IT Framework for Business Value
An enterprise-grade IT framework that systematically translates technology investments into measurable, lasting business outcomes.
Value Delivery Capability was founded by practitioners who experienced firsthand the disconnect between technology delivery and measurable business outcomes. Too many organisations invest heavily in IT, yet struggle to articulate — or realise — the return.
VDC was built to change that. We bring together a proven framework, deep consulting expertise, and a commitment to outcomes over outputs.
Every engagement begins with the business result, not the technology. We work backwards from value to solution.
Our team has held the roles our clients occupy. We advise from experience, not theory.
We embed the VDC framework into your organisation so it outlasts the engagement.
"Technology should serve strategy. VDC ensures it does."
We work with organisations too complex for generalist IT consultants, and too mid-market for the big four.
The large consulting firms — Deloitte, KPMG, Accenture — won't meaningfully engage below a certain investment threshold. Generalist IT consultants lack the sector depth and governance framework to deliver lasting change. VDC fills that gap: a specialist practice with enterprise-grade methodology, built for organisations investing $1M–$20M annually in IT programs across healthcare, pharmacy, government, financial services, and retail.
VDC is a specialist practice. We are deliberately selective.
We are not the right fit for organisations in crisis mode looking for emergency triage, for leaders who want a framework on paper without changing how decisions are made, or for businesses with IT spend below the level where governance generates meaningful ROI. If you want a rubber stamp on decisions already made, we are not your firm. We are independent, we will challenge poor investment decisions, and we only engage where we are confident we can deliver lasting, measurable value.
Check if you qualify →Trusted by organisations across financial services, health, government and enterprise
VDC bridges the gap between IT execution and business strategy — giving organisations a structured, repeatable approach to ensure every technology investment is purposeful, measurable, and tied directly to business goals.
It integrates with your existing delivery practices and provides the governance layer that keeps IT and business aligned at every stage.
Clear layers from strategy to execution with no ambiguity.
Built-in KPIs and value metrics at every stage of delivery.
Scales with your organisation regardless of size or sector.
Designed for cross-functional teams — IT and business alike.
Ensures every IT initiative maps directly to an organisational objective. No initiative begins without a validated business case tied to strategic outcomes.
Identifies and catalogues the capabilities the business needs to succeed, exposing gaps and prioritising technology investments for maximum leverage.
Establishes oversight mechanisms that track realised value over time, with transparent reporting spanning from board level to delivery team.
Integrates with Agile, SAFe, or waterfall delivery practices to ensure consistent quality, risk management, and stakeholder confidence at every sprint.
Moves beyond go-live. VDC tracks and actively manages benefits post-delivery, closing the loop between IT investment and business impact.
Uses feedback loops and retrospective data to mature the organisation's delivery capability — turning single projects into institutional knowledge.
From financial services to government and healthcare — VDC is the framework IT leaders turn to when accountability and value realisation matter.
See all case studies →"VDC gave our board something they'd never had — a single, trusted number that tells them how well IT is delivering value. Our VDC Maturity Score is now a standing agenda item."
"We went from delivering projects to delivering value. The benefits realisation pillar alone changed how our executive team measures IT success."
Join 200+ organisations that have transformed their technology delivery with VDC.
A full-stack IT value operating model — from strategic alignment to measurable business outcomes.
Value Delivery Capability (VDC) is a practitioner-designed IT operating model that solves one of the most persistent problems in enterprise technology: the disconnect between what IT builds and what the business actually needs.
Unlike frameworks that focus on process maturity (ITIL), architecture (TOGAF), or delivery cadence (SAFe, PRINCE2), VDC is centred entirely on value — defining it, governing it, delivering it, and measuring whether it was actually realised.
It sits as an overlay above your existing methodologies, adding a strategic value governance layer that keeps IT and business aligned from first idea through to post-delivery benefit realisation.
Each pillar is a self-contained discipline with its own tools, practices, roles, and success metrics. Together they form a closed-loop value system.
The foundation of value delivery
Strategic Alignment ensures that no IT initiative begins without a clear, documented link to a business objective. It introduces a Business Case Gate — a structured checkpoint that validates whether the proposed investment addresses a real business need, has an identified sponsor, a measurable outcome, and a realistic delivery path.
Know what you have. Know what you need.
Capability Mapping builds a structured inventory of the organisation's current IT and business capabilities, scores their maturity, and maps them against what the future strategy demands. This surfaces the gaps that matter most — and prevents investment in capabilities that are already sufficient or strategically irrelevant.
Oversight that enables, not obstructs
Value Governance establishes the decision-making structures, accountability frameworks, and reporting rhythms that keep IT investment transparent and on track. It replaces ad-hoc steering with a structured governance model: from investment approval through to in-flight value tracking and post-delivery benefit confirmation.
Consistent quality, every sprint
Delivery Excellence defines the standards, practices, and quality controls that ensure IT programs consistently produce working, valuable outputs — regardless of the delivery methodology in use. It introduces a common delivery playbook that sits above Agile, SAFe, or waterfall, ensuring scope, quality, and timeline commitments are honoured.
Value doesn't end at go-live
Benefits Realisation closes the loop that most IT frameworks leave open. It formally tracks whether the business outcomes promised in the original business case were actually achieved — and actively manages the post-delivery period to ensure benefits are captured, measured, and reported to leadership with full transparency.
Institutional knowledge, not tribal memory
Continuous Improvement turns each delivery cycle into a learning asset. Retrospective data, delivery metrics, and benefit outcomes are fed back into the organisation's capability baseline — progressively maturing the VDC model and reducing the cost and risk of future programs. This is where VDC compounds in value over time.
A structured 2–4 week assessment of your current IT landscape, delivery maturity, and strategic alignment. We produce a VDC Maturity Score across all six pillars with a gap analysis and prioritised recommendations.
We co-design your Value Blueprint — a living document that maps your organisation's strategic objectives to specific IT capabilities, investments, and delivery programs. It becomes the governance anchor for all IT decisions.
We stand up your VDC governance model: steering cadence, decision rights, RACI, reporting dashboards, and investment approval gates. This typically takes 3–6 weeks and is done alongside your team, not handed over as a document.
With governance in place, delivery programs are activated within the VDC model. Each program has a business case, a value checkpoint schedule, a benefits owner, and a defined post-delivery review date.
At 30, 60, and 90 days post-delivery, we run structured benefit realisation reviews. Outcomes are measured against the Value Blueprint, reported to leadership, and fed back into the continuous improvement cycle.
You don't need to adopt all six pillars at once. Most organisations start with Strategic Alignment and Value Governance — the two pillars that generate immediate, visible impact at leadership level.
From there, the remaining pillars are introduced progressively as the organisation's maturity and appetite grows. The VDC model is designed to compound: each pillar strengthens the others.
Book a Discovery SessionOrganisations using VDC report a significant increase in measurable ROI from technology programs, driven by tighter alignment and active benefits management.
