Lessons Learned

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Lessons Learned Keys to a Successful
Implementation
Atlanta OAUG January 21, 2005 Atlanta, Georgia
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Presenters

• Paul Frangoulis, CPA, PMP
• Oracle Practice Leader, TITAN Technology Partners
• 11 years of Oracle experience
• Currently managing both an upgrade to 11.5.10 and
  a new implementation including Fins, OM, Mfg.
• Don Driggs, Solution Beacon
• 8 yrs. Oracle Financial Apps experience
  (implementations upgrades)
• Frequent Presenter at OAUG
• Co-Author of Special Edition Using Oracle 11i
• Lourdes Godfrey
• StratITgy International
• 20 years ERP implementation experience
• 12 years ERP project management experience
• 7 years Oracle Financial Apps experience
  (implementations upgrades)

Lourdes Godfrey
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Keys include

1. Active Executive Support
2. Adopt a Project mentality
3. Realistic expectations / business case
4. Recognize risks plan accordingly
5. Dedicated, knowledgeable resources
6. Tackle key design decisions early
7. Willingness to change
8. Test everything
9. System Architect
10. Clarity in communication
11. Effective Project Management

Lourdes Godfrey
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1. Executive Support

• Form an Executive Steering Committee
• Include key Executive Stakeholders
• Define roles responsibilities of Steering
  Committee members
• Assign overall responsibility to the project
  sponsor
• Involve in key decisions
• Use them to get the organization behind the
  project
• Update Steering Committee monthly on progress /
  issues

Lourdes Godfrey
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2. Adopt a Project mentality

• Recognize the difference between project work
  (start, end, scope, budget) and on-going
  maintenance.
• Adopt project controls project charter, project
  plan, status reporting, budget, resource and risk
  management.
• Provide leadership.

Paul Frangoulis
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3. Realistic Expectations

• Develop a realistic project charter stating
• realistic costs
• timeline
• benefits
• Break large project down into manageable chunks
  or phases.
• Identify project risks and potential issues that
  may derail the project.

Lourdes Godfrey
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4. Recognize risks and plan accordingly

• Identify risks early. Brainstorming is a good
  technique. Rank them.
• Assess probability impact of each risk
• Identify contingency plans that make sense along
  with triggers to activate.
• Revisit each risk in the weekly project meeting,
  use green light, yellow light, red light to
  indicate status.

Paul Frangoulis
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5. Dedicated, Knowledgeable Resources

• Assign knowledgeable Super Users who will be
  empowered to make decisions.
• Super Users must be 100 dedicated.
• Super Users should understand current challenges
  as well as be visionaries.
• Use back-fill resources if necessary to free up
  Super Users time
• Assign Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to
  support Super Users in areas that are not their
  area of expertise.
• Assign key users to supplement Super Users.

Lourdes Godfrey
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6. The System Architect

• Assign a person who grasps the vision and the
  technology to pull it all together.
• A person who has been there and done that.
• It can be the project manager, but the role
  requires a completely different skill set.
• This should be your second team member, the PM is
  the first.

Paul Frangoulis
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7. Resolve Key Design Issues early

• Define Key Flexfields
• Define Organization Structure
• Define Purchasing Approval Rules
• Create Necessary Documents
• Checks
• Invoices, Statements
• Purchase Orders
• Assign a timeframe by which each decision must be
  made identify consequences of delays

Don Driggs
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8. Willingness to Change

• If you are changing your Chart of Accounts all
  accounting processes and interfaces will change!
• Identify processes that will change early, and
  define new processes
• Ensure executive support for process changes is
  communicated to all users.
• Document process changes.
• Test process changes during UAT.

Lourdes Godfrey
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9. Test Everything!

• Business Processes
• Document Printing
• Reports
• Interfaces
• Converted Data

Don Driggs
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10. Effective Project Management

• Develop project plan early preferably as part
  of developing the business case or project
  charter (realistic expectations)
• Project plan includes budget, schedule,
  communications plan, risk management plan, and
  resource plan not just gantt chart
• Manage the plan just because it is on paper
  doesnt mean people will do whats on the plan!
• Remove obstacles to progress, communicate,
  resolve issues, motivate, LEAD!

Lourdes Godfrey
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11. Clarity in communication

• The project plan must be understandable to the
  stakeholders. Have a detailed plan, but also
  have a one pager if possible. Pictures work
  best.
• Break down the barriers, between IT and Business,
  and within IT.
• Make project assignments clear.
• Meet formally, and informally, ask questions.

Paul Frangoulis
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IT Proverbs

• Good things rarely just happen.
• Know that tough times will come.
• Dont let em get you downstay positive
• As a leader, be prepared to step up. and you are
  all leaders.
• The project will end because all projects do.
• And finally get er done

Paul Frangoulis
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Questions ???
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Contact Us.

• Paul Frangoulis
• TITAN Technology Partners
• 770-329-0836 (cell)
• PaulFrangoulis_at_ttpartners.com
• Don Driggs
• Solution Beacon
• 828 327-2443 or 828 234-3929  (cell)
• ddriggs_at_solutionbeacon.com
• Lourdes Godfrey
• StratITgy International
• 256-341-5970 or 404-312-8668 (cell)
• godfreyhouse_at_mindspring.com