Implementation consultancy can be provided in the following areas:
Project Start-up Services
Start up training (1-2 days)
(Where do we start?)
This is not something that a business undertakes very often and so we can offer training in how to start a project, how to set up project teams, responsibilities, goals, communication channels, project infrastructure and procedures, documentation Etc. We can also include project planning and control.
Project management (2 days a week)
It is often beneficial to bring in an outside project manager/controller to organise the project. This is a specialist function and there is not always a person from inside the business who has the skills to carry it off.
An outsider also does not come with any ‘baggage’ and will be seen to be neutral in any contentious situations. The project manager will create and maintain the project plan, organise project meetings, monitor costs and resource usage against the plan.
Progress will also be monitored against project milestones and goals. Regular project reports will be generated for the project sponsor and board of directors.
An experienced Implementation Consultant can be provided on a one or two day a week basis to help you with your project.
Background
When companies commit to new computer systems they are well aware of their current situation and they can envisage a new system and how it should work for them because the software selection process has given them this vision but there is often a lack of perception of what will happen during the time of the implementation process.
The implementation period lasts on average between 6 and 18 months and will affect staff, business processes, databases and technology. The changes will also ripple through the supply chain as the new systems affect the way products are ordered and supplied.
The traditional approach is to hand the project over to IT and to expect all of the line managers to take their part of the project on board and fit in the extra work while keeping the business running smoothly.
To varying degrees other staff will spend proportions of their time being trained on and involved with new systems.
There are two problems with this approach. The first is that implementations are generally business process driven and when a project seen as an IT project it can be difficult to get business managers and other staff to “buy into” the project from the outset.
This leads to a lack of momentum because the work is seen as someone else’s problem and is given a low priority. The second is that line managers and key staff are usually very busy people who can’t find an extra two or three hours a day to work on a new non-productive project and so either the project or the business suffers.
Extra resources will be required for the implementation period. These resources might be available from the software supplier but their loyalty will lie primarily with the supplier and this may not be in the company’s best interest.
