Business Editors
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 22, 2003
Handshake Dynamics, a leading provider of independent advisory services to information-intensive industries, today announced its new Custom SWAT Teams. The offering, part of Handshake's Execution Assurance line of services, was created to satisfy a growing demand for rapid, vendor-neutral assistance in planning and managing the execution of business-critical and cross-departmental company projects. Companies can also deploy SWAT Teams for rescue missions to salvage projects that have veered off course.
SWAT Team Advisors partner with in-house project leaders to maximize return on major implementation projects, infrastructure investments, business change initiatives and new product or service launches. They minimize risk by keeping their clients' projects on track through expert oversight and ongoing analysis of budgets and delivery timetables. SWAT Advisors specialize in motivating internal and external teams to ensure projects have the support of all involved constituents to begin and remain aligned with stated business objectives.
"Engagement-specific SWAT Teams are led by our technology-savvy, business leaders who collaborate with in-house leadership to ensure that infrastructure and human capital are in place for long-term success beyond the project," said Laurence Bunin, CEO, Handshake Dynamics. "Each team leader is hand-picked based on the individual needs of the client."
Working with a Handshake Dynamics SWAT Team, Standard & Poor's met its marketing goals through production of a new flagship corporate web presence that united corporate priorities with individual business unit goals. "Handshake Dynamics helped Standard & Poor's balance complex cross-divisional needs and assisted in the generation of tangible results that saved us time and money," said Elizabeth Simon, Vice President, Internet Marketing & Business Development.
In another example, Consumers Union tapped Handshake to extend its market leadership online by integrating its multiple distribution channels, revamping its Internet platforms and managing the launch of the most successful, subscription-based Web site on the Internet. "Working with Handshake Dynamics, we were able to increase our paid subscriber base," said John Sateja, Vice President, Multimedia Publishing at Consumers Union. "Today, we have the largest online paid subscription site of its kind. Handshake helped us finish our critical development projects on time and on budget."
For Meredith Corporation, a Handshake SWAT Team helped guide the integration of traditional and Internet operations. "Handshake assisted us in making the right investments in new technologies as we melded electronic innovation with traditional business practices," said Doug Olson, Vice President & General Manager of Meredith Interactive Media. "They ensured we had the right people and processes in place to increase online publishing efficiencies and cut deployment times in half."
"We retained Handshake Dynamics to fill major gaps in our in-house capability, and quickly realized that their ability to seamlessly augment and lead our own staff was essential to meeting several ambitious launch deadlines and establishing effective post-launch operations," said Bill Pelzar, CIO, The College Board. "The results were impressive - by involving Handshake when we did, we identified the risk factors that concerned senior management and successfully implemented several high-profile new product development initiatives on schedule and within budget."
SWAT Team services offer execution assistance around Business Driver Analysis, Program Set-Up and Governance Design, Budget Alignment and Oversight, Business Requirements Management, Communications Definition and Deployment, Team Assembly, Vendor Evaluation and Selection, Contract Negotiation, Ongoing Program Management and Detailed Reporting and Remediation.
For companies interested in evaluating the need for intervention on current projects, Handshake is offering a free "Execution Readiness" snapshot at www.handshakedynamics.com.
About Handshake Dynamics
Handshake Dynamics is a privately-held, independent advisory services firm dedicated to helping companies gain sustainable competitive advantage in information-intensive environments. Handshake works with clients in a unique, facilitative style that spans issues of business strategy, operations and information technology. Handshake helps companies solidify their vision and business objectives, operationalize their strategies and execute effectively on critical projects. Founded in 1997 and headquartered in New York City, Handshake's client companies include Standard & Poor's, Deutsche Bank, Consumers Union, Meredith Corporation, The College Board, Access Group and Tommy Hilfiger, among others.
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