Jun 17 2009 10:00AM GMT
Posted by: Jaideep
User Manual,
Software Project,
software project management,
key user,
stakeholder,
project implementation,
post implementation,
user feedback,
usability,
reliability,
stability,
durability,
report,
analytic,
feel and look,
product support,
project support,
live run,
product training,
software training,
training team,
implementation team,
project team,
project sign-off,
sign-off,
business scenario
The product owners or stakeholders might be many in a software project, but the real frontrunners who drive, run and use the software product post implementation are the key users and other users. It is their feedback that matters most. They must be the most comfortable lot on usability, functionality, reliability, stability, durability, resultant outputs in terms of reports and analytics, feel and look of the product. They are the one who are going to matter most in the success or failure of a product during and post implementation. The best tool to give them comfort, satisfaction, confidence and support is the User Manuals that they refer to most of the time during post implementation live run.
Even if the product is excellent and trainings are most rigorous ones, in absence of the project implementation team, every now and then the key users will be seeking help from User Manuals. User Manuals are the supporting agents for them at all times. That is why User Manuals have to be perfect in all aspects.
Infact a user manual prepared for product users should be such treated as a replacement of implementation and training team right from the moment the project is signed off and users start using the product in real business scenario.
May 29 2009 10:00AM GMT
Posted by: Jaideep
post implementation,
post implementation review,
Project Management,
project board,
project sign-off,
project closure,
Software Project,
software implementation,
project acceptance,
software performance,
product performance
When is to perform a post implementation review? A witty answer could be – obviously after implementation. Ha! Definitely a successful closure of implementation could declare a project closure with a formal project acceptance report or project sign off. So shall we have a post implementation review as soon as we have a project sign off? Nah! That would not solve the purpose. Give an appropriate time to the customer team key users to settle down as the captain of the ship and sail it smoothly. One day or one week smooth sailing will not tell you the turmoil or undercurrent storm about to come in future. Correct. Then future is too long. That means keep waiting for turmoil. But mind it, all ships sailing in the sea do not experience storm. Similarly all products after implementation and project sign off do not guarantee a serious disaster.
Product performance in actual sense requires a certain timeframe to establish and to give confidence to end users. Some part of post implementation review related to team performance (implementation) can be answered quickly, maybe immediately after the project closure. But the other part needs a considerable amount of time to understand the product from different perspectives and accordingly present a right picture in the review report.
Certainly, then, atleast a period of minimum three months is required to experience the product and then fill in the post implementation report. Ideally, I would say, wait for six months, use product in all respects, aggressively, and then the top management need to sit with their key users and project board to evaluate, assess and fill the post implementation review.
Apr 20 2009 10:05AM GMT
Posted by: Jaideep
project manager,
Project Management,
project implementation,
implementation phase,
project lead,
project ownership,
UAT,
business study,
business need,
software training,
implementation process,
implementation plan,
project team,
Risk Management,
Risk Plan,
post implementation,
process owner,
reconciliation,
transaction entry,
project sign-off,
project closure,
project failure,
project success
The customer project manager has to take the lead and ownership of product as soon as it is launched at customer site for implementation. The UAT, training and implementation process can only be effective in case customer project team gets fully involved into each and every activity of the implementation phase. Infact the implementation plan prepared by vendor project manager should be the responsibility of customer project manager to execute.
Customer Project manager and management has to clearly understand the risks involved during the business study, implementation and post implementation phase as highlighted by the vendor Project Manager and to act thereupon to overcome those risks with suggestions from vendor project manager.
These risks could be in terms of consequences involved:
if requirements are not complete and well defined,
the involvement of users and process owners during business study, implementation, UAT, masters creation, transaction entry, reconciliation etc.,
if sign-offs not happening in time, etc.
Even if the sign-off is given and product is not put in use, there is a chance of project failure at both ends.
Apr 10 2009 9:59AM GMT
Posted by: Jaideep
Application development,
software development,
application implementation,
software implementation,
post implementation,
successful implementation,
project manager,
software project manager,
project vision,
project sponsor,
project director,
stakeholder,
software testing,
application readiness,
Project Management
It is not only the project manager but all stakeholders who get affected by the project over-run or failure. It could happen due to any reasons. One of the major reasons that have emerged is the lack of vision of the project manager, project sponsors, project directors and other stakeholders to foresee the problems faced by customer during implementation or post implementation while using the product.
The product may have been developed well, tested well and built well to launch, but what happens if some soft issues that may arise during implementation or even post implementation period are overlooked. It could lead to a disaster…
