Background
Hodge Equity Release (HER) is the trading name of the equity release division of Julian Hodge Bank Ltd. (JHB) and Hodge Life Assurance Company Ltd. (Hodge Life). Through the independent IFA network, HER provides customers with the ability to release capital from their home in the form of a mortgage or reversion plan.

Allman Horrocks Consulting was invited to help HER in preparing a detailed requirements specification for all business processes not currently supported by their current administration system, by documenting existing processes and support systems, and undertaking UML modelling of the "to be" processes using HER's preferred process analysis tool, Enterprise Architect™.

Approach
Using our holistic Business Healthcheck, we reviewed the existing processes within HER (both manual and computerised) through interviews with process operators, departmental managers and directors, observation of key transactions, and a review of the Key Measures of Performance.

We used Enterprise Architect™ to record the outcomes as high level system use cases for each business process. These provided the mapping points between the business process and the functionality of a supporting IT system. An associated high level business object model and logical data model were also developed.

The business model we developed was then used in process mapping workshops with process users. During these workshops we determined the underlying business rules and any rationale to the present process design.

By combining the business process model with the detailed process descriptions, we developed a high level User Requirements Specification. This is essentially a management document describing the vision for the target system in layman's language - providing a walk through of operations and reporting. This document included a high level technical road map for the next stages of the project in terms of system solution, development methodology and timing.

We presented our findings and recommendations for the most appropriate development route to the board.

Benefits
By using this approach we have been able to provide HER with the following benefits:

+	An agreed vision: that clearly defines the overall process and critical functionality and has gained buy-in from all parties
+	A business case: to justify investment in the new system
+	A technical definition for the new system: with sufficient detail to manage either external or internal IT services providers
+	Business process improvements: through discussions in process workshops that have released time for key staff members

Testimonial
"After talking to several consultancy firms we appointed Allman Horrocks Consulting because we liked their direct approach, and honest feedback at our initial meetings."

"This approach worked well during subsequent delivery where AHC's fresh perspective encouraged our people to identify better work practices and enthused them with the belief that the project would be beneficial for them thereby getting buy-in to the change process at an early stage."

"As the project moved into the more detailed analysis stage the consultants brought in by AHC demonstrated a high-level of technical understanding and were able to translate business requirements into technical use case models and requirements which we found easy to work with."

"The final deliverable was provided on time and budget and exceeded our expectations."
Justin Curtis-Jones
Operations Director, Hodge Equity Release