Posted Date: July 1, 2022 by:
Saisha Rayala

Accelerating Business Process and Technology Modernization through IT PMO

Client: A Federal Agency that Administers Insurance Programs, including Retirement, Disability, and Survivor Benefits.

Overview:

Centennial has played a pivotal role in establishing a centralized Information Technology (IT) Program Management Office (PMO) to support IT modernization efforts. Our comprehensive support in establishing an IT PMO has included working with the Enterprise Architecture (EA) team to update Governance processes, policies, and structure; implementing cross-functional and cross-program teams to enable information and best practices sharing; conducting application rationalization; and managing an Integrated Master Schedule (IMS).

Challenges:

Information technology is the enabler that allows the federal agency to provide excellent service to its customers. Technology supports every aspect of the agency’s mission, whether serving the public during in-person or online interviews, routing over 37 million telephone calls, or posting 266 million earner wage reports annually. However, the agency’s IT systems are over 30 years old and have grown increasingly fragile and costly to maintain. An independent assessment resulted in developing an IT modernization plan, including establishing an IT PMO, standardizing investment prioritization, and enabling a centralized EA governance, thereby improving workforce engagement.

Solutions:

Centennial provided significant support to the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) in establishing an IT PMO. Our support tasks include: 1) deployment of consistent investment management and project delivery methods; 2) setting up an enterprise PMO office overseeing all projects and programs across the organization; and 3) streamlining and reducing the portfolio of customer-facing applications, enabling rapid application/system changes while improving the data management and cyber security posture.

In support of the IT modernization plan, Centennial reviewed over 120 programs valued at $6.4B, conducted impact analyses, and provided 46 recommendations as part of the program and technical integration support. Working with the OCIO, we created a centralized IT PMO, standardized capital budget, and planning processes for major IT business case investment requests. We developed 32 standard templates and created a centralized program assurance, technical governance, and release planning structure for 60+ programs using SAFe principles. Specifically, we:

  • Implemented portfolio management practices to prioritize initiatives, allocate resources, and make strategic decisions across multiple Agile teams.
  • Updated Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) policies for DevSecOps methodologies, established a continuous monitoring and metrics program, and managed corrective action plans.
  • Using CMMI processes, supported OCIO leadership to ensure that the stated deliverables of the modernization program were delivered per the program roadmap, acted as an escalation liaison, and resolved any issues.
  • Supported release planning and operational improvement activities by bringing various vendors and initiatives under the enhanced framework, standardizing sprint cycle and duration determination methods, consolidating reporting methods, and managing a detailed and structured roadmap for the development and implementation efforts.
  • Developed and maintained IMS for 120 programs and 600+ work streams, including documenting and managing dependencies and integration points.
  • Provided integration support to over 18 core programs (each valued at $300M+), managed stakeholders’ communication on the impacts, and tracked 98% to resolution.
  • Guided and coached 38 project and program managers on the PMO processes, facilitated engagement between the PMO and the delivery partners, and anticipated and mitigated risks.
  • Captured and managed key program activities, including milestones, dependencies, and critical paths, across multiple vendors and multiple stakeholders.
  • Managed functional/non-functional dependencies, performed technical integration planning and execution, and supported Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) efforts for 36 programs and products.
  • Developed Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) pipeline management process for the product releases with 98% automated deployments, including conducting code assessments and vulnerability testing.
  • Supported Scaled Agile and Scrum of Scrums (SoS) across the enterprise with over 105 agile/scrum teams across diverse and geographically dispersed stakeholders in 24 offices.
  • Incrementally transformed OCIO staff from Agile into DevSecOps, including training on Kanban, SAFe, SoS, and DevSecOps and Acceptance Test Driven Development (ATDD).

Results:

Centennial provided PMO support to over 120 major programs, resulting in 42% Year over Year (YoY) savings, 100% automation in code deployment, and 99.8% error-free deployments. Specific accomplishments include:

  • Supported the enterprise-level deployment of low-code platforms such as ServiceNow, Salesforce, Appian, and Power Apps, as well as 3-tier-based applications using SAFe, Scrum, and DevSecOps. The result was 98% automation in code deployment, 99.8% error-free deployments, and 9.2 ratings on customer satisfaction.
  • Supported deployment of Agile Center of Excellence (ACoE) and created guidelines for the intake process, including establishing steering committees and review processes, thereby achieving a 97% deployment success rate.
  • Enhanced EA guidelines and processes to support low-code platforms, resulting in a 60% improvement in conformance to EA standards.
  • Supported deploying 42 enterprise-wide systems, including Oracle Financials, Salesforce CRM, and ServiceNow, resulting in over 30% YoY savings.
  • Documented target state vision and developed 18 recommendations, resulting in accelerated adoption of financial segment modernization efforts.
  • Organized and facilitated the release planning ceremonies and facilitated process improvement activities, resulting in 30% YoY savings.

