INNOVATION · ENGINEERING · TECHNOLOGY

Start with clarity.
Deliver with control.

Technology project and programme management for new initiatives, complex delivery and projects that need to get back on track.

Led by Andy Ashill, with a record of recovering programmes, delivering critical systems and bringing organisations together across rail, payments, mobile telecommunications and aviation.

Discuss a project
Illustrative images of a passenger train, a civilian drone, a mobile phone and a payment terminal
Engineering backgroundAgile & Waterfall deliveryBased in North Yorkshire

SELECTED CAREER ACHIEVEMENTS

Experience measured
in results.

From stabilising a billing platform to recovering a rail programme: examples of Andy’s contribution in previous roles, across different sectors and stages of delivery.

RAIL · PROGRAMME RECOVERY

Containing cost and delay

Britain’s national rail infrastructure owner

An £8m data programme faced a forecast £1m overspend and a six-month overrun. Andy restructured the team and renegotiated supplier delivery arrangements.

ResultReduced the forecast overspend by 90% and contained the schedule overrun to two months.

PAYMENTS · CAPACITY FOR GROWTH

Delivering critical data-centre capacity

A leading European payments network

The business needed additional capacity to support growth and new payment services. Andy managed the data-hall expansion, working with Procurement on competitive tendering and supplier delivery.

ResultDelivered the expansion on time and under budget, providing the capacity the business needed.

MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS · RECOVERY

Stabilising a billing-system migration

A major mobile network operator

A migration from mainframe billing to a server-based solution had encountered serious implementation problems. Within the recovery effort, Andy led the team responsible for the platform and middleware supporting the application.

ResultDelivered a stable technical foundation for the billing application. Andy was promoted in recognition of his contribution to the recovery.

MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS · RESILIENCE

Proving disaster-recovery readiness

A major mobile network operator

Andy managed a £10m programme to equip a new disaster-recovery site with storage, backup and network infrastructure, aligned with the organisation’s global standards.

ResultDelivered ahead of schedule and within budget. Subsequent failover tests met all agreed recovery-time and data-recovery objectives.

FINANCIAL MARKETS · RAPID DELIVERY

Operational infrastructure in three weeks

A global financial information provider

A worldwide messaging service for financial-market traders needed new infrastructure. Andy managed deployment of a £1.25m server environment, including 120 servers, storage and networking.

ResultDelivered the new environment ready for operation within three weeks of the decision to proceed.

AVIATION · FUNDED INNOVATION

Taking collaboration into trials

A leading UK air navigation services provider

Andy managed the provider’s participation in collaborations exploring electric passenger flight and medical drone deliveries. His role spanned consortium formation, bids, mobilisation, delivery and closure.

ContributionCoordinated airspace simulations and technology work for trials, managed expenditure and quarterly grant claims, and arranged independent accountant audits at closure.

These examples describe Andy’s previous professional experience, rather than Kitpoint client engagements. Organisation names are omitted and no endorsement is implied. References available on request.

HOW KITPOINT CAN HELP

Clear plans.
Accountable delivery.

Support shaped around the project, the people involved and the evidence needed to make sound decisions.

01

Start a project

Clarify the business need, develop the business case and define the scope. Bring teams and partners together around an achievable plan, budget and agreed responsibilities.

02

Lead or recover delivery

Establish a realistic delivery plan, resolve supplier and team dependencies, and address the causes of cost or schedule pressure. Use Agile, Waterfall or a combination suited to the work.

03

Review and report

Give decision-makers a clear view of progress, costs and benefits. Plan testing, operational handover and closure. For funded innovation projects, support grant claims and monitoring reviews.

FUNDED INNOVATION & MONITORING

Technical progress.
Accountable expenditure.

Practical experience of the full funding lifecycle, working with industry, universities and public bodies.

Building effective collaborations

Develop funding bids and bring partners together around clear responsibilities, working agreements, budgets and project plans. Andy’s experience includes coordinating aviation specialists, healthcare professionals, drone operators and medical packaging specialists.

Making progress and costs clear

Track expenditure, prepare grant claims and explain progress against the agreed plan. Andy has represented a consortium participant at quarterly Monitoring Officer reviews and arranged independent accountant audits at project closure.

Andy’s previous monitoring involvement was from the consortium participant side. Independent monitoring assignments would be subject to the provider’s requirements, induction and conflict checks.

THE PERSON BEHIND KITPOINT

Andy Ashill

Principal consultant

An engineering foundation.
A career delivering technology.

Andy combines an engineering education with experience leading technology delivery in regulated and operationally demanding environments.

At Britain’s national rail infrastructure owner, he led six project managers and multidisciplinary teams of 20–30. His work spans infrastructure, cloud platforms, operational data, systems integration and security assurance.

His career includes progression into project-management team leadership at a leading European payments network and programme management in rail. He has also led technical delivery and support teams working across locations and suppliers.

A broad interest in engineering, physical sciences and technology complements his practical experience of funded innovation. Assignments can draw on delivery leadership, project recovery or scrutiny of progress, expenditure and intended benefits.

Qualifications achieved

  • BSc (Hons) — Electronic and Electrical Engineering
  • APM Project Management Qualification — awarded as APMP
  • PRINCE2 Practitioner
  • AgilePM Practitioner
  • Managing Successful Programmes Practitioner

Additional examination achievement: CISSP examination passed.

References available on request.

Approach to funded-project monitoring

A review should establish whether the technical plan, expenditure and reported progress make sense together, and whether the intended benefits remain achievable. Andy brings experience preparing grant claims, reporting to monitoring officers and arranging independent accountant audits. His previous Innovate UK monitoring involvement was from the consortium participant side. Any independent appointment would be subject to the provider’s requirements, induction and conflict checks.

LET’S TALK

Starting a project?
Need delivery back on track?

Contact Andy about project mobilisation, delivery leadership, programme recovery or funded-project monitoring.