Structured governance and clear capability priorities eliminate wasted cycles — teams deliver working, valued solutions 3× faster on average.
Early-stage validation, ongoing governance, and continuous alignment checks dramatically reduce the risk of costly programme failures or scope creep.
A shared language and common value framework breaks down silos, establishing genuine trust and collaboration between technology leaders and business stakeholders.
Real organisations. Measurable outcomes. Enduring value.
A seasoned IT strategy and delivery leader with deep experience helping organisations align technology investment to measurable business outcomes.
An enterprise architecture and capability management specialist who has led complex transformation programs across financial services and government sectors.
Practitioner-led consulting with transparent, flexible pricing.
Ideal for organisations beginning their VDC journey — an assessment and quick-start roadmap.
Full framework implementation with hands-on advisory — our most popular engagement model.
For large organisations requiring a bespoke, multi-program VDC implementation at scale.
"VDC gave our leadership team clarity they hadn't had in years. Every investment now has a clear line to a business outcome. That alone changed how the board views IT."
"We went from delivering projects to delivering value. VDC's benefits realisation module was the missing piece in our enterprise portfolio management practice."
"The capability mapping pillar alone justified the adoption. We finally had a shared view of what we needed to build versus what we already had."
A Principal Consultant will respond within one business day.
Whether you're exploring VDC for the first time or ready to begin an engagement, we'd love to hear from you. Reach out and a Principal Consultant will be in touch within one business day.
VDC is the only IT governance practice built specifically for the operational realities of retail pharmacy chains — multi-site dispensing environments, PBS and government claiming, ERP and WMS integration, and the pressure to prove IT value to a board that sees technology as a cost.
You are running a regulated clinical environment and a high-volume retail operation simultaneously — across dozens or hundreds of sites — each with its own systems, staff, and operational pressures. Generic IT governance frameworks were not built for this.
A POS failure costs you a transaction. A dispensing system failure costs you a patient. Programs that treat both as a single technology problem consistently underestimate the clinical environment and the resistance of dispensary staff to change driven by retail priorities.
The pharmacy technology stack is unusually fragmented. Dispensing systems, D365 F&O, Blue Yonder, EDI, invoice reconciliation, and government claiming systems must all talk to each other — and every new implementation touches multiple existing integrations. Most programs spend their contingency on technical remediation, leaving nothing for change management or benefits realisation.
IT investment decisions in retail pharmacy chains are increasingly scrutinised at board level. But most CIOs and IT Directors lack the governance framework to translate technology spend into the language of business outcomes — stock turn improvement, dispensing error reduction, labour cost optimisation, or network expansion speed. Without that translation, IT stays a cost centre.
The first five stores in a network rollout get intensive attention. By store fifteen, the implementation team is stretched, the training is compressed, the documentation is outdated, and stores are going live with different configurations. The result is a network that looks standardised on paper but operates inconsistently in practice.
The business case for a new dispensing system or ERP states clear benefits — reduced dispensing time, improved stock accuracy, lower invoice processing cost. But no one is assigned to track them. No baseline is established before go-live. Eighteen months later, leadership asks whether the investment delivered — and nobody can answer.
In virtually every failed pharmacy IT program, the executive sponsor was named on the business case and disappeared from active involvement within three months. Governance fell to a project coordinator with neither the authority to make business decisions nor the seniority to escalate when the program drifted. Go-live happened — but value did not follow.
VDC is not a generic IT governance framework applied to pharmacy. It was built from hands-on delivery experience inside retail pharmacy networks — by practitioners who have run the programs, seen what fails, and know what the environment actually demands.
We work with senior leaders in retail pharmacy chains with 10 to 500+ sites — typically in the following roles.
Tasked with transforming IT from a cost centre to a strategic value driver. Needs a governance framework that generates board-level evidence of IT value — and a practice that has done it in pharmacy before.
Primary engagement leadFrustrated that IT investment is significant but ROI is invisible. Wants a rigorous benefits realisation process that holds programs accountable to the outcomes in their business cases — not just go-live dates and budgets.
Executive sponsorLeading a retail pharmacy network through significant expansion, transformation, or post-merger integration. Needs IT delivery capability that can scale with the business — and independent governance that reports to the board with integrity.
Board-level sponsorOwns the operational outcome of every IT program — but is rarely consulted in program design. Wants a governance model that treats the dispensary and retail operation as the client, not the subject, of IT delivery.
Business outcome ownerEvery tool on this platform was built from direct pharmacy delivery experience. Use them to assess your current state, plan your next program, or benchmark your network.
30-question diagnostic across 6 pillars — see where your IT governance stands today and how you compare to pharmacy sector benchmarks.
Generate a tailored store implementation template and VDG governance framework for your next dispensary or retail store rollout.
Interactive map of all 22 key pharmacy IT systems — dispensing, ERP, POS, EDI, supply chain, BI — with data flows and integration connections.
140+ activities across 12 operational domains — the standard operating framework for retail pharmacy, AU-localised with PBS, AHPRA, and QCPP terminology.
See what board-level IT governance reporting looks like for a retail pharmacy network — portfolio health, benefit realisation, maturity radar, investment pipeline.
Our research on pharmacy IT delivery outcomes — the five root causes of program failure, and the five characteristics of every program that succeeds.
"VDC gave our board something they had never had — a single, trusted number that tells them how well IT is delivering value across the network. For the first time, I walked out of a board meeting with the CIO being seen as a strategic asset, not a budget line."
"We had tried ITIL. We had tried PRINCE2. Both produced compliance activity, not business outcomes. VDC was the first framework that started with the benefit we were trying to deliver — and worked backwards to the governance that would make it happen."
Book a free 60-minute discovery session with a VDC Principal Consultant who has delivered IT programs inside retail pharmacy chains. No sales process. A candid assessment of your current state and a clear recommendation on where to start.
Answer 7 steps to generate your complete pharmacy store build template and governance framework.
Let's start with the fundamentals. This shapes the entire build template.
Tell us about where the pharmacy will be located and the physical space.
Define the zones and physical design requirements of your store.
Select the technology components you require for your pharmacy.
Define the clinical services and dispensing capabilities of your pharmacy.
Help us understand your team structure and workforce needs.
Confirm the regulatory and compliance requirements that apply to your pharmacy.
Generated by Value Delivery Capability
A structured, phase-based governance framework guiding your pharmacy from first decision to Day 1 operational readiness — covering IT, clinical, retail, compliance, and workforce workstreams with clear ownership, outputs, KPIs, and industry benchmarks.