Conclusion:

IT modernization is crucial for many federal agencies. Centennial’s collaboration with the federal agency’s OCIO led to the creation of an IT modernization PMO and the standardization of key technologies to enhance simplicity, user-friendliness, and agility. Through the IT PMO, we implement agile governance, involving all stakeholders in decision-making and balancing investment and outcomes without compromising functionality and performance. Our partnership with the OCIO promotes the use of open and versatile technologies, fosters simplicity, facilitates interoperability, and minimizes the need for specialized skills to maintain operations.

About Centennial Technologies:

Centennial Technologies is a trusted provider of tailored solutions for government entities, prioritizing outstanding client service. Our diverse range of comprehensive Financial Management Solutions includes Financial Advisory, Reporting, Performance Management, Business Process Management, Financial Support, Benchmarking, and Risk Management. Our Information Technology (IT) Services offer expertise in Program Management Office (PMO), Application Development and Support, Cloud Solutions, Business Intelligence, Cyber Security, and IT Operations. Renowned for our unwavering commitment to excellence, Centennial Technologies empowers government agencies and commercial clients to fulfill their objectives efficiently and effectively. Contact us directly for more information on how we can support your goals.

Curious to learn more? Contact Us!

Ben Marglin

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Vice President of Business Development

Ben Marglin is Vice President of Business Development at Centennial Technologies, focused on developing and leading the growth strategy for Centennial. With over 25 years of experience in public sector management and technology consulting, Ben’s strengths include building strong client relationships with both existing and prospective clients, and serving as a people leader across the organization, helping to promote a strong and healthy company culture. Ben leads the growth team to identify and capture new opportunities across the business development lifecycle, working to expand Centennial’s business in the Federal and commercial space. 

Before Centennial, Ben was a Senior Vice President at Karsun Solutions, where he led client delivery for a ~$130M portfolio across several Federal civilian agencies and led a team of over 500 folks providing support to Federal clients. He spent 17 years with Booz Allen Hamilton, mainly in Federal Civilian market leadership roles where he had full P&L responsibility for a portfolio of Federal agencies, and he also spent two years in BAH’s Strategic Innovation Group (SIG) helping to lead the Digital Solutions practice area. Earlier, Ben worked for American Management Systems (AMS) providing IT and management solutions to state and local clients, and he spent three years on Capitol Hill working in the U.S. Senate.

Ben’s areas of expertise include digital strategy and transformation, acquisition, change management, and IT program management. He has a master’s degree in public policy from Duke University and a bachelor’s degree from Colby College and has professional certifications in Program Management (PMP), AWS Cloud, Agile (SAFe and ICAgile), Change Management (CMAP), ITIL, and Technology Business Management (TBM). Ben lives in Northern Virginia with his wife, son, and goldendoodle Sophie, and when he’s not doing yard work, he enjoys golf, running and biking, and following his native Boston sports teams. You can connect with him on LinkedIn or Twitter.

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Sunitha Ravi

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Vice President of Operations and Delivery

Sunitha Ravi is the Vice President of Operations and Delivery at Centennial Technologies Inc. In her role, she focuses on building trusted relationships with senior federal clients while driving innovative and customer-centric solutions. Using over 26 years of experience supporting both the public and private sectors, Sunitha aligns technology with strategic business and operational goals while managing operations and technology teams to deliver excellent customer service.

Before Centennial, Sunitha was a Director at VMWare public sector and led various programs for federal clients through agile and scrum practices while meeting growth and profitability goals. Before VMWare, Sunitha held various leadership positions at Verizon, Terramark, and Tetra Tech. She managed the delivery of financial and technology solutions and served as a trusted advisor to executive and management stakeholders. She successfully led teams of over 200 staff and agency portfolios with ~$100M in annual revenue. She supported financial teams and improved the finance function by driving more efficient processes and streamlining financial reporting.

She holds a Master’s degree in environmental engineering and is an Earned Value Practitioner (EVP), Project Management Professional (PMP), and Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) certified. She lives in Ashburn, Virginia, with her husband and two daughters and enjoys traveling, spending time with friends and family, and cooking.

