A Kepa Software Case Study
APO for Local Government
APO was tasked with stopping transformation teams being overrun as a result of poor prioritisation.
How the Client Started
The client’s 2 key challenges
An Australian local government with 1,500 employees, $3.6B AUD in assets, and $500M AUD in annual revenue faced the daunting task of prioritising 265 business transformation initiatives. Despite having a dedicated transformation team, progress was slow and resources were stretched.
CHALLENGE #1
Internal Teams Overloaded
Inefficient planning and prioritisation caused teams to be overrun with workloads. This led to confusion and unrealistic expectations among key stakeholders.
CHALLENGE #2
Limited Progress
With focus spread across too many initiatives, progress was diluted and transformation efforts lacked measurable impact.
How APO Solved the Problems
From Complexity to Clarity
APO streamlined the client’s transformation pipeline by turning complex priorities and competing opinions into a clear, defensible roadmap. Through structured analysis, automated consensus, and ongoing portfolio refinement, APO enabled faster, smarter decisions with measurable results.
Embedded Strategic Drivers
Strategic drivers and scorecard measures were structured in APO as a cascading hierarchy of value.
Gathered Stakeholder Input
Key stakeholders were surveyed to rate the relative importance of each driver and scorecard measure.
Analysed Differences of Opinion
Stakeholder views were compared and reconciled to create a defensible basis for prioritisation decisions.
Entered Business Cases
Existing business cases were added into APO for consistent analysis.
Built Initial Prioritisation
Business case data was assessed against stakeholder opinions to develop an early prioritisation view.
Achieved Expert Consensus
Discussions on value measures enabled consensus, ensuring prioritisation reflected collective agreement.
Identified Low-Value Initiatives
Projects of least value were highlighted as candidates to defer or stop, freeing resources.
Progressed the Portfolio
The pipeline advanced based on APO’s prioritisation recommendations.
Maintained Continuous Refinement
The portfolio was reviewed monthly as conditions changed – initiatives were added, stopped, or updated, and governance processes matured.
What our local government client directly experienced through APO
91%
Reduction in options reviewed – from over 2,000 initiatives down to the most viable 1,000.
$2.3M
Savings/avoided costs from strategic alignment and clearer prioritisation.
68%
Of initiatives (180) prioritised and sequenced in business-value order, ready for execution.
23%
Of initiatives (62) shelved due to poor business value, freeing resources for what matters.
“As a finance leader in the public sector, I needed a solution that could withstand rigorous scrutiny. APO’s evidence-based framework made it easy to align our capital allocation with long-term strategic goals. The audit trail and reporting capabilities have proven invaluable during budget reviews and external audits.”
CFO – Local Government
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