Initiation & Planning (Weeks 1–8): Establish governance structures, confirm project scope, appoint workstream owners, secure legal and regulatory approvals, finalise premises, and set the value baseline. This phase defines the foundation — every decision here shapes total project cost, timeline, and Day 1 readiness. Poor initiation is the #1 cause of pharmacy project overruns.
| Activity | Owner | Expected Output | KPIs & RAG | Industry Standard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
IT Needs Assessment Document all technology requirements across dispensing, retail, clinical, and infrastructure | IT Lead + Pharmacist-in-Charge | IT Requirements Register; approved technology stack list | 100% requirements documented Signed off within 2 weeks Amber if >3 weeks | Completed in Week 1–2; signed by owner & IT lead before any vendor contact |
Dispensing Software Selection Evaluate, demo, and select dispensing system; negotiate licence terms | Pharmacist-in-Charge + IT Lead | Signed software agreement; implementation schedule from vendor | Contract signed by Week 4 Min. 2 vendors evaluated | Best practice: 3 vendors evaluated; demo with real script data; reference check 2 live sites |
Network & Infrastructure Design Design LAN, WAN, WiFi, server room or cloud architecture | IT Lead / MSP Managed Service Provider | Network topology diagram; cabling specification for builder | Design complete by Week 6 Dual ISP / failover planned | 99.9% uptime SLA; primary NBN fibre + 4G/5G failover; min. 100Mbps dedicated |
Cybersecurity & Compliance Baseline Define data security policies, patient privacy controls, endpoint protection | IT Lead + Privacy Officer | Cybersecurity Policy; Privacy Impact Assessment; backup schedule | Policy signed before procurement Zero unencrypted patient data | ASD Essential 8 baseline; daily encrypted backup; RPO <4hrs; RTO <8hrs |
IT Budget & Vendor Shortlist Confirm IT budget allocation; issue RFQ to shortlisted vendors | Project Manager + Owner | Approved IT budget; vendor shortlist with evaluation criteria | IT budget ≤18% of total capex Min. 3 quotes per category | Industry avg IT spend: 12–18% of total pharmacy capex; never single-quote major systems |
| Activity | Owner | Expected Output | KPIs & RAG | Industry Standard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Appoint Project Manager Designate internal or external PM accountable for Day 1 delivery | Owner / Board Decision maker | PM appointment letter; RACI matrix; project charter | PM in place by Day 5 No PM = Red flag | Dedicated PM reduces overrun risk by 43% (PMI 2023); PRINCE2 or PMP preferred |
Master Project Plan Build end-to-end Gantt chart with all workstreams, dependencies, milestones | Project Manager All workstream leads | Approved master Gantt; milestone register; critical path identified | Plan approved by Week 2 ≤10% schedule variance allowed | Weekly plan reviews; Day 1 date locked; buffer of 2 weeks built into critical path |
Risk Register & Issue Log Identify, score, and assign mitigation plans for all project risks | Project Manager + All leads | Risk register (scored); issue log; escalation protocol | All Highs mitigated before Phase 2 Weekly risk review cadence | Min. 20 risks identified at initiation; reviewed weekly; no unmitigated Highs at build start |
Stakeholder & Comms Plan Map all stakeholders; define reporting cadence and escalation paths | Project Manager + Owner | Stakeholder map; weekly status report template; steering committee schedule | Steering mtg fortnightly 100% stakeholders mapped | Fortnightly steering; weekly workstream stand-ups; owner briefed weekly minimum |
Budget Baseline & Controls Lock approved budget; set up cost tracking; define variation approval thresholds | Owner / CFO + Project Manager | Approved budget baseline; cost tracker; variation approval matrix | Budget locked by Week 3 ≤10% contingency reserve | 15% contingency reserve recommended; variations >$5K require owner sign-off; monthly cost review |
| Activity | Owner | Expected Output | KPIs & RAG | Industry Standard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Regulatory Approval Roadmap Map all approvals needed (PBS, AHPRA, State licence, DA) with lead times | Pharmacist-in-Charge + Legal Adviser | Regulatory calendar; application tracker; lead time register | All applications lodged by Week 4 PBS delay = critical risk | PBS approval: allow 12–16 weeks; State licence: 4–8 weeks; lodge all simultaneously |
PBS Application Lodge Submit PBS approval to Services Australia; track assessment status | Pharmacist-in-Charge + Owner | PBS application receipt; Services Australia case number | Lodged Week 1–2 If not lodged by Week 4 = Red | Industry best: lodge PBS Day 1 of project; average approval 14 weeks; expedite if available |
Development Approval (DA) Engage architect/draftsperson; submit council DA for fitout works | Project Manager + Architect | DA lodgement receipt; council consent (prior to build) | DA lodged by Week 3 Consent before builder mobilises | DA processing: 4–12 weeks depending on council; never commence fitout without consent |
QCPP Pre-registration Initiate Quality Care Pharmacy Program application; assign internal champion | Pharmacist-in-Charge + Quality Lead | QCPP enrolment; gap analysis against standards; action plan | Enrolled by Week 6 Gap analysis complete Week 8 | QCPP accreditation within 12 months of opening; early enrolment reduces audit risk |
Design & Procurement (Weeks 9–18): Finalise store design, issue purchase orders for all major categories, contract key vendors, begin IT system configuration, and confirm staffing plan. This phase converts plans into commitments — cost control and scope lock are critical governance priorities.