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Saishree Shetty

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Senior Director of Growth and Client Success

Saishree Shetty is the Senior Director of Growth and Client Success at Centennial Technologies. Saishree’s role is to expand our presence within the Civilian Health agencies, foster relationships with clients and potential partners, and enhance our current capabilities. She brings over two decades of experience in IT strategy, program management and delivery and business development in the federal and commercial sectors.

 

Before joining Centennial, Saishree was a Vice President of Business Development at a mid-size company and a woman-owned small business prior to that. She focused on growing accounts, increasing market presence, and capturing new business at various federal agencies. Having held several leadership positions in small and large consulting companies, Saishree brings a wealth of program management and delivery knowledge into her business development role.

 

Saishree has her Executive Leadership from Yale School of Management, Master of Science in Information Systems from Marshall University and a Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science and Engineering. Outside of work, Saishree’s interests lie in outdoor activities, organizing social events and bringing people together. 

email us your CV at @centennial-tech.com - 17

Brad Marchand

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Executive Director of Growth and Client Success

Brad Marchand is the Executive Director of Growth and Client Success at Centennial Technologies Inc. In this role, he focuses on enhancing client relationships and expanding Centennial’s footprint across federal clients. With over 30 years of experience in digital modernization, enterprise systems implementation, and business optimization, Brad is dedicated to driving growth and delivering exceptional customer success strategies.

 

Previously, Brad served as a Partner at Grant Thornton’s Public Sector practice, where he led the Finance Transformation Service Line and ERP Practice. His leadership extended to SRA, Inc., where he played a key role in IT systems implementations for the federal government. Additionally, Brad brings private-sector expertise from his tenure at JPMorgan Chase as Vice President specializing in global supply chain implementations.

 

Brad holds a bachelor’s degree from DePauw University and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP). A resident of Haymarket, Virginia, Brad enjoys golfing and supporting Chicago sports teams. He is also a proud parent who has coached his children in basketball and baseball.

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Shabiha Yasmin

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Senior Director of Delivery

Shabiha Yasmin serves as the Senior Director of Delivery at Centennial Technologies Inc., leveraging over 20 years of experience in the IT sector. With a process-oriented approach honed through extensive work with federal agencies such as CMS, FDA, EPA, and SSA, Shabiha excels in requirements elaboration, project definition, initialization, planning, and the successful delivery of complex technical projects. Known for her tenacity in securing stakeholder commitment to objectives, she excels in clarifying misaligned initiatives within strategic portfolios and resolving conflicts across cross-functional teams.

 

In her leadership role, Shabiha prioritizes exceeding client expectations by delivering innovative solutions, mentoring leaders, and staying abreast of emerging technologies.

 

Before joining Centennial, Shabiha served as a Program Manager at CareFirst, where she provided subject matter expertise in IT modernization, financial management, and business transformation initiatives. She focused on assembling robust and agile teams to support diverse federal agencies. Shabiha’s professional journey also includes holding leadership positions in technology divisions of esteemed organizations such as Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, and CareFirst.

 

Shabiha holds a Bachelor of Business Administration with a major in Biochemistry and Botany, complemented by an MBA degree in IT and Marketing. She is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Scrum Master (CSM), SAFE Agilist, and ITIL4 practitioner.

 

Shabiha resides in Clarksburg, Maryland, and is a proud parent of two children aged 20 and 13. Outside of work, she enjoys indulging her passions for rock music, attending concerts, embarking on hikes, exploring new destinations through travel, and engaging in various crafts.

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Prasad Siddabathuni

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Director of Technology

Prasad Siddabathuni is the Director of Technology at Centennial Technologies Inc. He provides invaluable technical and strategic leadership, solutions, and advisory services to our clients, partners, and internal teams.


With 25 years of experience in the technology domain, Prasad has a remarkable track record in delivering technical services and solutions across diverse IT sectors. He specializes in delivering integration, cloud, and data/AI strategies that drive enhanced process improvements and reduce costs. Prasad is adept at building and executing long-term product and service strategies across matrixed organizations, as well as in establishing and directing multinational technical and business teams. His proficiency areas include ownership and innovation, presales, architecture, transformation, delivery, M&A, integration, and field operations.


Prasad resides in Fairfax, Virginia, and enjoys traveling, playing the violin, and supporting local sports teams.

