Dr. Sankaran Venkataramani

He is working with KPMG in India as a Partner responsible for global delivery of business excellence practice solutions. Solutions range from strategic operating model improvement initiatives using global standards and frameworks. Sankaran has been actively leading a plethora of consulting engagements with 70+ talented SME consultants. Broadly, the consulting engagements include operational model alignment benchmarking services, enablement programmes to acquire credentials based on internationally recognised competency models, organisational assessment of strategic alignment with execution to derive sustainable business value, execution and delivery transformational assignments and people practices assessment and benchmarking to provide valuable recommendations. He closely works with the leadership team and improvement programme office in providing deep consulting to align and enable achievement of enterprise objectives. He is fluent with global benchmarking models such as Capability Maturity Model Integration, Scaled Agile Framework for Enterprise, SCRUM Agile, People Capability Maturity Model, ISO 9001, ISO 20000, European Foundation for Quality Management and Lean Six Sigma. He has led many successful engagements in line with organisational capability building programmes with the blend of enablement, assessment and consulting scope of work. He has been conducting various management workshops from the year 1997 onwards as part of his overall experience range. Given the combination of his experience evolving from industry and consulting space, Sankaran is familiar with various technology-based interventions and accelerators. His consulting scope also includes evaluating a variety of technological applications around the space of portfolio/programme/project management, solution development, delivery and execution, process and quality management.

Engagement experience

Assessment and enablement services: Sankaran has conducted numerous organisational benchmarking assessments using internationally recognised frameworks and has trained thousands of professionals on models such as CMMI, People CMM, statistical process control techniques, quantitative model techniques, project management programme and total quality management concepts. Sankaran closely works with reputed institutions such as ISACA to deliver joint workshops on advanced individual certification programmes and develop/update profound global models and frameworks.

Advisory and consulting services: Facilitated numerous organisations in the operating model design in line with organisational objectives. Has designed and developed consulting solutions and workshops based on international standards/models. Spearheaded the development of solutions such as voice of customer, People-CMM based competency framework services, delivery transformation through cognitive quality and SAFe Agile transformation. Developed competency dictionary of select business critical roles, assessment methods and associated instruments, conducted the assessment for members, designed and recommended individual development programmes. Led voice of customer engagements in multiple stages such as initiation, progressive and engagement closure to evaluate operating models to determine areas of improvements.

Workshops and coaching: Conducted a variety of leadership workshops and coaching sessions for the leadership and middle management team in adapting organisational transformation projects. Workshop sessions include business agility, transformational leadership, competency management and enablement and alignment of unit-level goals to organisational strategic objectives.

Thought leadership and articles published

• Published paper on “Performance Management – A New Millennium” as part of post-graduation course at LIBA; “Business Impact Through the PCMM” in the India Vantage, November 2006 issue. India Vantage is a KPMG driven global industry awareness newsletter.
• Presented “Project excellence through CMMI” in the commerce chamber at Colombo; Sri Lanka
• Journal on “Driving Transformational Change through Organisational Culture” published through SAGE Journals, journal article on “Value Promulgation – Imperative for Organisational Cultural Alignment”, article on “Orchestrating Cohesive Process Improvement Program to Achieve Sustainable Business Growth” in The International Journal of Analytical and Experimental Modal analysis (IJAEMA), article on “An International Study on Servitisation-Centric Business Model” in the Science, Technology and Development Journal.
• Published thought leadership article on “Business Excellence through Process Maturity” and theme article on “Operational Excellence through Effective People Practices” in CSI Communications.
• Supported the publication of thought leadership article on “Business Success through Structured Competency Management”; “Business Excellence and ROI Based Process Maturity-Global Insights”; “Quality Governance of Enterprise Management System”; “Business Success as a Function of Structured Competency Management”; “A Capability Improvement Framework to Disrupt, Transform and Innovate”.
• Part of industry bodies such as NASSCOM, CII Connect and Chennai SPIN.
• Presented and been part of panel discussions in industry forums such as SPIN, Service Knowledge Base forum, KPMG’s PRIME-Q Events, East West Advisors webinar panel, KMA Panel moderator for Digital Summit and New Generation Communication Conclave, GSDC and IQA panelist on ESG.
• Delivered a guest lecture on Business and Leadership at premier institutions such as BIMTECH, SIOM, Indian Institute of Management (IIM Indore), WE School of Management, MIT-WPU.