Repatriating Shared Systems — Tate & Lyle / Redpath Sugar
Repatriating Shared Systems | Redpath Sugar
Developed broad plan and costs for repatriating self-sufficient IT capability into Redpath Sugar from a global shared services operation. Scope of systems included SAP, plant automation, a custom commodity trading system, and personal productivity systems. Established high level alternatives and estimated operating and transitional costs.
BACKGROUND
Tate & Lyle Canada was preparing to divest itself of Redpath Sugar.
Under Tate & Lyle, Redpath Sugar relied on global shared services for its IT capabilities — all IT services were operated from outside of Canada.
To facilitate divestment, Tate & Lyle needed to develop plans and estimate costs for creating self-sufficient IT capability for Redpath Sugar.
PAIN POINTS
- Urgent time constraints due to planned divestment timeline
- Need for absolute confidentiality to avoid compromising negotiation or running afoul of securities regulations
- Significant corporate knowledge base concerning IT capability could not be accessed due to constraint of confidentiality
OUTCOMES
- The broad plan and costs were completed within two weeks, and were integral to divestment negotiations
- Complete confidentiality throughout the work allowed corporate leadership maximum latitude in negotiations
- The purchaser used the broad plan and costs to establish a feasible roadmap for integrating the IT operations into its own infrastructure
CONSULTING RESPONSE
Michael worked with two other senior colleagues from Stevenson Kellogg, in close collaboration with the CFO. To maintain absolute confidentiality, Michael and colleagues worked in full visibility under the guise of business resumption planning — and maintained careful separation of overt BRP activities and confidential discussion with limited individuals “in the know”.
- Organized work into three broad segments: documenting the nature and scope of IT capabilities used in the operations; evaluating alternatives for the independent IT operations; and defining an appropriate high level solution supported by a detailed a model of required resources and costs.
- Given the condensed timeline, followed a work plan based on the Stevenson Kellogg CCE™ methodology to coordinate and align parallel segments of work, and concluded each day with a “huddle” of the team and our client.
- Assessed the feasibility, risk management and transitional effort; the steady state feasibility, transitional effort required and risk assessment; and organizational implications of the planned service management model.