The first time you do somthing, you usually make mistakes. The second time you get a little better, and eventually, if you keep at it, you can become an expert. Our delivery methodology has been derived from many years of combined experience and hundreds of implementation projects. Yet it's never complete. We are always learning better, more efficient ways to do things.

Methodology Concepts

Strategic Prevention vs. Tactical Reaction

Goals:

• Implement vs. Install
• Seek every opportunity for Improvement
• Minimize business disruptions
• Improve customer satisfaction

Through a Process Oriented Perspective:

• Identifying and understanding Business Objectives
• Performing a Needs Assessment
• Process Analysis
• Defining Business Requirements
• Effective Design
  • base system utilization, reduce mods
• Structured Testing
• Comprehensive Super and End User Training
• Readiness Assessment
• Experienced Support
• Post Assessment

Overall Aspects

• Pro-active communication and project management
• Structured Process, Tools, TeamWorks
• Build strong, multi-organizational teams

Phases

Phase 1: Discover

• Identify business objectives for the project
• Perform a Needs Assessment (What is required to meet objectives)
  • Identify known problem or interest areas
  • Is BPR required for certain areas?
  • Client resource abilities in: 
  • PM, 
  • technical, 
  • design, 
  • configuration, 
  • testing, 
  • training, 
  • support
• Gather business background and metrics: #SKUs, shipping volumes, shipping compliance requirements, # of DCs (location, size, # of users), business units/channels.
• Gather current hardware architecture and sizing

Phase 2: Plan

• Identify project team members, roles and responsibilities
• Create initial high level Project Plan
• Provide first level education to client members of design team to understand capabilities
• Perform a hardware architecture review
• Define all business requirements

Phase 3: Design

• Improve/redesign business processes as necessary, finalize operational flow design and document
• Identify system functionality and any potential gaps, design/document system flow to meet operational flow requirements
• Create system modification specifications, if any, for custom functionality, reports, inquires, etc.
• Identify all systems integration points, create interface mapping specifications
• Identify training requirements, design training plan
• Design testing plan
• Design high level conversion approach
• Review/Finalize project plan

Phase 4: Build

• Develop and unit test system interfaces
• Develop and unit test custom functionality, reports, inquires, etc.
• Install and initialize software in new test and production environments
• Configure software to match system flow
• Develop tailored training materials
• Develop test scripts: interfaces, functional, conversion
• Develop user acceptance testing scenarios
• Create conversion scripts
• Install new hardware, MHE, printers, etc.

Phase 5: Verify

• Verify interfaces: execute integration test scripts
• Verify System Flow: execute functional system flow test scripts
• Verify User Scenarios: execute user acceptance test scenarios
• Verify Conversion Scripts: execute conversion test scripts
• Log all issues in TeamWorks for immediate notification and resolution

Phase 6: Prepare

• Execute super-user and end-user training programs
• Finalize conversion plan
• Develop support plan
• Perform Mock Go Live
• Identify all users, set up system menus and access

Phase 7: Convert

• Freeze legacy system updates
• Execute conversion scripts
• Point interfaces to production environment

Phase 8: Stabilize

• Provide expert support during all operationally affected shifts
• Log all issues in TeamWorks for immediate notification and resolution
• Eliminate short term issues

Phase 9: Analyze

• Evaluate overall results
• Identify operational, functional, and performance problems
• Identify opportunities to further improve
• Create action plan to implement fixes and improvements