Sanquin in setting up a better-oiled project portfolio management process, responding to a large variety of running projects and project proposals.

About Sanquin

Sanquin provides blood services in the Netherlands on a not-for-profit basis. Sanquin is the knowledge institute in the field of blood and conducts scientific research in the fields of blood transfusion medicine and immunology, applying this knowledge to the development and production of a range of pharmaceutical and diagnostic services. Sanquin’s mission: ‘Together with the donor, we ensure a better life for patients’.

Challenge

Based on interviews and observations, we pointed out the aspects Sanquin needed to focus on more to further evolve its project management culture in regard to obtain a clear structure and consistency. This way requirements became clearer, specifically in the areas of project governance, transparency, project prioritization, project management approach and resource planning. An additional challenge consisted of the creation of a realistically achievable project portfolio, which allowed the project resources to have a normal workload and consistently deliver projects on time.

Solution

One project management language

In a first stage, our consultants helped establishing ‘one project management language’ and shared organizational best practices within the project organization. They used an educational program, with PMI’s PMBOK^® Guide as shared key-reference, to improve the project management competencies of more than 100 staff members. This way, our consultants reinforced the practice of focused teamwork by all staff members working in projects.

Simplicity

In the second stage, we have set up a better-oiled project portfolio management process, with ‘simplification of the project categorization’. This allowed Sanquin to make decisions at the appropriate levels and as a result the organization achieved a more realistic and feasible project portfolio.

Results

Currently, Sanquin has gained much more control over the selection, progress, turnaround time and management of their project portfolio; projects having a well-defined high-level project scope, which leads to better integrated and strategically aligned project planning (resources, budget, schedule and risks). The project portfolio is also delivered by better educated project teams. This way, the organization is realizing more business value by delivering the right projects, better, faster and with less effort.

Next steps

Sanquin’s current focus is on reinforcing its ongoing portfolio and project management organizational best practices. These embedded routines will be their stepping-stone for next improvements and innovations. To support Sanquin’s ambition to raise the bar even higher in realizing continuous business and process changes, (which will provide a better life for 300,000 patients each year), our Threon consultants will maintain a close relationship with Sanquin.

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What our other clients say

Working with threon, Equans co-created an active Community of Practice for our Project Managers, benefiting from their strategic, pragmatic, and flexible approach.

Threon listened and understood what we needed, this was translated to a training proposal that suited our needs and have helped us to execute our projects even better.

Threon’s approach consists of looking carefully at the context our organization with the aim of taking it to a higher level. They don’t work with a standard process but tailor the approach to our organization.

Threon was able to think along with us. They helped us with the content and were able to offer strong trainers who can put the training into practice. Our employees are very satisfied with threon’s training courses.

Thanks to threon and their guidance Pharming was able to establish the foundation for a next level Center of Excellence.
Thanks to the focus on doing the project right, we are now able to ensure consistency throughout the project life cycle.

Threon helped us to set-up a structure of process-oriented work, we can now check initiatives against our capacity and our strategy, approved projects can be better supported and there is a clear framework for our staff.

Thanks to threon we now have a much more solid framework to determine which projects should be developed as a priority and we make much more conscious and substantiated choices. At the same time, management is now more and better informed about the impact of choices and the capacity in people and resources required.

Working with threon results in the fact that we now have a complete picture of our portfolio and that the project methodology has been integrated in our corporate culture

Thanks to threon, we have been able to take the right steps on digital level to guarantee the safety of our employees and travelers

We have a close partnership with threon, build on trust and the assurance that threon offers the right people for the job, both in consulting and in delivery

Thanks to the advice from threon we were able to lift our PMO operation at Aertssen to the next level.

Thanks to this agile way of working, we reduce risks, quickly deliver results and improve our transversal team collaboration. This results in faster decision-making and increased internal communication.

Without losing sight of the theory, we were guided through a very practical process, looking for the best solution for Securex.

Stakeholder management is key in an organizational change track. We supported ALD Automotive during this process towards a new Way-Of-Working roll-out within their entire organization.

Implementing program management enables IGEAN to have a continuous overview of available resources and the links between projects.

Our strategy gets executed in a structured way through portfolio management. Resources are allocated to the right projects, in an efficient way via the T-Capacity tool and all noses are in the same direction to successfully reach our strategic goals.

With threon’s help, EIB accelerated its digitization process, resulting in a higher service maturity level. New ideas got centralized and automated reporting was introduced. In other words: threon simplified the program and portfolio processes tremendously.

How threon helped Sanquin discover that successful project delivery is in their blood

About Sanquin

Challenge

Solution

Results

Next steps

Want to know more?

Let's talk!

What our other clients say

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