Business Project Management

Interim hits the right note at the Royal Opera House

When the curtain rises on the redeveloped Royal Opera House, Roger Pierpoint will not be on the credit list. Nevertheless, his role was crucial.

Commissioned through Impact Executives, Pierpoint was tasked with validating the bookings and ticket sales computer system. As a regular opera goer he has an understanding and appreciation which helped enormously and with 25 years in customer services management in the computer services industry he was well placed to solve the problem.

The new box office equipment has not been fully tested. The majority of the front-of-house and customer relations staff had been made redundant when the theatre closed at the start of the redevelopment programme and none of those who remained had been involved in the purchase of the new system.

Pierpoint's arrival on the scene followed a highly publicised, difficult period for the Royal Opera House. To allay fears and instil confidence he made it clear that he was not a hatchet man.

He scoured Sadler's Wells, the Royal Festival Hall and the Barbican, where he found the managers more than happy to share information. Three weeks into the assignment, he drew up a position paper which concluded that the computer system would meet the ROH requirements but that is would need further development.

His stay was extended and he recommended a new telephone system to provide a seamless service for patrons ringing up with more than one request, such as booking tickets and making a meal reservation.

"We wanted somebody to validate our decision. Roger has excellent project management ability, his approach was logical and clear and now we have the confidence that it will all work"

Mike Morris
Human Resources Consultant to the Royal Opera House