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CAMBRIDGE | See how Cambridge MC and Pembroke College are creating mutual value through a unique corporate partnership spanning student opportunities, academic collaboration and industry events | READ FULL CASE STUDY
We were approached by one of the fastest growing data centre providers in Europe. With over 20 data centres throughout the continent, they are consistently meeting the need for scalable, high-performance infrastructure. Despite this, a key data centre in Scandinavia had become reliant on a single, non-redundant 1 Gbps internet service from a local provider, posing significant risks to operational continuity. To enhance the reliability of its network and resolve these risks, our client needed to establish additional connectivity paths to ensure the redundancy of its infrastructure. The Ask Cambridge Management Consulting was engaged to address these connectivity challenges by identifying and evaluating potential vendors and infrastructure options to create second and third connectivity paths. This involved exploring various types of connectivity, including internet access, point-to-point capacity, wavelengths, and dark fibre. Additionally, Cambridge MC was asked to provide recommendations for building a local fibre network around the data centre to control and maintain diverse paths. This would allow the data centre to connect directly to nearby points of presence (PoPs) and reduce dependency on external providers, thereby enhancing network resilience and operational control. The goal of this project was to ensure that the Nordic data centre could maintain continuous operations even in the event of a failure in the primary connection. Approach & Skills Cambridge MC approached the project with a focus on ensuring operational continuity and resilience for the data centre. By identifying multiple connectivity paths, we aimed to mitigate the risk of network failures and ensure that the data centre could maintain continuous operations even in the event of a failure in the primary connection. This approach allowed Cambridge MC to provide a comprehensive solution to address both immediate and long-term connectivity needs. We employed a combination of Agile and Waterfall methodologies to manage the project. The initial investigative phase allowed a Waterfall approach, in which our team conducted thorough research and analysis to identify potential vendors and connectivity options. This phase involved detailed interviews with various telecommunications providers and an assessment of publicly available information. Once the initial analysis was complete, the workflow transitioned to an Agile approach for the implementation phase. This allowed Cambridge MC to adapt to new information and feedback from stakeholders, ensuring that the final solution was both flexible and robust. Challenges Lack of information: One of the primary obstacles we faced was the lack of detailed network maps and information from some of the potential vendors. To overcome this, the team conducted extensive interviews with contacts at these companies and leveraged its existing network of industry contacts to gather as much information as possible. Remote location: Another challenge was the remote location of the data centre, which limited the availability of local infrastructure and required us to explore creative solutions for connectivity. Cambridge MC addressed this by proposing the construction of a local fibre network around the data centre, which would allow for greater control and flexibility in connecting to nearby PoPs. Fragmented factors: Additionally, coordinating with multiple vendors and ensuring that their services could be integrated seamlessly posed a logistical challenge. We mitigated this by recommending a phased approach to implementation, starting with the most critical connectivity paths and gradually expanding to include additional options. Outcomes & Results Increased Connectivity: Cambridge MC successfully identified and evaluated multiple connectivity paths for the data centre. By exploring various types of connectivity, including internet access, point-to-point capacity, wavelengths, and dark fibre, we provided a comprehensive solution that significantly enhanced network resilience and reliability. Greater Control & Flexibility: Our recommendations for building a local fibre network around the data centre allowed for greater control and flexibility in connecting to nearby points of presence, ensuring continuous operations even in the event of a failure in the primary connection. New Vendors: The team’s extensive network of industry contacts and deep understanding of the regional telecommunications landscape allowed for a thorough and nuanced evaluation of potential vendors and connectivity options. Scope for Future Work: Cambridge MC identified several future developments with the potential to further enhance international connectivity and provide additional redundancy for the data centre. We also proposed further assistance, including a site visit for a more in-depth analysis of options, issuing RFI/RFP to vendors for capacity and fibre, and conducting similar connectivity studies for other candidate sites in the region.
