Performance Improvement in the Private Sector
JCURV helped Sainsbury’s transform Data & Analytics function into a disciplined, value‑led performance engine by embedding a single, enterprise‑wide quarterly planning rhythm aligned to strategy, capacity and commercial outcomes. In just three quarters, the approach delivered a 10x increase in realised value, materially improved delivery predictability, restored senior stakeholder confidence and established a repeatable capability now shaping performance across the wider organisation.
Sainsbury’s is one of the UK’s leading retailers. They operate in a fast-moving sector, where strong execution and value delivery are essential to maintaining competitive advantage.
Data & Analytics (D&A) is at the heart of three-year Sainsbury’s ‘Next Level’ strategy and a foundational capability for delivering market share growth. As one of the most in demand teams in the organisation, D&A plays a critical role in driving performance across both the Food and Clothing businesses.
However, the D&A Leadership team faced several significant challenges that were affecting its performance and thus impacting Sainsbury’s financial performance overall. This included an overwhelming volume of demand, a lack of prioritisation from the business and low stakeholder confidence.
The D&A LT recognised the need for a reset to restore confidence, improve focus, and drive higher performance across the team and business. They engaged JCURV to improve portfolio performance by redefining how demand was prioritised, planned, and delivered.
JCURV tailored and embedded its unique strategic alignment, prioritisation and quarterly planning methodology to address these challenges. This approach linked strategic intent to capacity-backed delivery commitments, connecting all business stakeholders (including the Ops Board members) to the D&A delivery teams.
The impact was immediate and significant. Within three quarterly cycles, the D&A team moved from reactive demand management to disciplined, value-led execution:
- Increased the realised value of D&A work (annualised £) by 10 times over six months, moving from low double-digit to triple-digit value levels
- Improved delivery predictability, with around 75% of committed work delivered each quarter now vs < 50% prior to this engagement
- Embedded a trusted mechanism for prioritising and planning work, not only in D&A, but also started to influence how the wider organisation prioritises and delivers value.
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