| Activity | Owner | Expected Output | KPIs & RAG | Industry Standard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Dispensing System Configuration Work with vendor to configure dispensing software; set up formularies, pricing, PBS codes | IT Lead + Dispensing Vendor | Configured test environment; UAT plan; go-live checklist | Config complete by Week 14 UAT pass rate ≥95% | Allow 4–6 weeks for full config; run parallel test dispensing for 2 weeks before go-live |
POS & Retail System Setup Configure POS, product catalogue, pricing engine, EFTPOS integration | IT Lead + Retail Manager | POS configured; product file loaded; payment tested end-to-end | Product file ≥95% complete Week 16 EFTPOS tested & certified | Full product catalogue loaded 2 weeks pre-opening; EFTPOS bank certification completed |
My Health Record Integration Register with ADHA; configure clinical software for MHR access | Pharmacist-in-Charge + IT Lead | ADHA registration complete; MHR access tested in sandbox | Registration by Week 12 Live access tested before Day 1 | MHR mandatory for PBS dispensing; ADHA registration 2–4 weeks; test with dummy patient pre-launch |
Hardware Procurement Order all IT hardware: POS terminals, scanners, printers, network gear, screens | IT Lead + Project Manager | Purchase orders raised; delivery schedule confirmed; install sequence planned | All POs raised by Week 12 Lead times confirmed per item | Allow 4–8 weeks lead time on specialised hardware; never order hardware before cabling spec locked |
IT Disaster Recovery Plan Document DR procedures, test backup restoration, define RTO/RPO | IT Lead + MSP | DR plan document; successful backup restore test; staff DR cheat sheet | RTO ≤8 hours RPO ≤4 hours | Pharmacy DR best practice: RTO <4hrs; RPO <1hr for dispensing data; test monthly post-launch |
| Activity | Owner | Expected Output | KPIs & RAG | Industry Standard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Architectural Design Sign-off Finalise store layout drawings; confirm dispensary, retail, and clinical zone specifications | Project Manager + Architect + Owner | Approved architectural drawings; construction documentation package | Owner sign-off by Week 10 No design changes after Week 12 | Freeze design at Week 10; changes after Week 12 add avg. $8K–$20K in variations |
Builder Tender & Award Issue tender to 3+ builders; evaluate; award contract with fixed-price provisions | Project Manager + Owner | Signed building contract; fixed-price schedule; variation protocol agreed | Contract signed by Week 12 Min. 3 tenders evaluated | Fixed-price contract preferred; liquidated damages clause for delay; builder pharmacy experience essential |
Joinery & Fixture Procurement Order dispensary joinery, retail shelving, counters — long lead items | Project Manager + Designer | Purchase orders for all joinery; confirmed delivery-to-site dates | Orders placed by Week 11 Lead time >10 weeks = Red | Custom joinery: 8–12 week lead time; order immediately after design freeze; never after builder start |
Signage & Brand Procurement Commission external signage, internal wayfinding, window graphics, uniforms | Marketing Lead + Owner | Signage proofs approved; production order placed; install date booked | Proofs approved Week 14 Install booked 2 weeks pre-open | Signage lead time 3–5 weeks; never install before builder practical completion |
| Activity | Owner | Expected Output | KPIs & RAG | Industry Standard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Workforce Structure Design Define org chart, roles, FTE count, award classifications, shift patterns | HR Lead + Pharmacist-in-Charge | Org chart; position descriptions; award mapping; rostering template | Complete by Week 10 All roles award-mapped correctly | Pharmacist:script ratio = 1 pharmacist per 150 scripts/day; technician ratio 1:1 at high volume |
Pharmacist Recruitment Advertise, interview, and offer pharmacist roles; verify AHPRA registration | HR Lead / Owner + Recruitment Agency | Signed contracts; AHPRA verified; onboarding schedule | All pharmacists contracted by Week 16 Unregistered pharmacist = Red stop | Begin recruitment Week 9; allow 6–8 weeks to fill; verify AHPRA before issuing contract |
Support Staff Recruitment Recruit dispensary technicians, retail assistants, and admin staff | HR Lead + Store Manager | All roles filled; employment contracts signed; onboarding packs issued | 100% roles filled by Week 18 Staff turnover risk assessed | Retail pharmacy turnover avg. 28% p.a.; hire 10–15% above planned FTE to absorb early attrition |
Payroll & HR System Setup Configure payroll software, award rules, leave entitlements, reporting | HR Lead / Accountant + Payroll Vendor | Payroll system live; all staff loaded; first pay run tested | Test pay run complete Week 17 Payroll error rate must be 0% | Pharmacy Industry Award compliance critical; STP Phase 2 reporting mandatory from Day 1 |
Build & Integration (Weeks 19–30): Physical fitout construction, IT installation and commissioning, stock procurement, staff training, and full systems integration testing. The critical path converges here — builder, IT, and clinical workstreams must be coordinated tightly to avoid Day 1 delays.
| Activity | Owner | Expected Output | KPIs & RAG | Industry Standard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Data Cabling Installation Install and test all structured cabling, patch panels, and data points per design spec | IT Lead / Cabler + Builder | Cable test certificates; as-built drawings; patch panel labelled | 100% points tested & certified No untested data points on handover | Cat6A minimum; all points ANSI/TIA-568 certified; as-built drawings mandatory for future support |
Network Active Equipment Install Install switches, routers, firewall, WiFi APs, UPS; configure and test | IT Lead / MSP Network engineer | Network live and stable; firewall rules active; WiFi coverage tested | 99.9% uptime SLA confirmed WiFi -65dBm or better in all zones | Managed switch per floor; UPS protecting all dispensing equipment; guest VLAN isolated |
POS & Dispensing Hardware Install Deploy all terminals, scanners, label printers, receipt printers, customer displays | IT Lead + Vendor tech | All hardware installed; device inventory; warranty register | 100% devices online by Week 27 Warranty registered for all items | Device asset register mandatory; 4hr on-site support SLA for dispensing hardware Day 1+ |
End-to-End Systems Integration Test Test full dispensing workflow: script in → dispense → label → EFTPOS → MHR | IT Lead + Pharmacist-in-Charge | UAT sign-off report; defect log resolved; go/no-go recommendation | UAT pass rate ≥98% Zero P1 defects on go-live | Min. 3 days end-to-end UAT; simulate peak volume (150% of expected); pharmacist must sign off |
CCTV & Security Commissioning Install cameras, alarm, access control; test recording and monitoring | IT Lead / Security Co. + Owner | All cameras live; monitoring contract signed; alarm tested | 100% coverage dispensary & S8 safe 30-day recording retention | S8 safe must be camera-covered; 4K resolution minimum dispensary; 30-day cloud retention |
IT Staff Training Train all staff on dispensing software, POS, MHR, and IT procedures | IT Lead + Vendor trainers | Training completion register; competency sign-offs; quick reference guides | 100% staff trained before Day 1 Competency assessed — not just attended | Minimum 8hrs dispensing system training per pharmacist; 4hrs POS per retail staff; refresher at 30 days |
| Activity | Owner | Expected Output | KPIs & RAG | Industry Standard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Opening Stock Order — Dispensary Place opening dispensary stock order with wholesaler; manage delivery and receipt | Pharmacist-in-Charge + Wholesaler rep | Stock received & checked; cold chain items verified; S8 received and entered | Stock delivered Week 28–29 Cold chain breach = reject & reorder | Opening dispensary stock $60K–$150K; 100% cold chain temp checked on receipt; S8 entered same day |
S8 Drug Safe Installation & Registration Install compliant S8 safe; register with state authority; document access protocols | Pharmacist-in-Charge + State authority | Safe installed & tested; state registration confirmed; access log initiated | Installed & registered before stock No S8 receipt without registered safe | State-compliant safe mandatory; bolt-to-floor required; access log from Day 1; dual-key minimum |
SOPs & Clinical Protocols Write and approve all Standard Operating Procedures for dispensing and clinical services | Pharmacist-in-Charge + Quality Lead | SOP library approved; staff sign-off on relevant SOPs; SOP register | 100% SOPs approved before Day 1 All clinical staff sign-off confirmed | QCPP requires min. 18 SOPs; reviewed annually; staff must sign acknowledgement; version controlled |
Vaccine & Cold Chain Setup Commission pharmaceutical fridges; validate temperature monitoring; set up vaccine protocol | Pharmacist-in-Charge + Cold chain vendor | Fridge validation report; temp logger active; vaccine SOP signed off | 2–8°C range maintained 100% Temp breach = discard & report | NIP requirement: continuous monitoring; NQMS-compliant logger; 72hr battery backup; alert within 30mins |
| Activity | Owner | Expected Output | KPIs & RAG | Industry Standard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Planogram Implementation Execute approved category planograms; set shelving; merchandise all retail stock | Retail Manager + Merchandising team | All bays planogrammed; 100% stock on shelf; POS labels printed | Merch complete 3 days pre-open ≥95% fill rate on Day 1 | 100% planogram compliance; 98%+ OSA (on-shelf availability) Day 1; empty shelf = lost sale |
Opening Stock Order — Retail Place and receive all retail, OTC and health/beauty opening stock | Retail Manager + Suppliers | Stock received; GRN completed; all items in POS system | 100% stock in POS by Week 29 Shrinkage controlled at receipt | Retail stock $40K–$100K; GRN every delivery; cyclic stocktake within first 30 days of opening |
Opening Marketing Campaign Launch pre-opening social media, letterbox drops, Google Business setup, opening offers | Marketing Lead + Owner | Campaign live; Google Business verified; opening specials confirmed | Campaign live 2 weeks pre-open Google Business live Week 28 | Opening campaign budget 1–2% of first-year revenue target; Google Business verified before Day 1 |
Loyalty Program Launch Setup Configure loyalty system; train staff; prepare collateral and sign-up incentive | Retail Manager + IT Lead | Loyalty system live; staff trained; opening sign-up offer approved | Target: 30 sign-ups on Day 1 100% staff can demonstrate sign-up | Best practice: 15–20% of Day 1 customers enrolled in loyalty; incentive drives 2.5× repeat visit rate |
Launch & Optimise (Weeks 31–36+): Day 1 operational readiness, grand opening execution, performance monitoring, and 30/60/90-day value realisation reviews. This phase closes the governance loop — measuring actual outcomes against the value baseline set in Phase 1, and establishing ongoing IT and operational rhythms.
