The Challenge
To develop a business plan and standard costing model which details the steps necessary to make the Visibly Better (VB) programme a success.
The Background
The VB programme is a comprehensive accreditation scheme developed to meet the needs of people with sight problems who live in sheltered housing and extra care homes.
This is a commercially saleable product which has historically received subsidy funding from RNIB.
Due to economic conditions, the VB programme had to become cost neutral in Wales by March 2016.
If successful, this delivery model would be used to roll out other RNIB initiatives across the UK.
Approach
– Understand the resource infrastructure, funding mechanisms, and internal controls at RNIB Cymru
– Review current data collection systems and reports
– Identify the market VB operates in, the challenges it will face, and the benefits it has to offer customers
– Develop a standard costing model to accurately cost each element of the service
– Train RNIB Cymru staff in the use of the costing model
– Produced a business plan detailing the actions necessary to achieve cost neutrality
Outcome
– Business plan detailing the future of VB Cymru
– Developed the first standard costing model ever used in VB Cymru
– Identified loss making services
– Greater understanding of existing contracts and their legal implications
– Developed a competency matrix of resources capable of delivering each service element
Benefits
– Clear understanding of their position and the choices which need to be made
– Provision of robust, quality information, enabling informed decision making (and validation)
– Understanding of the lowest cost resource to deliver the service
– Future contracts will be negotiated at or above cost of delivery
– Evidence provided to support conclusions in the business plan