Mifos Deployments

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Mifos Deployments

• Whats involved?

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Agenda
Mifos Deployments

• Initial project scoping
• Deploy now, customize later
• Key deployment phases
• Common project risks
• QA

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Process
Project scoping

• Deep review of current system / manual processes
• Gap Analysis template to understand processes
• Evaluate HO/Branch infrastructure, hardware
  connectivity requirements to run Mifos
• Understand data migration / entry requirements
  in-depth review of existing data.
• All historical data?
• Just open accounts?
• New accounts only?

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Process
Project Scoping

• Present requirements for a Mifos deployment
• Articulate the functionality gaps
• Propose solutions
• Customization
• Process or system work-around
• List required and recommended process changes
  using existing process maps
• Document resource requirements
• Deployment
• Ongoing maintenance
• User support
• Draft project timeline
• Define project risks

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Important things to consider
Project Scoping

• Transparent communication at this point is
  critical
• Senior management must understand costs,
  constraints and major risks for the project
• If process maps dont already exist, you should
  absolutely work with Mifos Specialist to document
  managing process change is critical
• If project lead on MFI side not already
  identified, this must be done before moving
  forward

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Minimizing deployment complexity
Deploy now, customize later

• Legacy mindset must customize system to match
  every single need
• Need to shift mindset deploy now, customize
  later
• It is difficult to know exactly how system should
  be modified until it is being used
• Difficult to imagine just how much the basic
  system will improve operations. What seems
  important now, may not be so later
• Development adds significant time complexity -
  to any deployment
• Have to ask what is absolutely critical to get
  MFI to production?
• Are there creative workarounds?

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Minimizing deployment complexity
Deploy now, customize later
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Defining project teams
Pre-deployment project planning

• Primary functions
• Pre-deployment
• Technical consultation during business needs
  assessment
• Business liaison during business needs assessment
  to validate processes coordinate interviews
• Deployment
• Project Management for MFI
• Oversee Mifos Specialist activities
• Communicate project status to senior management
• Project management for Mifos Specialist
• Develop project plan and define milestones
• Regular reporting against milestones
• Troubleshooting escalation of issues
• System and database administration
• Reports
• Defining reports requirements
• Building reports

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Defining project teams
Pre-deployment project planning

• Primary functions
• Deployment (cont)
• Data migration/entry
• Design and development of tools
• Define migration/data entry rollout plan
• Coordinate user acceptance testing of migration
• User training
• Designing materials
• Conduct training
• Post-deployment
• Database maintenance
• Daily system maintenance
• User support process
• Driving future system needs
• Mifos upgrades
• Defining customizations driving development
  process

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Key phases
Deployment plan

• Define project plan with milestones
• Define project management structure
• Data migration / Data entry
• System set-up configuration
• Reports definition writing
• User training
• Go-live plan

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What to watch for
Common Project Risks

• Inadequate project management from Mifos
  Specialist
• Project management is a critical role must
  demand regular reports communication
• If they are not hitting milestones you should
  expect clear explanations
• Competing organizational priorities
• Aggressive growth plans
• Introducing new products or services
• Bugs Software issues
• Know how to register bugs
• Immediate contingency for fix delays

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Other considerations
Common Project Risks

• Communication is key
• Insist on regular communication plan with Mifos
  Specialist senior management (project champion)
• Change management is key
• Insist on documenting process changes
• Must get buy-in from all stakeholders to process
  change
• Prepare go-live checklist in advance

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Questions?