| Activity | Owner | Expected Output | KPIs & RAG | Industry Standard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Pre-Opening Readiness Checklist Complete 48-hour pre-opening inspection across all workstreams; resolve all blockers | Project Manager All workstream leads | Signed readiness checklist; zero open P1 items; go/no-go confirmed | 100% checklist items Green Any P1 open = delay opening | 48hr pre-check is non-negotiable; independent review recommended; PBS must be active before opening |
IT Go-Live Support On-site IT support for Day 1 and Day 2; rapid response to any system issues | IT Lead / MSP On-site Day 1 | Incident log; all issues resolved same day; escalation contacts confirmed | Zero dispensing system downtime Issue resolution <30 mins | On-site IT mandatory Day 1 & 2; remote support contract in place from Day 3; 4hr SLA post-launch |
Grand Opening Execution Execute opening event; welcome customers; capture first-day metrics | Owner / Store Manager All staff | Opening event executed; Day 1 script count & sales captured; customer feedback gathered | Day 1 scripts ≥ plan Customer satisfaction NPS ≥40 | Capture NPS from Day 1; industry benchmark NPS 45–65; script volume target based on catchment analysis |
End-of-Day 1 Debrief All leads debrief on Day 1 performance; log issues; assign remediation actions | Project Manager All workstream leads | Day 1 debrief notes; issues register updated; priority actions for Day 2 | Debrief within 2 hours of close All P1/P2 actions owner-assigned | Same-day debrief is best practice; all issues logged in writing; owner reviews debrief report by 8pm |
PBS Claiming — First Claim Cycle Submit first PBS claim to Services Australia; reconcile and confirm payment | Pharmacist-in-Charge + Accountant | PBS claim submitted; remittance confirmed; reconciliation complete | Claim error rate <0.5% Payment received within 14 days | PBS claim monthly; error rate <0.5% industry benchmark; reconcile within 5 business days of receipt |
| Activity | Owner | Expected Output | KPIs & RAG | Industry Standard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
30-Day Performance Review Review scripts/day, sales, staffing, IT stability, and customer feedback vs. plan | Owner / Store Manager + All leads | 30-day performance report; variance analysis; remediation plan if off-track | Scripts ≥80% of 30-day target Sales within 15% of forecast | Industry ramp: 60–70% of steady-state scripts by Day 30; 85% by Day 60; 100% by Day 90 |
IT Systems Performance Review Review uptime, incident log, user issues, training gaps; tune systems based on real usage | IT Lead + Pharmacist-in-Charge | IT performance report; incident trend analysis; optimisation actions | System uptime ≥99.5% Avg. incident resolution <2hrs | Dispensing system downtime >30 mins = reportable event; monthly IT review mandatory first 6 months |
60-Day Financial Health Check Review P&L, cash flow, PBS receivables, COGS, and labour cost vs. budget | Owner / Accountant + Store Manager | P&L to budget; cash flow forecast; cost optimisation actions | GP% ≥28% dispensing Labour cost ≤35% of revenue | Pharmacy industry: dispensing GP 28–32%; retail GP 35–45%; labour 30–35%; EBITDA target 10–15% |
90-Day Value Realisation Report Formal report on value delivered vs. business case; present to owner/board; update forecasts | Project Manager + Owner | Value realisation report; ROI calculation; 12-month revised forecast | ROI trajectory on track Payback period confirmed | Pharmacy payback period: 4–7 years; ROI 15–25% by Year 3; document lessons learned for next site |
Continuous Improvement Plan Establish ongoing governance rhythm: monthly reviews, quarterly board reporting, annual IT refresh | Owner / Store Manager All leads | Governance calendar; monthly KPI dashboard; annual IT and clinical review schedule | Monthly dashboard in place Quarterly board review scheduled | Best practice: monthly ops review; quarterly board pack; annual IT refresh budget = 8–12% of IT capex |
A phase-by-phase governance guide for pharmacy store build — from first decision to Day 1 operational readiness.
A structured, phase-based IT governance framework that guides your pharmacy build from initiation through to Day 1 launch and 90-day value realisation — with clear ownership, outputs and KPIs at every step.
Pharmacy owners, project managers, IT leads, and consulting teams managing the build of a new dispensing and retail pharmacy — particularly those wanting to apply IT governance best practice from Day 1.
A printable, customised governance report with 4 phases, 20+ workstreams, 80+ activities, RAG KPIs, industry benchmarks, and owner assignments — tailored to your specific pharmacy inputs.
Your pharmacy inputs (size, model, IT systems, services) personalise the governance output. Both documents are generated together at the end of the 7-step wizard.
A detailed 30-question diagnostic across all six VDC pillars — benchmarked against industry standards. Takes ~8 minutes.
Answer honestly based on your organisation's current state, not your aspirations. Each answer is scored 1–5 and weighted against the VDC benchmark database. Your results show where you stand, where the gaps are, and what to prioritise first.
Based on your responses across all six VDC pillars, benchmarked against the VDC industry database.
Get a detailed PDF with your scores, findings, prioritised recommendations, and a 90-day improvement roadmap — sent directly to your inbox.
A practitioner-built reference covering 140+ standardised store operations activities across 12 domains — with owners, frequency, tools, and key metrics for every activity. Built for pharmacy retail networks opening new stores in Australia or globally.
