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Govern and Manage an Enterprise Software Implementation
Don’t outsource your brain. You can’t outsource project accountability to the SI.
Your Challenge
You have been tasked with delivering a large-scale software implementation project. Historically, similar projects within your organization have failed to complete on time, on budget, and/or have failed to deliver upon their intended benefits. It some cases, these projects have even been abandoned altogether. With a new project on the horizon, you need to minimize your risks of repeat failure.
Our Advice
Critical Insight
- Even in today’s day and age, where information sharing is easier than it has ever been, large-scale software projects continue to fail at an alarming rate (an average of 66% over budget, 33% over time, and delivered with 17% less value than originally predicted, according to a recent publication by McKinsey & Company). Although most companies will survive a failed software implementation, 17% of the failed projects researched can essentially threaten the existence of an organization.
- One would think that IT shops would have such implementations down to a science; however, these “black swan” projects (defined as projects that exceed 200% in budget overruns), occur a lot more than what would be expected.
- You have solicited the professional services of a systems integrator. You want to ensure that you are able to manage the SI, and aren’t solely dependent upon their methodology throughout the implementation period.
Impact and Result
- Assuming greater accountability over the project (avoid over-reliance on the SI)
- Leveraging the collective knowledge and advice of other IT professionals
- Reviewing common pitfalls and lessons learned from failed implementations
- Proper risk mitigation planning for each stage of the project
- Self-assessment of your own readiness to enter/exit each stage of the project
1. Determine project rationale
See if COTS process optimization makes sense.
2. Prepare for the project
Determine appropriate project governance.
3. Enter plan/analyze phase
Adequately prepare for the overall project and gather requirements. Conduct a stage-gate assessment of the phase.
4. Enter design phase
Prepare for overall software project design. Conduct a stage-gate assessment of the phase.
5. Enter build phase
Build the solution in a manner that meets identified requirements. Conduct a stage-gate assessment of the phase.
6. Enter test/deploy phase
Thoroughly evaluate that the deployed solution is meeting business objectives. Conduct a stage-gate assessment of the phase.
Guided Implementations
This guided implementation is a four call advisory process.
Guided Implementation #1 -
Call #1 - Enter plan/analyze phase entry and exit readiness reviews
- Once you have reviewed the common pitfalls, created your risk mitigation plan, and self-evaluated against the entry criteria, we can help review your plan, discuss any of your concerns, and validate your readiness for entry into the Plan/Analyze phase.
- Once you approach the closure of the phase and have self-evaluated against the exit criteria for Plan/Analyze, we can discuss any lessons learned, and validate your readiness for exiting the Plan/Analyze phase.
Guided Implementation #2 -
Call #1 - Enter design phase entry and exit readiness reviews
- Once you have reviewed the common pitfalls, created your risk mitigation plan, and self-evaluated against the entry criteria, we can help review your plan, discuss any of your concerns, and validate your readiness for entry into the Design phase.
- Once you approach the closure of the phase and have self-evaluated against the exit criteria for Design, we can discuss any lessons learned, and validate your readiness for exiting the Design phase.
Guided Implementation #3 -
Call #1 - Enter build phase entry and exit readiness reviews
- Once you have reviewed the common pitfalls, created your risk mitigation plan, and self-evaluated against the entry criteria, we can help review your plan, discuss any of your concerns, and validate your readiness for entry into the Build phase.
- Once you approach the closure of the phase and have self-evaluated against the exit criteria for Build, we can discuss any lessons learned, and validate your readiness for exiting the Build phase.
Guided Implementation #4 -
Call #1 - Enter test/deploy phase entry and exit readiness reviews
- Once you have reviewed the common pitfalls, created your risk mitigation plan, and self-evaluated against the entry criteria, we can help review your plan, discuss any of your concerns, and validate your readiness for entry into the Test/Deploy phase.
- Once you approach the closure of the phase and have self-evaluated against the exit criteria for Test/Deploy, we can discuss any lessons learned, and validate your readiness for go-live.
Info-Tech Academy
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Enterprise App Select and Implement Course
Don’t outsource your brain: You can’t outsource project accountability to the SI.
This course makes up part of the Applications Certificate.
Course information:
- Title: Enterprise App Select and Implement Course
- Number of Course Modules: 5
- Estimated Time to Complete: 2-2.5 hours
- Featured Analysts:
- Suanne McGrath-Kelly, Sr. Research Director, Applications Practice
- David Piazza, VP of Research & Advisory, Applications Practice
- Now Playing: Academy: Enterprise App Select and Implement | Executive Brief
Book Your Workshop
Onsite workshops offer an easy way to accelerate your project. If you are unable to do the project yourself, and a Guided Implementation isn't enough, we offer low-cost onsite delivery of our project workshops. We take you through every phase of your project and ensure that you have a roadmap in place to complete your project successfully.
Module 1: Prepare for Project Launch
The Purpose
- Workshop introduction.
- Preview of the two days.
- Overview of governance, guiding principles, and implementation maturity.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Created a process for defining implementation guiding principles and governance structures.
- A frank assessment of your historical COTS implementation maturity.
Activities
Outputs
Establish project governance structure.
- Large Software Implementation Maturity – Project Risk Level
- Preliminary Project Governance Structure
Establish project guiding principles.
- Preliminary Project Guiding Principles
Large Software Implementation Maturity Assessment Tool completed and results discussed.
Establish change management procedures.
- Change Request Accommodation Criteria
- Change Request Management Procedures
Module 2: Plan/Analyze
The Purpose
- Overview of Plan/Analyze phase.
- Discuss lessons learned from the Plan/Analyze phase of the previous software implementation projects.
- Discuss common risks and pitfalls experienced during the phase.
- Compile risks and propose mitigating actions.
- Develop a methodology for future projects in the Plan/Analyze phase.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Bring a structured approach to the plan and analyze phases of an enterprise software implementation project.
Activities
Outputs
Build plan/analyze team.
Determine activities.
Identify lessons learned.
- List of lessons learned from previous software implementation project
- Draft of risks and proposed mitigating actions
Module 3: Design
The Purpose
- Overview of design phase.
- Discussion on lessons learned from the design phase of the previous software implementation projects.
- Discussion on common risks and pitfalls experienced during the phase.
- Compile risks and propose mitigating actions.
- Develop a methodology for future projects in the design phase.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Bring a structured approach to the design phase of an enterprise software implementation project.
Activities
Outputs
Build design team.
Determine activities.
Identify lessons learned.
- List of lessons learned from previous software implementation project
- Draft of risks and proposed mitigating actions
Module 4: Build
The Purpose
- Overview of build phase.
- Discuss lessons learned from the build phase of the previous software implementation projects.
- Discuss common risks and pitfalls experienced during the phase.
- Compile risks and propose mitigating actions.
- Develop a methodology for future projects in the design phase.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Bring a structured approach to the build phases of an enterprise software implementation project.
Activities
Outputs
Create build team.
Determine activities.
Identify lessons learned.
- List of lessons learned from previous software implementation project
- Draft of risks and proposed mitigating actions
Module 5: Test/Deploy
The Purpose
- Overview of test/deploy phase.
- Discuss lessons learned from the test/deploy phase of the previous software implementation projects.
- Discuss common risks and pitfalls experienced during the phase.
- Compile risks and propose mitigating actions.
- Develop a methodology for future projects in the test/deploy phase.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Bring a structured approach to the test and deploy phases of an enterprise software implementation project.
Activities
Outputs
Build test/deploy team.
Determine activities.
Identify lessons learned.
- List of lessons learned from previous software implementation project
- Draft of risks and proposed mitigating actions
