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.
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Enterprise Application Selection & Implementation
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 Application Selection & Implementation
- 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
After each Info-Tech experience, we ask our members to quantify the real time savings, monetary impact, and project improvements our research helped them achieve. See our top member experiences for this Blueprint, and what our clients have to say.
Client
Experience
Impact
$ Saved
Days Saved
Connecticut Water Company
Guided Implementation
10/10
$12,733
20
County of Napa
Guided Implementation
10/10
$1,273
2
Central University of Technology
Guided Implementation
6/10
$2,546
20
Thermo Fisher
Guided Implementation
10/10
N/A
N/A
City of Leduc
Guided Implementation
7/10
$10,000
20
Milwaukee Metro Sewerage District
Guided Implementation
6/10
$3,820
N/A
Canada Foundation For Innovation
Guided Implementation
8/10
$25,000
15