Daily activities to safely and compliantly open the store.
| Activity | Frequency | Owner / Role | Tools / Systems | Key Metric |
|---|
Use this Operations Guide as your standard reference, then generate a project-specific build plan with the Pharmacy Store Builder.
And what the ones that succeed do differently. An analysis of IT delivery outcomes across Australian and Irish retail pharmacy networks — drawing on practitioner experience across 200+ organisations.
Retail pharmacy is one of the most complex operational environments in which to deliver IT programs. You are simultaneously managing a regulated clinical dispensing environment, a high-volume retail operation, a supply chain connected to government payers, and a growing eCommerce and digital health channel — often across dozens or hundreds of sites, each with its own staffing pressures and operational constraints.
Against that backdrop, IT programs are routinely initiated with high expectations and considerable investment. And yet, in our experience across more than 200 pharmacy and retail health organisations in Australia and Ireland, the pattern is depressingly consistent: the majority of IT programs in this sector fail to deliver the business benefits that justified their approval.
The 72% figure is not an industry statistic — it is our own observation, drawn from engagements where we were brought in after a program had failed or stalled, and asked to understand what went wrong. The causes are remarkably consistent. So, more encouragingly, are the characteristics of the programs that succeed.
Every failed pharmacy IT program we have analysed had at least three of the following five root causes present from the outset. In most cases, all five were present — and none were identified until the damage was already done.
The business case for most pharmacy IT programs is prepared to secure funding, not to manage delivery. Benefits are stated — "reduce dispensing errors by 20%", "improve stock turn by 15%", "reduce invoice reconciliation time by 40%" — but no one is assigned to track them. No baseline is established before go-live. No mechanism exists to measure whether the benefit has materialised six months after implementation. By the time leadership asks "are we getting the value we expected?", the answer is impossible to determine.
"The business case gets written to get the money. Then the project gets delivered to meet the timeline. Nobody ever goes back and checks whether the pharmacy actually dispensed fewer errors. The benefit was always theoretical."
Retail pharmacy is genuinely two businesses operating in the same building under the same roof. The dispensary is a regulated clinical environment with different workflows, different staff, different compliance requirements, and different success metrics from the retail front end. Programs that treat both as a single technology problem — a single ERP implementation, a single POS rollout, a single inventory system — consistently underestimate the complexity of the dispensing environment and the resistance of clinical staff to change driven by retail logic.
In virtually every failed program we have reviewed, the executive sponsor was named on the business case and then disappeared from active involvement within the first three months. Governance fell to a project manager or an IT team lead who had neither the authority to make business decisions nor the seniority to escalate when the program drifted. The business units affected by the program — the dispensary, the retail floor, the supply chain team — were never genuinely engaged as co-owners of the outcome.
The retail pharmacy technology landscape is unusually fragmented. A network of 30 stores might be running three different dispensing systems, two POS platforms, a head office ERP, a separate supply chain planning tool, EDI connections to multiple wholesalers, and government claiming systems for PBS or GMS. Every new system implementation touches multiple existing integrations. Programs that underestimate integration complexity — and most do — spend their contingency budget on technical remediation, leaving nothing for change management, training, or benefits realisation activity.
The most consistent failure pattern across every sector we work in — but particularly acute in pharmacy — is the treatment of go-live as project completion. The project team disbands. The steering committee stops meeting. The vendor moves on to the next implementation. And the organisation is left to embed a new system, change entrenched workflows, and realise promised benefits with no dedicated resource, no governance structure, and no measurement mechanism. Go-live is not value delivery. It is the beginning of value delivery.
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The programs that succeed — the 28% that fully realise or exceed their intended benefits — share five characteristics. None of them are particularly surprising in isolation. What distinguishes the successful programs is that all five are present, consistently applied, from the outset.
In every successful program we have observed, the business owner who will be accountable for realising the benefit is identified and committed before the program is approved. This is not the project sponsor — it is the operational manager or executive whose KPIs will move if the benefit is realised. The dispensary manager owns the reduction in dispensing errors. The supply chain director owns the improvement in stock turn. The CFO owns the reduction in invoice processing cost. They are named in the business case, they attend governance forums, and they are held accountable twelve months after go-live.
"We made one change that transformed our delivery outcomes: we stopped allowing a program to proceed if the business owner of the primary benefit had not personally committed to a baseline measurement and a 12-month review date."
Successful retail pharmacy programs treat the dispensary and the retail front end as separate delivery streams with separate governance, separate change management, and separate go-live sequencing. This is not about running two projects — it is about recognising that the clinical environment operates on different risk tolerances, different staff profiles, and different regulatory requirements from the retail environment. A POS failure costs you a sales transaction. A dispensing system failure costs you a patient.
The programs that succeed treat the integration layer as the riskiest component of the delivery, not an afterthought. They sequence system implementations to minimise the number of live integrations at any point in time. They establish a dedicated integration testing environment that mirrors production. They run parallel operation periods — old system and new system simultaneously — for longer than feels comfortable. And they have a clear rollback plan for every integration point before a single store goes live.
In successful programs, go-live is not the end of the project — it is the start of a 90-day intensive benefits realisation period. A dedicated team remains active post go-live, with the specific mandate of embedding the new system into operational workflows, measuring benefit materialisation against the baseline, and resolving the friction points that prevent staff from working in the new way. This team typically includes at least one pharmacist, one operations manager, and one IT representative. It is not an extended hypercare team — it is a benefits realisation team with explicit KPIs.
The single most consistent characteristic of programs that realise their full benefits is that the governance structure established for the program is maintained after go-live, not disbanded. A lightweight steering committee continues to meet quarterly. Benefit metrics continue to be reported. The executive sponsor remains accountable. This does not require significant resource — but it requires explicit commitment from the organisation before the program begins, not as an afterthought at go-live.
If you are preparing to invest in a significant IT program across your retail pharmacy network — a new dispensing system, a POS rollout, a supply chain transformation, an ERP implementation — the single most valuable thing you can do before you start is establish the governance model that will outlast the project.
That means naming the business owners of every material benefit. It means committing to a baseline measurement before go-live. It means separating the dispensary and retail governance streams. And it means building in a 90-day post go-live benefits realisation period as a non-negotiable component of the program plan, not a nice-to-have that gets cut when the timeline compresses.
"The programs that succeed are not the ones with the best technology. They are the ones with the clearest accountability for what the technology is supposed to deliver — and the governance structures to make sure that accountability is maintained after the project team has moved on."
The VDC framework was built specifically to address these failure patterns. The six pillars — strategic alignment, capability mapping, value governance, delivery excellence, benefits realisation, and continuous improvement — are each designed to prevent one or more of the root causes described above. The Pharmacy Store Builder and VDC Maturity Index on this site are practical tools drawn from this framework that you can use to assess your organisation's current position and readiness.
If you are planning a significant IT program and want an independent perspective on your governance readiness before you begin, we offer a free 60-minute discovery session. No obligation, no sales process — a candid assessment from a practitioner who has seen what works and what doesn't.
