A large public institution with a broad mandate and complex stakeholder environment engaged thco to address rising operating costs, slow execution, and declining confidence in its ability to deliver on strategic priorities. Despite clear mandates, stable funding, and strong leadership intent, execution lag had become systemic driven by manual processes, fragmented ownership, and capability gaps across the organization. The objective was clear: restore execution discipline, reduce cost, and improve delivery outcomes without disrupting core services.
Project challenges
The institution operated at significant scale, with multiple departments, layers of governance, and a highly diverse workforce.
Key challenges included:
Rising administrative and operational costs
Slow decision-making and service delivery
Heavy reliance on manual workflows and reporting
Fragmented accountability across departments
Limited adoption of digital tools already in place
Leadership time consumed by escalations and exception handling
While strategy and policy direction were well defined, execution capacity was the primary constraint.
The solution
Thco was engaged to redesign execution across the institution focusing on how work actually flowed, how decisions were made, and how accountability was enforced.
1. Enterprise Execution Diagnostic (Advisory)
Thco conducted a rapid diagnostic across core administrative, service delivery, and support functions to identify:
Cost leakage and duplication
Manual, low-value work absorbing capacity
Execution bottlenecks and escalation patterns
Capability gaps limiting adoption and accountability
This created a clear, prioritized execution roadmap aligned to cost reduction and service improvement.
2. Process Redesign & Automation (Technology)
Thco redesigned end-to-end workflows before introducing automation, ensuring technology removed friction rather than adding oversight.
Key interventions included:
Automation of reporting, approvals, and compliance workflows
Integrated data flows replacing manual reconciliation
Standardized execution processes across departments
Real-time dashboards for leadership visibility
This significantly reduced manual effort while improving transparency and control.
3. Workforce Capability Enablement (Academy)
Recognizing that systems alone would not sustain change, Thco delivered targeted capability programs focused on:
Execution ownership and accountability
Digital workflow adoption
Data-driven decision-making
Human-in-the-loop governance in regulated environments
This ensured execution improvements were embedded not dependent on individual effort.
4. Embedded Operations Support (Operate)
To stabilize delivery and lock in gains, Thco assumed responsibility for selected noncore operational and administrative functions.
This provided:
Consistent execution standards
Continuous performance optimization
Reduced cost volatility
Improved service reliability
The result
Within nine months, the institution achieved measurable, enterprise-level outcomes.
Cost Reduction
31% reduction in operating costs across targeted functions
Significant decrease in duplicated effort and manual processing
Execution Speed & Capacity
22% improvement in service delivery cycle times
18% increase in execution capacity without increasing headcount
Operational Efficiency
60% reduction in manual processing and reporting workload
Clearer ownership and reduced escalation dependency
Stakeholder Confidence
Improved consistency and predictability of delivery
Greater transparency for senior leadership and oversight bodies
Impact at a Glance
–31% reduction in operating costs across targeted administrative and service functions
+22% improvement in service delivery cycle times
+18% increase in organizational execution capacity without headcount growth
60% reduction in manual processing and reporting workload
Improved stakeholder confidence through consistent delivery and transparency
Why This Worked
This engagement succeeded because Thco treated public sector performance as an execution design challenge, not a policy or funding problem.
Strategy and execution were addressed together
Automation reduced workload without weakening controls
Capability was upgraded alongside systems
Operations were stabilized through embedded execution
The result was lower cost, faster delivery, and restored execution credibility.
