Interim Technology Leadership
Municipal Government, Transit Authority
Overview
A municipal transit authority engaged Codeview Digital on an Embedded-tier Technology Advisory Retainer when their Director of IT departed unexpectedly during a critical ERP migration. With no succession plan and multiple in-flight projects at risk, the organization needed experienced interim technology leadership to stabilize operations, maintain project momentum, and prepare the groundwork for a permanent hire.
The Challenge
The sudden departure of the IT Director left the transit authority's technology function without senior leadership during one of the most complex periods in the organization's history:
- Director of IT departed mid-project with no succession plan, leaving a 12-person IT team without strategic direction or executive representation
- ERP migration stalled at 60% completion with the integrator threatening to invoke contractual delay penalties totalling $180K
- Three concurrent capital projects (fleet management system, passenger Wi-Fi rollout, and SCADA upgrades) competing for the same resources with no prioritization framework
- IT team morale declining rapidly with two senior staff actively interviewing externally, risking further knowledge loss
- Board and executive leadership losing confidence in IT's ability to deliver, with growing pressure to outsource the entire function
- Union grievances filed over changes to shift scheduling system implemented without proper consultation during the previous director's tenure
The Solution
Immediate Stabilization
Embedded on-site within 48 hours of engagement, establishing daily standups with the IT team, weekly executive briefings, and a 30-day stabilization plan that addressed the most critical operational risks and restored team confidence.
ERP Migration Recovery
Renegotiated the integrator timeline with a revised milestone schedule, resolved 14 blocking issues through direct technical involvement, and brought the ERP migration back on track. Go-live was completed within 8 weeks of engagement start.
Project Portfolio Prioritization
Implemented a lightweight project portfolio framework to sequence the three competing capital projects based on business impact, resource availability, and contractual obligations. This eliminated resource conflicts and gave the executive team clear delivery timelines.
Team Retention & Development
Conducted one-on-one sessions with all 12 IT staff, addressed immediate concerns, established professional development goals, and successfully retained both senior staff members who had been actively interviewing elsewhere.
Executive & Board Communication
Established structured monthly board reporting on IT project status, budget utilization, and risk items. This rebuilt executive confidence and eliminated the outsourcing discussion within the first quarter.
Succession Planning
Developed the job description, evaluation criteria, and interview framework for the permanent Director of IT role, participated in candidate evaluation, and executed a structured 3-week knowledge transfer with the incoming director.
Tech Stack
Project Details
Timeline
6 months (April to September 2025, Embedded tier)
Market Value
$18,000/month
Results
- ERP migration completed on revised timeline, avoiding $180K in contractual delay penalties
- Retained both at-risk senior IT staff members through stabilization period
- Executive outsourcing discussion eliminated within first quarter through restored confidence
- All three capital projects delivered within revised timelines and budget allocations
- Permanent Director of IT successfully hired and transitioned with zero operational disruption
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