Britannica Makes Strategic Organizational Changes

February 13, 2018   Britannica Knowledge Systems, developer of the leading commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) software, the Fox Training Management System, is restructuring its business to enhance both product and customer responsiveness. It is reinventing two complementing customer-facing departments: Customer Solutions & Delivery and Product Management.

The Customer Solutions & Delivery (CS&D) department merges two previously separate units (Project Management and Customer Solutions) for greater customer focus and internal management efficiency. The CS&D department will be led by Barak Kirmayer, formerly Britannica’s Program Management Director. Since joining Britannica in 2015, Mr. Kirmayer has successfully led large projects for major airline, governmental and aviation manufacturer customers. Mr. Kirmayer has 12 years of prior experience serving worldwide customers for high-tech companies as a CRM and ERP project and solutions manager.

Responsible for delivering full product solutions to high scale customers from initiation to delivery, the merged group will leverage customer expertise to transfer knowledge faster and shorten project durations. The CS&D department is structured to support Britannica’s new project management approach, which harnesses both customer expertise in their own businesses and Fox’s robust built-in aviation-focused processes and capabilities.

“Since our customers understand their needs better than anyone, our approach puts the products, knowledge and power in their hands at a very early stage.”  said Asher Dagan, Britannica’s Vice President, Product and Project Management. “Moving the solution under the delivery creates one harmonious orchestra composed of our fully robust, mature COTS products and customer expertise. Barak Kirmayer, with his vast experience and excellent customer rapport, is the perfect conductor.”

Britannica’s Product Management department will also undergo a fresh approach with its new leader, Adi Silagy. Mr. Silagy is Britannica’s former head of Customer Solutions and before that, Britannica’s Chief Product Manager. Having joined Britannica in 2007, Mr. Silagy has worked directly with every major Britannica customer across industries including civil aviation, defense, finance, government, and education.

Leveraging Mr. Silagy’s prior customer success and vast technical and industry knowledge, the department will transform itself from a largely back-office function to a more dynamic customer-facing entity. The Product Management team will work closely with customers to analyze their requirements and collect feedback on the high-level design.  They will lead a new interactive customer community, allowing customers to share best practices while Britannica increases their understanding of the market and customer needs for ongoing roadmap enhancements.  They will also regularly present customers with system upgrade and new functionality detail.