Genesis Programme at InvoCare

<h2>Overview</h2> <p>As the technical programme manager at <b>InvoCare</b>, I collaborated with the <b>General Manager for Operations</b> on the <b>Genesis</b> programme to unify operations across 290 funeral homes in Australia and New Zealand. Using off-the-shelf <b>FireHawk</b> software, we replaced a rigid bespoke system, enhancing funeral arranger autonomy, centralising financial management via <b>Oracle Fusion Cloud</b> ERP, and integrating payments through <b>Adyen</b> and digital systems via <b>Adobe Experience Manager</b>.</p> <h2>Key Activities</h2> <ul> <li>Managed programme planning, budgeting, and vendor relations to align with InvoCare’s strategic objectives.</li> <li>Conducted agile <b>Scrum</b> sessions for integration efforts and facilitated team standups to promote collaboration.</li> <li>Prepared detailed reports for the sponsor and steering committee to support effective governance.</li> <li>Collaborated with the Enterprise Architect to develop a new middleware framework, assessing options such as Oracle and <b>Boomi</b>, selecting <b>Microsoft Azure Logic Apps</b> as the platform, with <b>Insight</b> as the integration partner providing time-and-materials resources for design and development.</li> <li>Managed data migration of pre-need contracts to the new platform synchronisation of employee records using <b>Aquera</b> between HCM and <b>Active Directory</b> / <b>Entra ID</b>.</li> <li>Coordinated Pen tests, DR Plans and defined service levels for a <b>Master Services Agreement</b>.</li> <li>Integrated FireHawk’s estimates, invoices, and payment functionalities with Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP, and inventory management with SCM to centralise financial records and procurement functions.</li> </ul> <h2>Technologies Used</h2> <ul> <li>FireHawk (funeral software for case management, logistics, estimates, invoices, payments and receipts, purchase orders, inventory and CRM)</li> <li>Oracle Fusion Cloud (ERP, SCM, HCM)</li> <li><b>HumanForce</b> (team availability and rosters)</li> <li>Adobe Experience Manager (InvoCare’s digital platform)</li> <li>Adyen (payment integrations including bank reconciliation in OFC)</li> <li>Aquera (Employee details synchronisation)</li> <li>Microsoft Azure Logic Apps (middleware platform)</li> <li><b>Jira</b> (Scrum and Kanban delivery management)</li> <li><b>Confluence</b> (documentation)</li> <li><b>Miro</b> (requirements and process mapping)</li> <li>Microsoft tools (<b>Word</b>, <b>Excel</b>, <b>PowerPoint</b>, <b>Project</b> for presentations)</li> </ul> <h2>Challenges and Solutions</h2> <ul> <li><b>Challenge</b>: Determining the optimal allocation of business functions between FireHawk and enterprise systems, as FireHawk supported capabilities best managed centrally, such as inventory integration with financial systems for accurate working capital tracking.<br> <b>Solution</b>: Partnered with the Enterprise Architect to guide decisions on leveraging appropriate systems, ensuring the benefits of integrated ERP/SCM solutions like Oracle Fusion Cloud were fully recognised by decision-makers across functions.</li> <li><b>Challenge</b>: Synchronising data from HCM, Active Directory, Entra ID, HumanForce, and FireHawk for automated provisioning users, including permissions based on job codes, operational state and country, and scheduling, while adhering to data security best practices.<br> <b>Solution</b>: Deployed secure integrations via Aquera, implementing minimal permissions to support role-based access and effective scheduling.</li> <li><b>Challenge</b>: Integrating FireHawk, which lacked pre-existing APIs, with Oracle Fusion Cloud, Adobe Experience Manager, and Funds Management systems.<br> <b>Solution</b>: Organised a daily Design Forum with Insight and FireHawk principal architects to establish optimal interface points, prioritising future scalability, supportability, and maintainability.</li> <li><b>Challenge</b>: Establishing a unified operating model across Australia and New Zealand, accommodating regional variations in data requirements for state-based registers of births, deaths, and marriages.<br> <b>Solution</b>: Prioritised alignment of common fields to achieve a consistent interface in FireHawk, supplemented by region-specific fields as needed.</li> </ul> <h2>Outcomes</h2> <ul> <li>Formulated a comprehensive business case to underpin the programme’s strategic importance.</li> <li>Facilitated resource sharing across funeral homes through FireHawk and HumanForce integrations, yielding a 25% improvement in staff utilisation across 2,000 employees by optimising demand management.</li> <li>Empowered Funeral Directors with increased autonomy and streamlined processes, boosting operational efficiency for field and support office teams.</li> <li>Advanced InvoCare’s objective of a cohesive operating model through integrated systems, centralised financial records via Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP, standardised agreements, and a Master Services Agreement.</li> </ul> <h2>Related Skills</h2> <p>This programme highlights my expertise in:</p> <ul> <li><a href="/skills/1">Programme Management</a></li> <li><a href="/skills/4">Stakeholder Management</a></li> <li><a href="/skills/10">Vendor Management</a></li> <li><a href="/skills/11">Planning</a></li> <li><a href="/skills/7">Budgeting</a></li> <li><a href="/skills/12">Data Migration</a></li> </ul> <h2>Learn More</h2> <p>Explore <a href="https://firehawkfunerals.com/">FireHawk</a>, <a href="https://www.oracle.com/applications/">Oracle Fusion Cloud</a>, <a href="https://humanforce.com/">HumanForce</a>, <a href="https://business.adobe.com/products/experience-manager/adobe-experience-manager.html">Adobe Experience Manager</a>, <a href="https://www.adyen.com/">Adyen</a>, <a href="https://aquera.com/">Aquera</a>, <a href="https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/products/logic-apps">Microsoft Azure Logic Apps</a>, <a href="https://www.atlassian.com/software/jira">Jira</a>, <a href="https://www.atlassian.com/software/confluence">Confluence</a>, <a href="https://miro.com/">Miro</a>, or <a href="https://www.insight.com/en_US/home.html">Insight</a>. Contact me to discuss my contributions to InvoCare!</p> <p style="font-size:0.9em; color:#666; margin-top:2em; font-style:italic;"> This description reflects my personal contributions and general outcomes during my tenure at InvoCare. Details are high-level and represent my own perspective. </p>

