Auckland Unlimited
“It’s the ability to validate decisions, knowing the person you're validating them with is looking out for the best solution for you, taking into consideration your size and your costs and your risk appetite – everything.”
- Mandy Kennedy, CDO
Auckland Unlimited are charged with enriching the cultural and economic life in Tāmaki Makaurau. They foster the Auckland brand to ensure Tāmaki Makaurau is a strong and desirable destination for people to live, work, visit, invest and do business.
As an Auckland Council-controlled organisation a significant portion of their funding comes from ratepayers, and they are therefore charged with ensuring that this money is being spent wisely and to deliver the greatest value.
We were interested in hearing about their experience with us as one of our longstanding clients. We recently spoke to Mandy, their chief digital officer (CDO).
Mandy what’s your role at Auckland Unlimited?
I’m CDO, a newly-created executive level position. I have responsibility across all of Auckland Unlimited’s systems, software, infrastructure, and digital tools.
Can you tell us about the work Auckland Unlimited does?
Auckland Unlimited has various rōpū (similar to business units). The cultural rōpū includes the zoo, the art gallery, the maritime museum, and the stadia. We are also custodians of all the collections. Auckland Unlimited are looking to standardise a suite of connected commerce applications including ticketing systems, point of sale and membership portals.
We also have an arts, entertainment and events rōpū with facilities like the Town Hall, The Civic and the Bruce Mason Centre. We support these venues with their event planning and management systems and then when they run the events.
Our other rōpū is industry and investment which is all about encouraging people to invest in Auckland and marketing Auckland as a destination. To support the recovery of Tāmaki Makaurau, we have recently stood up two major programmes, Reactivate, which has provided 100,000 vouchers to be used by Aucklanders across the region, and Activate which has allocated $60m of grants to support businesses who were struggling following the pandemic.
How long have you been working with Auckland Unlimited?
Auckland Unlimited is a merger of former ATEED and Regional Facilities Auckland (RFA). I came into the role of CTO of the former RFA in February 2020, and then moved into the role of CDO for the newly merged Auckland Unlimited in July 2021.
What were the main reasons Auckland Unlimited engaged Unisphere?
Before I came into role, Unisphere performed a virtual CIO role for the former RFA. Once I was in role this became less necessary, however I have continued to use Unisphere, (James in particular) over the last couple of years in a consulting capacity, to validate thinking and for specific technical advice.
Can you tell us more about the resourcing and skillsets Unisphere helps you with?
In addition to using James in a consulting capacity, we have from time to time used other Unisphere team members to fill resource gaps, for example in server migration, web architecture and business analysis.
It’s great to be able to talk things through with James at the CIO level – bounce ideas around and validate thinking. If I'm working my way through a problem, I like to be able to check that I've got my thinking straight. I can put some time in James’s diary, tell him what the problem is I’m trying to solve, and ask him what his thoughts, ideas or opinions are.
Can you tell us what it’s like working with James and Unisphere? It’s really easy going and open. I always get a straight answer. There’s no intent to wrap it up or sell me anything. I can have open conversations about what I'm trying to solve and how might be a good way of going about it. James is also not aligned to any specific outcome or solution; he puts forward all cases. That suits me as I’m pragmatic as well.
Why is that pragmatism so important?
James knows that we are a small team and that we need to deliver value for the ratepayers of Auckland. We always have to be conscious that we’re spending somebody else's money. He would never suggest a solution which was more than what we needed, and it’s important to me that he considers what’s the best value. What’s the right thing for us, not necessarily the shiniest thing that's out there.
It’s the ability to validate decisions, knowing the person you're validating them with is taking into account the best solution for you and your size and your costs and your risk appetite – everything.
Anything else that stands out about Unisphere?
There’s never a time I reach out to James when he won't find time to talk to me. Even though he's really busy, I know that if I need something he will help me. Plus their billing is really punctual and automated.