About Derek Miers

Transformation Program Design

Derek focuses on the methods, approaches, frameworks, techniques, and technologies of business architecture, transformation and target operating models. His deep competence is around BPM; business process improvement; and organizational change.

He places a special emphasis on an outside-in, outcome-based, customer-focused approach. His engagements usually focus on helping major organizations charter and establish their change programs, ensuring the change has the best chance of success.

Prior to joining Structure Talent, Derek spent 4 years at Gartner where he initially picked up the iBPMS Magic Quadrant before going on to found the initial RPA MQ and framing Hyperautomationfor the Top 10 trends research. He then started focusing on Co-creation and "Reusable" Process Architecture (the core of which now underpins Garner's current focus on Composability which has grown to over 800 research notes). More recently, he took a lead role in Business Architecture and rebuilt the EA Tool MQ.

Priot to Gartner, Derek spent 5 years at Forrester Research working in both research and consulting. He led the Business Architecture research practice for 2 years, before which he focused on BPM, Case Management and Organizational Transformation. While at Forrester Derek published over 60 different research reports exploring these themes.

Prior to Forrester, Derek worked as an independent Industry Analyst for 18 years where he established an international reputation in BPM and organizational transformation. He has worked in the process arena for more than 25 years, dealing with major brands, governmental organizations, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).

Derek is a well-known keynote speaker and chair of major BPM conferences. As co-chair of BPMI.org, he helped merge the organization with the Object Management Group (OMG). Derek completed the Early Growth Executive Program at London Business School.

  • Change programme design
  • Target Operating Model (TOM) development and validation
  • Business Process Management
  • Cocreation
Transformation
Methods
Programme
Design
Business
Architecture
Facilitation + Cocreation

Example Recent Projects

Covers a wide spectrun.



    Working with the executive team of one of the worlds largest technology organizations, developed the internal change manifesto to reorient employees toward focusing on customers. Initial assumption was that this document would articulate and existing strategy, when in reality it was the mechanism to develop that strategy. Involved extensive stakeholder interviews and numerous iterations before finalization. Along the way, we inserted a set of aspirational tenets into one of the worlds top brands.

    Following M&A activity, this organization went from operating in 12 countries to 60. The newly formed Transformation Group was set up as a Center of Excellence to facilitate the integration and drive customer-centricity into the business. Involved senior executive interviews as well as team facilitation. Established both an initial charter—in terms of the formal relationships with business functions—as well roles and responsbilities. Also suggested how that charter could evolve as the organizational objectives were met.

    Undertook a detailed review of this transformation program to identify program risk factors and potential remedies. Involved a broad cross section of stakeholder interviews across both the business and IT function. Identified major issues with culture, as well as project and program governance/structure which drove project failure. Developed a detailed report for senior management.

    Workshop design and facilitation of all Business Architects from across this federated organization to develop a set of consistent methods and related frameworks to support organizational change. Led to creation of a set of blended service propositions for the Business Architecture group with a follow-up project to facilitate business partners to develop an innovativenew customer offering.


    In this case, different executives were pursuing competing transformational agendas. Each of the two factions had their own fiefdom and they were busy maneuvering to dominate the organization going forward. Following a set of intake interviews with business leaders (CEO, CMO, COO level) designed an inclusive co-creation workshop to engage the extended leadership team. Objective was to help them see the mismatch between the organizational objectives and the current competing initiatives. After an extended objectives sessions and executive overview presentation, split the group into small teams and had them co-create service propositions that their customers could relate to. As a result, the different factions realized their two programs were now no longer competing and should be joined at the hip. Moreover, executives had a much better sense of the challenges faced by their respective organizations.

    Facilitated "big tent" workshop for 100 people starting 12 co-dependent projects in support of organizational transformation; in 2 days, all projects got to Project Initiation Document (PID) stage. Ultimately, led to reorganization of entire IT working environment (methodology adopted for all change projects).

    Facilitated the demand management function that represents IT to the business in highly matrixed organizational structure. Helped them develop an extended set of engagement services, including the adoption of reference architecture and phased project delivery approach.

    Coached SVP (reporting into CEO) on methods and engagement techniques around business architecture to build a viable target state architecture for entire enterprise. His challenge was to help business unit owners into simplifying their business (which implied many tough decisions such as dissolution of organizational entities).