Production

Putting the System into Production

• Task list
• Team Members

Creating an Implementation Team

Implementation of your new system is a large sub-project of choosing your collections management software. First, create an implementation team. Your implementation team, working with and monitoring the activities of your vendor, will be your best insurance of getting the full value for what you spent.

To help your project manager and ensure that the modules operate as they should, this team should include a vendor representative and an influential person from each functional area receiving new hardware or software. Every team member should contribute to the overall task when possible, but each person should be responsible for coordinating all of the activities that directly concern his or her functional area and its supporting hardware and software.

Your implementation team should have a meeting as soon as possible after it is formed to create a list of responsibilities and an initial list of tasks that must be accomplished in order to bring all of the modules of the new system into production.

The task groupings should then be sequenced so that the team will understand the scope and activity flow of the entire implementation process. Once the task list and activity flow are approved by the team, the project should be divided into manageable phases. That will enable the team to establish an initial project time schedule for review and approval by senior management.

Suggested Implementation Team Task List

Remember that many tasks, such as training staff, converting data, and testing menu functions, will be repeated for each functional module.

Conduct team project planning meetings

• Define responsibilities.
• List all project tasks.
• Form task groupings based on functional modules.
• Establish functional module roll-out sequence.
• Establish manageable project phases.
• Create time schedule by phase.
• Secure senior management approval of project plan.

Implementation team meets with vendor

• Define all vendor and client responsibilities.
• Outline all implementation project tasks.
• Identify hardware issues, if any.
• Identify all known software modifications.
• Outline tentative software delivery schedule.
• Outline training plans.
• Outline data conversion plans.
• Outline short-term/initial use support plan.
• Outline long-term/production use support plan.
• Establish a tentative project time schedule.
• Agree upon vendor "deliverable" and payment plan.

Develop staff and update/communication plan

Revise internal policies and procedures (if necessary)

Plan and execute internal reorganization (if necessary)

Revise external procedures and documents (if necessary)

Document internal and external technical support process

Review vendor documentation

• Validate accuracy.
• Validate completeness.
• Identify supplemental documentation requirements.
• Decide who will prepare supplemental documentation.
• Develop and validate supplemental documentation.

Plan for hardware installation (if necessary)

• Purchase additional furniture (if necessary).
• Make network modifications (if necessary).
• Install cabling (if necessary).
• Select staging area for unpacking and temporary storage.
• Schedule delivery.
• Unpack, verify configurations, and test.
• Load and test software (if necessary).
• Schedule delivery to users per implementation plan.
• Deliver, install, and test in work areas.
• Dispose of old hardware (if necessary).

Design and develop software modifications

This applies to those of you who are looking at purchasing development applications. At this point you would address how you are going to customize the system. This includes the following:

• User and vendor jointly review requirements.
• Vendor creates prototype.
• User tests prototype.
• Vendor reworks prototype. User approves prototype or repeats process.
• Vendor completes modification per final prototype.
• User tests completed modification.
• User approves modification.
• Vendor documents modification (user and technical).

Train in-house technical support staff

• Attend operating system training (if system is new).
• Attend database training (if necessary).
• Attend programming language training (if new).
• Attend query and report writer training.
• Attend functional module training (all).
• Create in-house technical documentation (if required).

Covert old system data to new system format

• Compare old data fields to new data fields.
• Decide what and how much historical data to convert.
• Decide what to do with data stored offsite.
• Decide if some historical data is best kept on paper.
• Identify new fields that were not in old system.
• Decide how and when to populate new data fields.
• Decide who is going to maintain new data fields.
• Develop an electronic conversion program.
• Document the conversion program and process.
• Develop a manual conversion plan (if necessary).
• Develop old/new data update method (until cut over).

(Also see the session on Converting).

Train users

• Provide overview of entire new system and all modules.
• Train users on their new hardware (if necessary).
• Train users on their new software.
• Train users on use of their documentation.
• Train users on how to get and use technical support.

Develop and implement test plans

• New hardware.
• Network.
• Functional software modules
• Software modifications.
• Total software system.

Plan and execute new system cut over activities

• Pull-the-plug/cut-the-ribbon ceremony.
• Project ending celebration.

Plan and conduct final acceptance evaluation

• Compare actual operations with evaluation criteria.
• Meet with each functional group and identify issues.
• Meet with vendor to resolve issues.
• Upon resolution of issues, make final payment.

From Orlowski, Thomas J., Smart Selection and Management of Association Computer Systems

Team members

During discussions with management, this list of job descriptions may come in handy to point out the requirements for a project of this scope. No matter how small or large your computer staff, or even if you have no computer staff at all, all of these functions and activities are being performed somewhere, somehow, by someone in your organization.

In larger institutions, your implementation team may include individuals who fit the following job descriptions and who will likely be assigned long term production duties related to your software and hardware selection:

Director of Information Systems/Computer Services/Data Processing:

• Manage all day-to-day computer support personnel and activities
• Keep current on technology
• Recommend/approve computer hardware and software purchases
• Negotiate computer hardware, software, and consulting contracts
• Provide internal computer consulting
• Convert association business plans and requirements into computer plans, systems, and operations
• Select and direct the implementation of technology to satisfy the association’s requirements

Analyst/Programmer:

• Convert user/business requirements into computer system designs, programs, and hardware requirements
• Write and document computer programs
• Train staff on new and modified computer systems
• Maintain all in-house/custom computer software
• Maintain knowledge of current technology
• Make technology, process, and procedure recommendations to the director

Computer System Manager/Administrator/Network Administrator:

• Maintain continuous operation of the association’s computer equipment and data communication networks
• Continuously monitor and work to improve computer hardware and software performance
• Back up all centrally located or managed computer software and databases
• Maintain knowledge of current technology
• Maintain computer hardware and software inventories
• Coordinate computer hardware and software vendor maintenance activities
• Make hardware and software recommendations to the director

Database Manager:

• Monitor the integrity of the association’s databases
• Perform database inquiries and extracts
• Create ad hoc computer reports
• Identify requirements for software modifications or new software systems
• Train users in the use of the association’s systems and databases
• Maintain knowledge of current technology
• Make computer hardware and software recommendations to the director

Help Desk/User Support Specialist:

• Provide the first level of computer user support by answering questions about hardware and software issues
• Identify and, where possible, resolve computer hardware and software problems
• Refer to others those problems that are too difficult to resolve expeditiously at the help desk
• Identify the need for computer system modifications, upgrades, or replacements

From Orlowski, Thomas J., Smart Selection and Management of Association Computer Systems

Go to the exercise for this module.