Emerging as a hub for innovation, Thames Freeport is a unique initiative designed to stimulate trade and transform the lives of people in its region. Leveraging global connectivity and occupying a strategic position with intermodal capabilities across river, rail, and road, Thames Freeport has recognised its opportunity to drive economic regeneration for the local area. Thames Freeport engaged Cambridge Management Consulting to design a clear strategy for innovation over the next three to five years. Key considerations for this innovation strategy included objectives and KPIs, the future of the business ecosystem in the region, physical clusters and assets such as innovation hubs, and opportunities and challenges on the way. The Solution Working with our innovation partner, L Marks, Cambridge MC conducted an innovation strategy project which involved the following: Engaging with a range of stakeholders and partners from local authorities to corporate partners across the Thames Freeport area, leveraging interviews with key individuals to build a common picture of innovation aspirations, opportunities, and challenges. Conducting a series of workshops for the Thames Freeport team to consider visions and objectives, themes and focus areas, physical hubs and overall programme structure, and a three-year roadmap plan. Building a comprehensive innovation strategy which internalised all of the above questions. This was then presented to their board and formed the basis of the public tenders for innovation programmes that were then made public.
It is no exaggeration that telecommunications operators worldwide retain an abundance of ‘legacy’ networks: those using decades-old technologies for which support and maintenance contracts, software updates and hardware parts have already ceased to be available. Legacy networks become increasingly expensive to maintain as they age: a dwindling source of parts requires pricey refurbishment of the old, a situation exacerbated by accelerating failure rates causing network and service outages, and even liquidated damages to be paid. These networks should have been retired long ago. However, that they still garner significant revenue, directly and indirectly from the millions of services and other networks they transport – business voice, data, mobile access and core, emergency services, control and signalling – such that continuing worth demands some sort of technology transformation. After all, proprietary and dated tools, and manual processes associated with them, can be transformed alongside, to technologies such as Software-Defined Networking (SDN) and virtualised networks that are highly automated. So, what stands in the way of that transformation? The cost of maintaining the legacy network should outweigh the cost of transforming them, but it is not that straightforward unfortunately. Cost, risk and feasibility prove to be a very complex and circular interaction, and that is what has held back such investment, even by the most resourceful of operators. 3 Problems Three factors dominate their dilemma: Employees familiar with legacy technologies and their arcane proprietary management tools, are a diminishing proportion of the workforce. As they retire year on year, that undermines confidence, to the extent that the problem is thought best left alone Service and billing records and the actual network configuration - the so-called back-office - is data generally only in partial agreement with each other, incomplete, and not always an accurate reflection of reality. Sometimes this data is not available – older nodes can fail management communications – or are in difficult-to-consume formats. Without a reconciled and complete view, no one really knows if transformation is feasible, let alone how to conduct it reliably. Selecting the starting point is critical to success, but even with a clear big-picture strategy, so many detailed considerations and constraints contrive to make this far from obvious. Evaluating many, occasionally opposing, tactics and a myriad of interplays (customer, control, in-building services, physical distributions and virtual protections), must be confected – almost magically – into an effort, spend and recovery efficient roll-out that also mitigates all risks. The Challenge A large NA telecom local and long-distance operator had an established business case and strategy for transformation, but no longer had a planning team with the modelling capability to do so. Their scheduled goal was behind by years, so they sought to source an outside ‘Planning Tool and Service’ and select parts of their network to which it should be applied to meet their priorities. LightRiver, a well-established services supplier with advanced monitoring and management tools already deployed in their network, were awarded the contract. “Despite our accurate inventory of circuits and assets, we needed a partner that could process tens of millions of lines of data, and build a system to manipulate, sequence, and display the data in a way that was consumable and actionable. Cambridge MC was the perfect partner for us. Their tools and dashboards allow us to change the project sequence depending on the customer’s specific needs in each different area of the network.” – Matt Briley, SVP Global Sales & Solutions, LightRiver The Approach Our first step was to dispense with the original piecemeal focus on parts of the network, and analyse the whole: big data for deep insights. That revealed ‘simple’ transformations: those without ramifications for other regions, services or networks, and thereby avoid creating a large backlog of implementation work. That simplicity had to be quantified, to be credible and satisfy the operator’s priorities. We invented a novel ranked evaluation methodology to combine circa 25 complex and often diametrically opposing metrics. This yielded stepwise transformations that were well (but not critically) sequenced, such that dismantling the network became progressively simpler. Our Data Science and ML were also used to combine back-office records with actual network configuration data from LightRiver’s netFlex platform, reconciling information and filling in blanks, to provide for the first time an accurate and complete view to direct implementation and mitigate risks. Our automated ‘planning’ process could be conducted in whatever scope, scale and sequence of priorities the operator needed. Outcomes The plans produced enabled the operator to: Discover empty resources that could be powered down without any procurement. Determine the value of recoverable parts, that turned out 5x greater than anticipated, including previously untrackable inventory. Determine opportunity clusters like whole-site transformations, avoiding repeat site visits boosting field engineering efficiency. Recover their schedule to the extent that legacy products earmarked for 2025 could be conducted in 2024.
