Steve Connor, Carillion CIO, the key quotes

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Steve Connor, Carillion CIO, the key quotes

Carillion is a relatively new name for a company that has been part of the construction and support services industry in some shape or form for over a century. Read the full CIO UK interview with Steve Connor here.

By Mark Chillingworth | 12 February 2013

Steve Connor builds solid foundations at Carillion

“The first acquisitions were more of the same to grow market share, and they fitted in well with what we do,” Connor says of the Mowlem and Alfred McAlpine deals.

Strengthening an IT portfolio in the face of competition, diversification and acquisition

We are classified as a support services organisation on the FTSE. The organisation has grown organically and an intent to move from construction into support services. So the last acquisition was a move into the energy services space. That was a broadening of the company and that was our first large-scale B2C move, dealing with customers on fuel poverty, solar, boiler maintenance and installation.”

Adding values

“In 2002 we took a look at Oracle and then took another look in 2005 and felt it was the right time to go with the Oracle E-Business Suite. “If you are growing through mergers and acquisitions the integration of Oracle becomes a process rather than an event. We are seeking to have a single instance of Oracle across Carillion that is the real heart of our services and the way we manage customers, work orders, resources and assets and schedules. These are things we do, and must always do, well.”

BIO-mechanics

"We are making savings on the travel budget with desk-to-desk video conferencing. Creating the business case for the change was hard, but our existing infrastructure was old and worn out, so had to be refreshed and this way we can transform the organisation as we renew. “We are looking at how we can exploit social media too. I think there is an untapped level of expertise out there for our sector.”

Carillion has just one development team for the entire organisation

“In 1998 we created an IT shared service across Carillion and sold through a service level agreement to the organisation. By 2010 there was a perception that this service was something delivered from HQ and somewhat disengaged with the business. “In 2011 we decided to preserve the shared resource pools, but to establish a close operational and strategic link with the business so that the business felt they had a responsive and agile ICT operation they could call on. “Change, even good change, is difficult for people and people were afraid of the matrix management the reorganisation brought. We are beginning to see the benefits of that as the various business units think there is an entire ICT operation at their disposal.”

Carillion needed an IT structure that was agile

“We were aware there was another level we could operate at. What we wanted was to get IT at the top table so that the businesses felt they were well served. “IT was not seen as integrated 20 years ago, now it is totally central to what we do.”

Middle East IT Director

“We had three organisations in the Middle East that had to be brought together. They were behind in their IT and they wanted to be at UK levels and it was a chance to do a three-year secondment. “It was hugely rewarding and the cultural aspects of living and working in the Middle East were really educating.”

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