Business first

You joined PFIKS in September last year; what attracted you to the company?

Rob Smitten. I have been aware of PFI Knowledge Solutions for several years, through my contacts in the industry and mutual customers. Their professionalism and the way they did business always commanded respect. But what really set them apart was their approach and analysis. My previous company was very 'technology lead', which did not always deliver the best business solution. In contrast, PFI Knowledge Solutions take a 'business first' approach, which is refreshing. It means that our emphasis is spent addressing the opportunities and problems faced by organisations. They are then tackled from the right perspective, ultimately resulting in better solutions, measurable results and much happier clients. It is a far more rewarding professional environment to operate in for both the client and personally.

What impact does this 'business first' approach have on the way you do business?

RS. Critically we are engaged at board level, which means analysing clients' strategy and evaluating how well their business processes support that strategy.  It earns a place at the top table. In many projects we sub contract to major consultancies and service providers and are brought in as subject matter experts around business productivity. But it isn't just the projects that's rewarding. PFI Knowledge Solutions' technical staff understand the importance of keeping the business objectives as the core of all programming or development work. They regularly challenge and test assumptions, which is vitally important. This interaction between business and technical members of the team enables us to deliver the best possible solutions.

Taking a business first approach has led us to re-evaluate the use of proprietary systems. Very often 'industry standard' solutions are not appropriate for clients' particular requirements. We increasingly turn to Open Source solutions. They often provide a better 'fit' to the business and are more flexible in their deployment options.

You recently won the Knowledge Hub project with an Open Source product; can you tell us a little more?

RS. With over 10 years experience in collaborative software, PFI Knowledge Solutions had a significant advantage over other vendors. We won this contract with Liberata to work with them to deliver Knowledge Hub for the Local Government Association. LGA recognised that no proprietary solution would deliver what they needed straight out of the box. But there were other factors that had to be brought into consideration. A highly configured proprietary solution would be expensive to maintain, especially when the software was upgraded. In contrast, we were able to configure Intelligus, our open source collaborative platform, to exactly meet the needs of the LGA.  In short, we provided an industrial strength collaborative environment that meets the needs  at a fraction of the cost of a proprietary solution.

But Open Source solutions are the exception rather than the rule, could they ever be relied upon in a corporate environment?

RS. Actually Open Source in a commercial environment is being increasingly adopted by major commercial organisations. The UK Government has also stated that Open Source solutions should be considered first as preferred platforms for the public sector. Therefore we are finding that increasing numbers of clients are actively considering Open Source solutions. This is particularly true for multi-disciplinary consortia. It can sometimes be difficult to get different organisations to agree upon one solution. The Open Source platform is inherently apolitical and with the right support it is just as reliable as a proprietary product.

So would you say that your Business Productivity Team are exclusively Open Source experts?

RS. I re-iterate what I said at the start of the interview: we take a 'business first' approach. We focus on improving business performance, providing greater clarity and control for management. We do what is right for the business rather than try to fit one solution into the business.

Biography

Rob Smitten leads Business Productivity Solutions at PFI Knowledge Solutions, a consultancy specialising in business transformation.