Thames Freeport is a unique initiative designed to stimulate trade and innovation and transform the lives of people in its region, leveraging global connectivity to over 130 ports in 65 countries. Occupying a strategic position with intermodal capabilities across river, rail, and road, Thames Freeport has recognised its opportunity to achieve social good, and has demonstrated an active commitment to advancing decarbonisation and fostering a circular economy. Thames Freeport is emerging as a hub for clean energy technologies, advanced logistics, and value-added manufacturing. Special Economic Zones (SEZs) such as the Thames Freeport are uniquely positioned to drive decarbonisation. By clustering industries and research institutions, SEZs enable collaboration on sustainable practices and green technology development. This concentration accelerates the adoption of renewable energy sources, smart grids, and circular economy practices.
edenseven Designs Energy Supply Strategy for H2 Green By conducting an energy sourcing review and engaging with suppliers H2 Green are a large-scale hydrogen storage business with a focus onsite close to towns and cities across the UK. H2 Green’s ambition is to build hydrogen hubs that deliver large amounts of hydrogen, providing security of supply for multiple users across whole regions. H2 Green engaged edenseven, one of the Cambridge Management Consulting group of companies, to build an electricity supply strategy to meet their growth aspirations and environmental requirements. Project Overview To provide a clear outline of the contracting structures within the UK electricity market which would support the green credentials of the business. Structures needed to range from REGO back supply contracts to more complex long-term renewables agreements. All contracting requirements needed to meet the ‘Renewables Transport Fuel Obligations’ and ‘Low Carbon Hydrogen Standard’. Investigate the commercial opportunities short short-term flexibility of assets and liaise with the supply commodity on product development. Support in consultations to government departments relating to the proposed price support mechanism. Skills & Knowledge An energy expert with a detailed knowledge of the UK energy market, with a specific understanding of the evolving policy landscape and how green hydrogen fits into the government’s forward plans. An insight into global commodity markets and the various contracting structures currently in place across the supply community. A clear understanding of how assets can be utilised in the short-term trading markets and the value of ‘optionality’. An individual who holds key relationships across the supply community to enable product development and the ability to influence existing standardised offerings. Outcome & Results Market Analysis : The delivery of a clear and concise view of all the contracting structures currently being provided with the UK electricity market; this included both physical and financial products. Engagement with Government Bodies : A well-considered submission to the relevant government bodies in response to a published consultation. This outlined the appropriate pricing and support structure needed to accelerate the Green Hydrogen Industry. Supplier and Investor Relationships : The creation of a strong link to key suppliers and investors within the energy market. Promoting the development of Green Hydrogen and the benefits it can bring to global decarbonisation.