The only published taxonomy of measurable operational metrics that IT programs move inside retail pharmacy chains — with benchmark ranges, ownership models, and measurement approaches. Built from practitioner experience across 200+ pharmacy organisations.
Select your initiative type, network size, and governance maturity. The estimator draws on benchmark data from the VDC database to output a structured benefit range across all relevant value levers — with key risks and governance requirements.
A complete interactive map of the 22 key IT systems powering a modern retail pharmacy network — with data flows, integrations, roles, and connections. Click any system for full detail.
VDC is a specialist practice. We are selective about who we engage — not because we're exclusive, but because our methodology only delivers its full value in the right conditions. Use the assessment below to find out if your organisation is a strong fit.
VDC's methodology works because it requires genuine organisational commitment — from leadership, from business sponsors, and from the teams doing the work. Without that commitment, even the best framework produces mediocre results.
We have turned down engagements where the conditions weren't right. In every case, it was the right call — for both parties. This qualification process helps us identify where VDC can make a genuine, lasting difference.
The assessment below is honest, not a sales funnel. If you score low, we'll tell you why and what to address before engaging. If you score high, we'll know exactly where to start.
This is an honest picture of where VDC creates genuine value — and where it doesn't.
Answer 12 questions honestly. Takes 3 minutes. You'll receive an immediate fit score across four dimensions, with a plain-language recommendation.
Answer based on your organisation's current reality, not where you'd like to be. The assessment is most useful when it's honest — the output is a private recommendation, not a public score.
Based on your responses across all four dimensions.
Coming soon — a full diagnostic and governance framework for banking, insurance, and wealth management IT transformation.
In the meantime, explore our live sector playbooks for Retail, Pharmacy, Healthcare, and Government — or book a Discovery Session to discuss your financial services IT needs directly.
Coming soon — a full diagnostic and governance framework for telecommunications network and digital transformation programs.
In the meantime, explore our live sector playbooks for Retail, Pharmacy, Healthcare, and Government — or book a Discovery Session to discuss your telecommunications IT needs directly.
A full diagnostic and governance framework for multi-site retail health chains — covering network-wide IT rollout, supply chain, omnichannel, and banner group technology transformation.
Retail health chains — from independent banner groups to national networks — face a unique IT challenge: rolling out consistent, compliant, high-performing technology across dozens or hundreds of stores, each with local variation in size, staffing, and customer base.
The VDC Retail Playbook applies the full six-pillar VDC methodology to the unique network rollout, supply chain, omnichannel, and franchise governance challenges of multi-site retail health — from independent banner groups to national pharmacy and health retail chains.
Each store ends up with a slightly different POS, dispensing, or inventory setup. VDC's capability mapping pillar establishes a single network standard before rollout begins.
Independently owned stores under a banner group create governance friction. VDC's value governance model balances network standards with franchisee autonomy.
Inventory visibility across dozens of sites is often poor. VDC's delivery excellence pillar ensures supply chain and inventory systems are rolled out with real network-wide visibility.
Click-and-collect, app ordering, and in-store fulfilment frequently fail to integrate cleanly. VDC's capability mapping surfaces integration gaps before they become customer-facing failures.
Rolling out to 50+ stores without a clear sequence creates chaos and inconsistent support load. VDC's delivery excellence pillar builds a phased, risk-managed rollout plan.
Network-wide ROI is rarely measured in aggregate — only store by store, inconsistently. VDC's benefits realisation pillar consolidates value tracking at the network level.
Answer questions about your retail network and rollout program to receive a tailored playbook with governance framework, KPIs, and industry benchmarks.
Tell us about your retail health network so we can tailor the playbook appropriately.
What is the primary network-wide IT program you are planning or delivering?
Help us understand your current network technology environment.
Tell us about your current governance model and franchise/banner relationships.
Final details to complete your Retail Network Playbook.
Generated by Value Delivery Capability · Tailored to your network and program inputs.
A full diagnostic and governance framework for healthcare organisations delivering complex IT programs — from EMR rollouts to digital health transformation.
Australian healthcare organisations are under immense pressure to digitise — EMR rollouts, telehealth platforms, interoperability programs, and clinical decision support systems are consuming billions in capital. Yet the gap between promised and realised value remains one of the widest of any sector.
The VDC Healthcare Playbook applies the full six-pillar VDC methodology to the unique governance, clinical, regulatory, and technology challenges of the healthcare sector — from public hospital networks to private health groups and primary care networks.
Clinicians and IT teams speak different languages. VDC bridges this gap with shared value metrics and joint governance structures.
TGA, AHPRA, My Health Record, privacy legislation — healthcare IT must navigate a dense compliance landscape without slowing delivery.
Siloed systems that can't talk to each other destroy value. VDC's capability mapping pillar surfaces integration gaps before investment is committed.
EMR and digital health programs routinely go live without a benefits realisation plan. VDC makes post-delivery value tracking mandatory.
Multiple stakeholders — boards, clinical leads, health departments, PHNs — create governance confusion. VDC establishes a single value governance model.
Clinicians and staff are exhausted by constant system changes. VDC's delivery excellence pillar ensures changes are managed with genuine stakeholder engagement.
Answer questions about your organisation and program to receive a tailored playbook with governance framework, KPIs, and industry benchmarks.
Tell us about your healthcare organisation so we can tailor the playbook appropriately.
What is the primary IT program or transformation you are planning or currently delivering?
Help us understand your current technology environment and maturity.
Tell us about your current governance model and delivery approach.
Final details to complete your Healthcare IT Playbook.
Generated by Value Delivery Capability · Tailored to your organisation and program inputs.
A full diagnostic and governance framework for government agencies delivering complex ICT programs — from digital service transformation to whole-of-government platform programs.
Australian governments — federal and state — spend over $10 billion annually on ICT. Yet parliamentary inquiries, auditor-general reports, and independent reviews consistently find the same problems: scope creep, budget overruns, delayed benefits, and a persistent inability to connect technology spend to citizen outcomes.
The VDC Government Playbook applies the full six-pillar VDC methodology to the unique procurement, probity, accountability, and delivery challenges of the public sector — from individual agencies to whole-of-government transformation programs.
Government procurement rules, panel arrangements, and probity requirements slow delivery. VDC's governance model is designed to work within — not around — these constraints.
Ministers, secretaries, audit offices, and parliamentary committees all demand different reporting. VDC provides a single value reporting model that satisfies all layers.
Government priorities shift with elections and policy cycles. VDC's adaptive governance ensures programs can pivot without losing value discipline.
Whole-of-government programs require alignment across multiple agencies with competing priorities. VDC's value governance model creates shared accountability structures.
Government programs rarely track outcomes post-delivery. VDC's benefits realisation pillar makes post-delivery value measurement a governance requirement — not an afterthought.
Data sovereignty, security classifications, and Essential 8 compliance add complexity. VDC's delivery excellence pillar incorporates government security requirements from Day 1.
