Ben Peters
Thames Water

Thames Water is the UK’s largest water and wastewater services company

Thames Water

Thames Water is the UK’s largest water and wastewater services company, and supplies 2.6 billion litres (570 million gallons) of drinking water per day, and treats 4.7 billion litres (1,000 million gallons) of wastewater per day. Thames Water’s 15 million customers comprise 27% of the UK population.

thames-water-utilities

Summary

Thames Water | Reading | 2016 – Present

Digital Delivery Lead

Responsible for the management of the Digital Portfolio, and  Delivery Leads including TW resources and 3rd parties to ensure optimised digital landscape. Development of capabilities including UX prototyping, agile development and dev-ops delivery. Microsoft Technologies – Azure Dev-Ops, GIT and Azure

Reponsibilities

  • Responsible for the creation, development and implementation of solutions in the digital customer space, Sitecore, Microsoft.
  • Delivery of the TW digital omnichannel customer portal (£3Mpa)
  • Key role in the £1bn investment to transform customer experience.
  • Introduction and advocate for the adoption of agile and devops development methodologies and its scaling within the business.
  • Digital partners – Capgemini, Bain, Deloitte, PwC, IBM, Accenture Wipro and Equal Experts

Roles

Responsible for the creation, development and implementation of solutions in the digital customer space.

I am accountable for the continuous improvement of an autonomous hybrid team and process to deliver digital projects from conception to delivery maximising our digital capabilities. The process utilises UX prototyping, agile development and dev-ops delivery via Microsoft Technologies including VSTS and Azure cloud environment.

Responsibilities including definition of process, governance, communications and alignment across the wider operational model within Thames Digital. The team is internal supported by resources from Capgemini, Avanade and IBM

Responsible for the strategic implementation of innovative solutions to ensure the business is at the very forefront of the latest technologies and operational methods. I create and oversee the deployment of pioneering and engaging solutions though our established Microsoft based landscape that resonate with our clients, customers and employees. Utilising broad market insights, I lead business transformation conversations with the executive team on the potential commercial benefits of adopting the latest innovative technology. Working with Deloite Digital.

 

Responsibility for managing the Digital Portfolio, with various Delivery Leads reporting in including TW resources, 3rd parties and system integrators to ensure optimised digital landscape. The commercial management of suppliers including Bain, Deloitte, PwC, IBM, Accenture, Wipro and Bilfinger to create efficient, innovative solutions

Projects and Achievements

thameswater_website

Internal Technical Capability Establishment, development and Management

Thames Water Online Customer Portal

Responsibilities to establish and build development capabilities in house with planned migration and business change from our normal partner reliance’s. 

  •  Continued responsibility for the technical implementation of business product goals.
  • 3 web instances
  • 7 years continuous responsibility for the web presence 
  • Technical contractor recruitment, evaluation and management .
  • Implementation of Agile working practices across Thames
  • Team evaluation and growth planning
  • Strong influence on Product direction and  business development decisions.
  • Support and coaching external tribes including Delivery Leads, Product Owners and Scrum Masters.

External Partner Management

Thames Water Online Customer Portal

Delivery lead responsibilities to develop the factory approach to agile delivery in the web and online services.

  • Technical contractor recruitment, evaluation and management
  • Management of partner development teams from Capgemini, Avanade and Equal Experts.
  • Implementation of Agile working practices across Thames
  • £4m yearly budget 
  • Decommissioning of existing services (£2m yearly saving) as part of a continuous program of work to upgrade and enhance the technical capabilities for Thames Water Online.
  • Change and support issue management.
  • Azure kubernetes platform with Docker and Sitecore CMS.
  • Key man for the consultation and implementation of Agile across TW delivery functions.
Thames Water employees
Thames-Water

BlueBytes is a critical platform for TW. Its the secure TW hub for all TW employees and contracted partner communications.

Its the access point for all the corporate news, individual business unit pages, employee HR information, knowledge base and process management including SAP.

Aligned to the technology choice between the core foundational platforms from Microsoft and Google the first Bluebytes replacement was built in conjunction with Appsbroker, Google partners and PWC consulting and was a google G-Suite cloud based solution with a target of moving all internal process applications being recreated in the cloud for access.

Technology Choices

BlueBytes - TW employee Portal

Bluebytes 1 – PwC/Appsbroker / Google (yr1)

  • Agile project delivery manager
  • TW business wide stakeholder management, coordinating requirements and backlog generation.
  • Team coordination and third party management.
  • Framework installation
  • Development, test and release of specific business applications.
  •  

BlueBytes 2 – Tech Mahindra / Sharepoint 

Implementation of intranet framework based on Microsoft SharePoint.

  • Microsoft SharePoint implementation in alignment with business technology choices.
  • Delivery lead
  • Contractor management
  • Product Owner responsibilities including Backlog management
  • Roll out and cut over management. to the full 9000 UK based users.
  • Retirement program of work to remove Bluebytes 1 Google based tech.
partners

The Thames Water Digital Family

Changes, Challenges and

Thames has had a turbulent ride in digital recently. From signing the largest alliance recorded – £4bn for capital projects and £380m on IT with four partners; AccentureBilfingerDeloitte and IBM – Thames is move forward and looking to now remove its reliance on partners and create its own capabilities within IT and product rather than project based agenda.

I have adjusted and accommodate all the changes and to continue to deliver benefit during my time at TW and  become an established and trusted member of the TW digital team.

Other Projects

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Google-vs-Microsoft

Google and Microsoft

Responsible for the implementation of Google businesses services across the TW business. 10000 Google licences, aligning and integration with the existing ADID system the established infrastructure. 