Overview

As the technical programme manager at InvoCare, I collaborated with the General Manager for Operations on the Genesis programme to unify operations across 290 funeral homes in Australia and New Zealand. Using off-the-shelf FireHawk software, we replaced a rigid bespoke system, enhancing funeral arranger autonomy, centralising financial management via Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP, and integrating payments through Adyen and digital systems via Adobe Experience Manager.

Key Activities

  • Managed programme planning, budgeting, and vendor relations to align with InvoCare’s strategic objectives.
  • Conducted agile Scrum sessions for integration efforts and facilitated team standups to promote collaboration.
  • Prepared detailed reports for the sponsor and steering committee to support effective governance.
  • Collaborated with the Enterprise Architect to develop a new middleware framework, assessing options such as Oracle and Boomi, selecting Microsoft Azure Logic Apps as the platform, with Insight as the integration partner providing time-and-materials resources for design and development.
  • Managed data migration of pre-need contracts to the new platform synchronisation of employee records using Aquera between HCM and Active Directory / Entra ID.
  • Coordinated Pen tests, DR Plans and defined service levels for a Master Services Agreement.
  • Integrated FireHawk’s estimates, invoices, and payment functionalities with Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP, and inventory management with SCM to centralise financial records and procurement functions.

Technologies Used

  • FireHawk (funeral software for case management, logistics, estimates, invoices, payments and receipts, purchase orders, inventory and CRM)
  • Oracle Fusion Cloud (ERP, SCM, HCM)
  • HumanForce (team availability and rosters)
  • Adobe Experience Manager (InvoCare’s digital platform)
  • Adyen (payment integrations including bank reconciliation in OFC)
  • Aquera (Employee details synchronisation)
  • Microsoft Azure Logic Apps (middleware platform)
  • Jira (Scrum and Kanban delivery management)
  • Confluence (documentation)
  • Miro (requirements and process mapping)
  • Microsoft tools (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Project for presentations)

Challenges and Solutions

  • Challenge: Determining the optimal allocation of business functions between FireHawk and enterprise systems, as FireHawk supported capabilities best managed centrally, such as inventory integration with financial systems for accurate working capital tracking.
    Solution: Partnered with the Enterprise Architect to guide decisions on leveraging appropriate systems, ensuring the benefits of integrated ERP/SCM solutions like Oracle Fusion Cloud were fully recognised by decision-makers across functions.
  • Challenge: Synchronising data from HCM, Active Directory, Entra ID, HumanForce, and FireHawk for automated provisioning users, including permissions based on job codes, operational state and country, and scheduling, while adhering to data security best practices.
    Solution: Deployed secure integrations via Aquera, implementing minimal permissions to support role-based access and effective scheduling.
  • Challenge: Integrating FireHawk, which lacked pre-existing APIs, with Oracle Fusion Cloud, Adobe Experience Manager, and Funds Management systems.
    Solution: Organised a daily Design Forum with Insight and FireHawk principal architects to establish optimal interface points, prioritising future scalability, supportability, and maintainability.
  • Challenge: Establishing a unified operating model across Australia and New Zealand, accommodating regional variations in data requirements for state-based registers of births, deaths, and marriages.
    Solution: Prioritised alignment of common fields to achieve a consistent interface in FireHawk, supplemented by region-specific fields as needed.

Outcomes

  • Formulated a comprehensive business case to underpin the programme’s strategic importance.
  • Facilitated resource sharing across funeral homes through FireHawk and HumanForce integrations, yielding a 25% improvement in staff utilisation across 2,000 employees by optimising demand management.
  • Empowered Funeral Directors with increased autonomy and streamlined processes, boosting operational efficiency for field and support office teams.
  • Advanced InvoCare’s objective of a cohesive operating model through integrated systems, centralised financial records via Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP, standardised agreements, and a Master Services Agreement.

Related Skills

This programme highlights my expertise in:

Learn More

Explore FireHawk, Oracle Fusion Cloud, HumanForce, Adobe Experience Manager, Adyen, Aquera, Microsoft Azure Logic Apps, Jira, Confluence, Miro, or Insight. Contact me to discuss my contributions to InvoCare!

This description reflects my personal contributions and general outcomes during my tenure at InvoCare. Details are high-level and represent my own perspective.

Systems Software

Oracle Fusion Cloud