Answer questions about your agency and program to receive a tailored playbook with governance framework, KPIs, and industry benchmarks.
Tell us about your government agency or organisation.
What is the primary ICT program you are planning or delivering?
Help us understand your current technology environment.
Tell us about your current governance and accountability structures.
Final details to complete your Government ICT Playbook.
Generated by Value Delivery Capability · Tailored to your agency and program inputs.
An embedded IT governance and value delivery service — operating as your organisation's ongoing strategic IT partner, not a one-off consultant.
Most IT consulting engagements end at go-live. The Value Office doesn't. It's a retainer-based service that keeps VDC's governance, value tracking, and benefit realisation disciplines operating inside your organisation on an ongoing basis — like having a Chief Value Officer without the headcount.
The Value Office combines a monthly advisory retainer with structured quarterly deep-dives, giving your leadership team continuous visibility over IT value, and your delivery teams continuous access to VDC expertise when they need it most.
Once embedded, organisations consistently report that the Value Office pays for itself within the first quarter — simply by preventing the wrong investments, accelerating the right ones, and ensuring go-live benefits are actually captured.
Regular steering cadence, RAG reporting, value checkpoint reviews, and executive briefings — keeping IT and business aligned every month.
Structured 90-day program reviews: portfolio health, benefits realisation tracking, maturity reassessment, and a prioritised forward plan.
Direct access to a Principal Consultant for investment decisions, vendor negotiations, business cases, and governance challenges as they arise.
Annual VDC Maturity Index re-assessment tracks your organisation's capability improvement year-on-year — with a published score for board reporting.
Active management of your benefits register — tracking promised vs. delivered value across all active programs with monthly reporting to leadership.
We begin with a full VDC Maturity Index assessment, portfolio review, and governance gap analysis. This becomes your baseline — the starting point for measuring improvement.
Every month: steering meeting, RAG dashboard update, value checkpoint reviews, benefits register update, and a written executive summary for your CIO or board.
Every 90 days: a structured portfolio review, benefits realisation report, maturity score update, and a prioritised 90-day forward plan — presented to your leadership team.
Each year: a full Value Realisation Report comparing IT investment against outcomes delivered — with your updated VDC Maturity Score, board-ready and benchmarked.
| Service | Starter | Core | Strategic | Enterprise | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Monthly Governance Meeting Structured steering with agenda, RAG status, decisions, and actions | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Monthly |
Executive RAG Dashboard Portfolio health, value status, risk summary — board-ready format | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Monthly |
Benefits Register Maintenance Active tracking of promised vs. delivered benefits across all programs | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Monthly |
On-Demand Advisory Access Direct Principal Consultant access for decisions, reviews, and advice | 2 hrs/mo | 4 hrs/mo | 8 hrs/mo | Unlimited | As needed |
Quarterly Portfolio Deep-Dive Full portfolio review, benefits report, and 90-day forward plan | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Quarterly |
Investment Business Case Review Review and strengthen business cases before submission or approval | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | As needed |
VDC Maturity Index Assessment Full 30-question diagnostic with benchmarked results and improvement plan | Annual | Annual | Bi-annual | Bi-annual | Annual / Bi-annual |
Vendor & Contract Review Independent review of vendor proposals, SLAs, and contract terms | — | — | ✓ | ✓ | As needed |
Capability Roadmap Review Quarterly review of capability investments against strategic direction | — | — | ✓ | ✓ | Quarterly |
Board / Executive Presentation Annual Value Realisation Report — board-ready with VDC Maturity Score | — | — | ✓ | ✓ | Annual |
Dedicated Principal Consultant Named, senior consultant assigned to your account — not a rotating team | — | — | — | ✓ | Ongoing |
Multi-Program Portfolio Governance Enterprise-scale governance across multiple concurrent programs and business units | — | — | — | ✓ | Ongoing |
For organisations beginning their VDC journey — establishing governance rhythm and baseline visibility.
For organisations actively delivering IT programs who need ongoing governance and benefit tracking.
For organisations that want VDC operating as a genuine strategic partner — with full governance and board-level reporting.
For large organisations requiring a dedicated Principal Consultant and enterprise-scale portfolio governance.
All tiers require a minimum 6-month commitment. Annual commitments receive a 10% discount. Quarterly Deep-Dive fees are in addition to the monthly retainer.
Organisations in the Value Office program consistently report that prevented poor investments and accelerated good ones generate returns well above the retainer cost within the first year.
Active benefits register management means significantly fewer IT investments disappear without a measurable outcome — turning delivery into demonstrable business value.
Organisations entering the Value Office at an average maturity score of 38/100 consistently reach 60+ within 12 months — measurable capability growth, not just advisory output.
Once the Value Office governance rhythm is embedded, organisations choose to continue — because the alternative is losing the oversight capability they've built.
With governance structures, templates, and a Principal Consultant on call, investment decisions that previously took weeks are resolved in days — with better outcomes.
Every Strategic and Enterprise tier client has a board-ready Annual Value Realisation Report — giving leadership the evidence they need to make confident IT investment decisions.
Book a no-obligation Discovery Session. In 60 minutes we'll assess your current governance state and recommend the right Value Office tier for your organisation.
Real-time visibility over portfolio health, benefit delivery, maturity score, and governance actions — in one place.
This is a live interactive demo of VDC Pulse — populated with realistic sample data for a mid-size financial services organisation. Explore the dashboard, then use the Personalise with AI tab to generate a view tailored to your own organisation in seconds.
| Program | Phase | RAG | Schedule | Budget | Value Checkpoint | Next Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Core Banking Modernisation Platform Replacement · $18M | Build & Integrate | ● Green | On track | +2% | Due in 8 days | UAT sign-off |
Data & Analytics Platform New Capability · $7.5M | Design & Procure | ● Green | On track | -1% | Next month | Vendor shortlist |
Cybersecurity Uplift — Ess. 8 Security · $3.2M | Build | ● Amber | 4 weeks behind | +9% | Overdue 3 days | Escalate to CIO |
Customer Portal Redesign Digital · $4.8M | Launch & Stabilise | ● Green | Delivered | -3% | 90-day review due | Benefits review |
Cloud Infrastructure Migration Infrastructure · $5.1M | Initiation | ● Green | On track | 0% | Not yet due | Business case |
Regulatory Reporting Automation Compliance · $2.1M | Build | ● Red | 8 weeks behind | +22% | Missed — action required | Recovery plan today |
HR System Replacement Core Platform · $1.9M | Design | ● Amber | 2 weeks behind | +7% | 3 weeks | Vendor demo |
API Integration Layer Architecture · $1.4M | Build | ● Green | On track | +1% | 2 weeks | Integration test |
VDC Pulse is included in all Value Office engagements from Core tier and above. Book a discovery session to see a live demo with your own data.
Tell us about your organisation and active IT programs. Claude will generate a personalised Pulse summary — with tailored KPI observations, portfolio risk flags, and recommended governance actions specific to your context.