Replacement of the Google business licences with full Microsoft 365 E3, E5 & F3 services across TW.

tw_hr_app

Hydrate – HR app (yr2)

 

Standalone HR mobile and online application for 360 feedback and PDR support

Functional concept and definition
Full delivery responsibility

TW_Hackathon

TW Hackathon

Ideas based hackathon for the water industry. Achieved business wide engagement from call centre to CEO.

Responsible for the concepts, materials and events on the day. 

The event has been the only one of its type to date and deemed a great success.

Digital Delivery Lead

Ben Peters- Thames Water | Reading | 2016 – Present

Responsible for the management of the Digital Portfolio, and  Delivery Leads including TW resources and 3rd parties to ensure optimised digital landscape. Development of capabilities including UX prototyping, agile development and dev-ops delivery. Microsoft Technologies – Azure Dev-Ops, GIT and Azure

Our Services

Thames Water.

Thames Water, is the monopoly private utility company responsible for the public water supply and waste water treatment in large parts of the southe east including London.

Thames Water is the UK’s largest water and wastewater services company, and supplies 2.6 billion litres  of drinking water per day. Thames Water’s 15 million customers comprise 27% of the UK population.

my main

Responsibilities

  • Responsible for the creation, development and implementation of solutions in the digital customer space, Sitecore, Microsoft.
  • Delivery of the TW digital omnichannel customer portal (£3Mpa).
  • Key role in the £1bn investment to transform customer experience.
  • Introduction and advocate for the adoption of agile and devops development methodologies and its scaling within the business.
  • Led the delivery and implementation of the TW employee portal service (£4M).
  •  Innovation lead – deployment of pioneering and engaging digital solutions

Joining in 2016 I was employed as a delivery lead working with our partners to delivery agile digital products in a Digital Centre of Excellence set up. I have continued to deliver digital products and solutions using the Agile methodology with our partner businesses developing and proving the advantages and highlighting the complications of agile delivery at Thames

Within Thames

Roles

Digital Factory Lead (February – 2018 to Present)

Responsible for the creation, development and implementation of solutions in the digital customer space.

I am accountable for the continuous improvement of an autonomous hybrid team and process to deliver digital projects from conception to delivery maximising our digital capabilities. The process utilises UX prototyping, agile development and dev-ops delivery via Microsoft Technologies including VSTS and Azure cloud environment.

Responsibilities including definition of process, governance, communications and alignment across the wider operational model within Thames Digital. The team is internal supported by resources from Capgemini, Avanade and IBM

Digital Innovation Advisor (November – 2016 to January 2018)

Responsible for the strategic implementation of innovative solutions to ensure the business is at the very forefront of the latest technologies and operational methods. I create and oversee the deployment of pioneering and engaging solutions though our established Microsoft based landscape that resonate with our clients, customers and employees. Utilising broad market insights, I lead business transformation conversations with the executive team on the potential commercial benefits of adopting the latest innovative technology. Working with Deloite Digital.

Digital Delivery Manager (April – November 2016)

Responsibility for managing the Digital Portfolio, with various Delivery Leads reporting in including TW resources, 3rd parties and system integrators to ensure optimised digital landscape. The commercial management of suppliers including Bain, Deloitte, PwC, IBM, Accenture, Wipro and Bilfinger to create efficient, innovative solutions

in thames water

Projects

Great Asset Hunt (yr1)

Agile project delivery of stand alone asset management mobile app. Thames waters first agile delivery and mobile application supporting engineers in the field to identify and record assets.

  • Team and stakeholder management
  • introduction and adoption of agile delivery into a strictly waterfall management environment.
  • Requirements and backlog definition
  • Third party performance management.

 

BlueBytesPwC/Appsbroker (yr1)

TW business wide delivery of an online portal with digital services capability

  • Agile project delivery manager
  • TW business wide stakeholder management, coordinating requirements and backlog generation.
  • Team coordination and third party management.
  • Framework installation
  • Development, test and release of specific business applications
  • Online service definition and development
 

Google Services (yr1)

  • Implementation of Google businesses services across the TW business
  • 10000 Google licences, aligning with the existing MS ADID system.#

 

BlueBytes 2 – Sharepoint (Tech Mahindra)

Implementation of intranet framework based on Microsoft SharePoint.

  • Delivery lead
  • Contractor management
  • Backlog management
  • Roll out and cut over management.

 

Hydrate – HR app (yr2)

Standalone HR mobile and online application for 360 feedback and PDR support

  • Functional concept and definition
  • Full delivery responsibility

 

Microsoft Foundations (yr2)

Replacement of Google services with MS based solutions across the whole of the TW infrastructure, including DevOps, Teams and Yammer.

 

TW website – Cap Gemini (yr3)

Implementation of new website technology and support methodology

  • Third party and contract management
  • Requirements and backlog management
  • Establishment of delivery framework (factories)
  • Evangelization of Agile approach
  • Extended WoW playbook.

 

TW website – Equal Experts (yr3)

Delivery lead responsibilities to further the factory approach to agile delivery in the web and online services.

  • Contractor recruitment, evaluation and management .
  • Implementation of Agile working practices across Thames
  • £4m yearly budget 
  • Decommissioning of existing services (£2m yearly saving)
  • Change and support issue management.
  • Azure kubernetes platform with Docker and Sitecore CMS.
  • Key man for the consultation and implementation of Agile across TW delivery functions.

 

Mash Up –Deloitte  (yr3)

Ideas based hackathon for the water industry. Achieved business wide engagement from call centre to CEO

Business Areas

Digital Delivery Lead

Ben Peters- Thames Water | Reading | 2016 – Present