Cambridge MC engaged with a historic and world-famous university to support the reinvigoration of their Human Resource functions. Specifically, we were asked to improve HR service delivery, and establish the first steps towards change readiness preparation to support the HR function during a college-wide Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Project. To achieve these outcomes, we conducted a 3-dimensional process review model to assess their current HR operations. Within this, we evaluated and understood the university's HR department through multiple data streams, using the information collected to identify current quick wins and present recommendations going forward. Strategy Cambridge MC used a unique ‘3-dimensional process view model’ to evaluate the efficacy of the processes, people, and systems that formed the HR department at the outset of the project. These three dimensions include: A Maturity Assessment and identification of any Quick Wins to restore. confidence in HR delivery. A Process Map Review against future Employee Life Cycle, using our own ‘Employee Life Cycle Model’, and 40k Service Tickets to improve automation and efficiency. The development of an implementation plan and blueprint for the successful roll-out of HR ERP. Data Streams & Findings The HR Maturity Assessment highlighted strong management support experienced by participants, as well as a solid understanding of HR strategy and of overall University strategy. The HR Process & Programmes Review uncovered that 196 processes in Nimbus (an end-to-end patented cloud WorkForce Optimisation application) are not linked to the HR Sub Functions; the current SLAs are based on historical volume and thus are not fit for an SSO environment; and current expertise in the Hub is not sufficient to deal with the volume of service tickets. Five quick wins were identified as follows: Recruitment Fixed Term Contracts Review Current SLAs Re-Routing Payroll and Pension Queries One single mailbox for sending Service Tickets In the detailing phase, we implemented the aforementioned agreed quick wins, the blueprint for HR ERP, assured the build readiness of the HR team, and built the HR SSO to accommodate HR ERP. Finally, in the communications stage, we developed a Communications Grid for HR Maturity assessment, established Cambridge MC presence in the process, and implemented . Outcomes & Results 1. Cost Savings We identified quick wins that led to an annual saving of £500k, by tightening the relation and process flow between HR and payroll. 2. Systems Optimisation We analysed the efficacy of HR Service Tickets solutions delivery and recommended different workflows for the 1.8k tickets received per month. 3. Forward Planning Our ‘Employee Life Cycle Model’ was instrumental in analysing the gap between current and future HR process and systems needed in an ERP environment.
Staying ahead of the curve in a fierce market Our client, a renowned global services provider, approached Cambridge Management Consulting (Cambridge MC) with a critical mission: to benchmark their data connectivity services against industry best practices, identify growth opportunities, and develop an innovative growth strategy. Their objective was to stay ahead of the curve in a rapidly evolving market and solidify their position as a leader in data connectivity solutions globally. The Challenge The client faced significant challenges: Decline in Traditional Voice Services: As the market shifted towards IP-based solutions, traditional voice services were becoming less profitable. Revenue vs. Margin Dilemma: Although data connectivity services were growing in revenue, they yielded lower margins compared to voice services. This trend was impacting overall profitability negatively. Future-readiness of Existing Offerings: The client's current portfolio, while performing adequately, required evaluation to ensure alignment with modern standards and preparedness for future market demands. The client sought actionable insights to enhance their portfolio and capitalise on emerging market opportunities. Cambridge MC was tasked with: Diagnosing the data connectivity services business to benchmark against industry best practices Identifying and prioritising growth opportunities Developing a comprehensive growth strategy aimed at achieving revenue and margin targets Building a set of initiatives with detailed programs and supporting action plans to deliver the growth strategy Our Approach - Diagnostic Phase In the diagnostic phase, Cambridge MC applied its comprehensive Diagnostic Framework to assess the client's organisation across several key parameters: Portfolio Analysis: Evaluating the range and performance of existing products and services Go-to-Market Strategy: Reviewing current market entry strategies and sales approaches Systems & Processes: Assessing internal systems for efficiency and scalability Network Technologies: Analysing the technological infrastructure supporting data connectivity services Product Margins: Examining financial performance metrics for each product line. This involved: Conducting in-depth interviews with key team members Reviewing essential documentation, strategic plans, market reports, and financial statements Performing detailed market, customer, and competitor analysis Utilising Cambridge Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to benchmark the client against industry Best-in-Class standards Our Approach - Growth Opportunity Phase In this phase, Cambridge MC facilitated: Co-Creation Workshops: Collaborative sessions with the client team to identify and prioritise potential growth opportunities Stress Testing: Rigorous financial analysis involving SMEs and customer feedback to validate identified opportunities Initiative Scoping: Detailed workshops to scope out, quantify, and agree on key initiatives necessary for realising growth opportunities. The culmination of this phase was the development of an agreed-upon growth strategy underpinned by robust financial projections and a detailed delivery plan. Outcomes & Results Through this structured approach, Cambridge MC successfully identified several key improvement areas resulting in: 1. Gross Margin A project ed 66% increase in gross margin. 2. Recurring Revenue An incremental annual recurring revenue of $90 million by year five. These results provided the client with a clear roadmap for enhanced profitability and sustained competitive advantage in the dynamic data connectivity market.