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Matthew Shields

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Director of Delivery and Customer Support

Matthew Shields is the Director of Delivery and Customer Support at Centennial Technologies Inc. He excels in building and leading high-performing teams across multiple concurrent contracts in fast-paced, high-profile environments. With a focus on cultivating professional relationships with clients, Matt brings over 25 years of experience in federal consulting, account management, program management, contract execution, and quality management to his role at Centennial.


Before joining Centennial, Matt served as a Senior Program Manager at Halvik Corp., where he provided expert contract management, budgeting, financial management, and program management services to an Agency-level portfolio. He oversaw the efforts of multiple project managers, prioritizing the achievement of program objectives and the delivery of high-quality results while maintaining disciplined financial management practices. Before his tenure at Halvik, Matt was a Director at Evoke Consulting, where he supported Operations and Business Development, spearheading enterprise-level transformational initiatives across various government agencies.


Matt earned his bachelor’s degree from Washington College and holds certifications as a Certified Scrum Master (CSM) and Project Management Professional (PMP). He is trained in Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI), ISO standards, and Organizational Change Management (OCM).


A lifelong resident of Loudoun County, Virginia, Matt is passionate about adventure travel, hiking, and cycling in his leisure time. He and his wife take pride in being parents to two Eagle Scouts and are actively involved in volunteering with their sons’ troop.

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Ned Blackburn

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Senior Director of Growth and Client Success

Ned Blackburn is the Senior Director of Growth and Client Success at Centennial Technologies Inc. In his role, he focuses on exceeding clients’ expectations through delivering innovative solutions, advising customers, and working with solution partners. Ned brings 25 years of experience in strategic account management, program management, and business development in the federal and commercial sectors to Centennial.

Before Centennial, Ned was a Director at Grant Thornton, providing subject matter expertise on IT modernization, financial management, and business transformation initiatives. He focused on building resilient and agile teams to support various federal agencies. Prior to Grant Thornton, Ned held several leadership positions in small and large businesses where he led business development, capture management, and vendor partnerships. He built and managed large teams specializing in Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Business Intelligence, and Data Warehousing solutions.

Ned earned his Bachelor of Business Administration from Ohio University, is a Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Scrum Master (CSM), and ITIL4 certified. He lives in Ashburn, Virginia, with his wife and three children. He enjoys coaching little league baseball, playing golf, and cheering for Cleveland sports teams.

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Antonio "Tony" Hylton

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Chief Strategy Officer​

Antonio “Tony” Hylton is Chief Strategy Officer for federal and state sectors at Centennial Technologies Inc. In this role, he develops service offerings, establishes strategic partnerships, and supports acquisitions. Tony brings over 30 years of public and private sector experience with business transformation, organizational change management, and innovative solutions to Centennial.

Before Centennial, Tony held various leadership positions at Verizon and managed over $100 million per quarter in sales. He guided the relationships with the National Association of State CIOs, National Association of State Technology Directors, US Conference of Mayors, and numerous state, local, and public safety agencies. Before Verizon, Tony served as Chief Information Officer (CIO) of Cook County, IL, where he led budget planning and execution, process optimizations, and technology innovation. Before Cook County, Tony held a variety of leadership positions with the Center for Digital Government (CDG), Dell-EMC, AT&T, and MCI.

Tony earned his bachelor’s degree from Northeastern University, is an accomplished Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, and Certified Scrum Master. He loves golf and watersport activities. He is a home chef with a specialty in Asian-Fusion and Japanese Cuisines.

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Mani Allu

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Founder and Chief Executive Officer

Mani Allu is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Centennial Technologies Inc. With over 25 years of experience providing financial and technical solutions, Mani provides overall direction to the corporate growth strategies, differentiated capabilities, and company culture. He works directly with customers, employees, and partners daily and fosters the work environment to develop and deliver highly innovative solutions.

Before founding Centennial, Mani held leadership positions at Verizon, where he led operations and delivery of enterprise services for public and commercial sectors, supporting $240M in revenue. He focused on solutions that drove efficiency and effectiveness, including financial transformation, organizational development, business intelligence, data analytics, application and system modernization, cloud enablement, and cybersecurity. Before Verizon, Mani served as the Vice President at ADS Inc. and supported the telecommunications, financial, retail, and media sectors. He orchestrated the creation and management of service offerings, supervised partnerships, and supported mergers and acquisitions.

He earned his Master’s degree from West Virginia University and lives in Ashburn, Virginia, with his wife and kids. He enjoys tennis and supporting his home sports teams.