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History, Structure & Culture

History, Structure & Culture. Offered Order Fulfilment and Warehousing software. Served a small group of small British publishers. Established in 1977 in the United Kingdom. VISTA 4GL programming language. VISTA sells ownership of 4GL to customers. History, Structure & Culture.

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History, Structure & Culture

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  1. History, Structure & Culture • Offered Order Fulfilment and Warehousing software • Served a small group of small British publishers Established in 1977 in the United Kingdom • VISTA 4GL programming language

  2. VISTA sells ownership of4GL to customers History, Structure & Culture • Customer develops solutions and functionality • VISTA delivers new functionality to market without incurring expense of development • 4GL gives VISTA early competitive edge and foothold in the industry • Strong and lasting coalitions with customers.

  3. History, Structure & Culture • 1994 - VISTA is recognized as premier provider to international publishing industry • Reputation of being the worldwide expert in all things publishing, wielding significant influence on publishing trends. 1987 - VISTA expands operations to U.S. • 1997 - 50% of all printed trade books on the planet touched by VISTA software • 50%

  4. History, Structure & Culture • Decentralized organization with distinct reporting units. Single set of Policies & Procedures, separate operating hierarchies • US and UK Publishing Operations (Pub Ops) • Publishing Applications Group (Pub Apps) • International Business Development • Group Publicly owned, traded on the London Stock Exchange (AIM) • Distributed workforce, 60% of technical staff telecommute.

  5. Leadership emerges from the ranks History, Structure & Culture • Geographic divide and 4GL influence culture • British Born • Male Dominated • Propriety • ‘Gentleman-Like’ Behavior • Extreme Professionalism Structure from inside is flat • Palpable sense of loyalty and trust • Hand picked & hand groomed staff • Mutual investment means loyalty goes both ways • Promotion is rare, turnover is low • Cooperative, not competitive

  6. Change • Continuous, vigilant surveillance of marketplace • Rapidly changing demands requires chronic change 20 years as the industry leader • Growth begins to decline after 1998 • By 2000 product line seriously outdated • Unable to keep pace with technological advances

  7. Change • Losing existing customers • EXTERNAL Steadily declining profit margin • Low morale due to repeated failures to re-engineer • INTERNAL • Beleaguered by change

  8. Change • Unspecific goal, vague strategy, vaguer plan • Scant communication • Top-down decision & execution plan Mergers, acquisitions & partnerships • VISTA acquires Ingenta and PCG and emerges as Publishing Technology • New corporate identity unclear

  9. Change • VISTA & Aptify compete, VISTA wins but Aptify is better • Secured exclusive rights to use Aptify framework in publishing sector 2008 spontaneous partners with young, competitor named Aptify • New framework light years ahead of VISTA technology • Next generation of VISTA products developed on Aptify

  10. Resistance from key player Change • Different assessments of readiness of new S/W on world wide stage. • Customer-focused U.S. vs. product focused U.K. Active resistance goes viral, adding stress to pre-existing geographical divide • Balance of power over future direction of the S/W is threatened • Leadership attempted to eradicate resistance by eliminating resistor

  11. Big risks Gradebook • More inclusive, less top-down strategy for change management • Better strategies for dealing with resistance – procedural justice for resistors More frequent, better targeted communication • Strong culture key to success • “Because we have a good culture...because of the employees...and despite management...we’ll achieve success. Staff won't let it fail...as always, they’ll do whatever it takes to make it a success.” Sue Jones, Director of Implementations

  12. From this Final Analysis

  13. To this Final Analysis in just 3 years

  14. Final Analysis • Leaders in change • Leaders in innovation

  15. Final Analysis So, how’s it going? “Because we have a good culture...because of the employees...and despite management, we’ll achieve success. Staff won't let it fail...as always they‘ll do whatever it takes to make it a success.” Sue Jones Oh you know, same old

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