Localisation
Belgium
Industry
Healthcare
Company Overview
Solidaris is one of Belgium’s five national healthcare insurance networks. The company manages the Social Security healthcare and disability insurance scheme, while also offering its members voluntary, optional insurance plans. With its network of NGOs, healthcare, and social services designed to meet the needs of diverse populations, Solidaris aims to encourage personal fulfillment and improve living conditions for all.
- Sector: Health insurance
- Founded: 1869
- Headquarters: Brussels
- Members: 3.3 million
- Website: solidaris.be
A Toolset Challenge
Solidaris, Belgium’s second-largest mutual insurance provider, manages a number of projects. But the Universal Healthcare Insurance division was the first one to deploy a proper project portfolio management process, at the behest of Project Portfolio Manager Sébastien Losseau.
Like many other organizations, Solidaris’ Universal Healthcare Insurance division had initially tried to manage its projects using Excel. And, like many other organizations, it soon bumped up against the limitations of that system: a proliferation of spreadsheets, without the ability to consolidate information or establish reliable capacity plans.
Upon deciding to hire a professional tool, Sébastien Losseau began by testing open-source project portfolio management software. The trial proved conclusive and enabled him to refine his requirements and draw up a comprehensive list of specifications.
In particular, he wanted a tool able to provide a complete overview of his portfolio, with advanced reporting and management functionality to empower planning and decision-making committees. It was equally important for him to adopt a scalable and functionally adaptive platform to support the company in its maturity journey. Finally, Losseau wanted to team up with a software vendor committed to supporting him during the implementation and initial training phases, but also moving forward, over the long term.
After a seamless implementation, including workshops to map requirements and overseen by the Sciforma team, the PPM tool went live in summer 2022.
” I felt it was important to set up regular meet-ups between the end-users of the solution (our project leaders and myself) and a Sciforma consultant who can answer all our practical questions, check that we’re properly using the tool to meet our specific needs, and keep us up to date with product updates. That’s why we opted for a long-term support plan. “
Sébastien Losseau, Project Portfolio Manager
Let There Be Transparency
Now that project planning and management teams use the tool daily, they have drastically improved the visibility of hybrid project data (status, costs, etc.). This is in part thanks to an in-tool interface between Sciforma and Jira—which the development and analysis teams use daily to identify roadmap deviations—and Sciforma’s what-if scenario capabilities, which help the semi-annual planning committees forecast priorities.
” To me, Sciforma’s approach to implementation is a real value driver. My RFP included the need for a full demonstration with a comprehensive overview of the roadmap. The ability of our contact people to listen to our needs, understand our challenges, respond to our comments and requests, and customize the tool without altering its foundations made all the difference. “
Sébastien Losseau, Project Portfolio Manager
In addition, any new projects automatically undergo an impact analysis against the capacity plan, and Sciforma data and dashboards help inform trade-off decisions in the event of conflict.
As a result of this portfolio transparency, Solidaris and Losseau:
- accelerated project closure, significantly reducing the number of in-progress initiatives
- clarified needs and priorities, as well as their relations with strategic objectives
- proactively identified capacity issues
- can now manage the portfolio strategically
To make a long story short, Sébastien Losseau is now empowered to manage his portfolio strategically.
” During the implementation phase, the workshops dedicated to requirement gathering revolved around 6 key pillars. Sciforma consistently identified and dispatched the right experts to make the process as fast and efficient as possible. “
Sébastien Losseau, Project Portfolio Manager
What’s Next?
Over the next months, Losseau intends to further improve the quality of portfolio management. More importantly, he plans to extend his process and Sciforma to the rest of the company, starting with the whole IT department. Eventually, the aim is to provide Solidaris with a real Enterprise PMO.
