Midterm Flashcards
System Team
Primary function is to plan, coordinate, budget, and manage all aspects of the new system’s implementation.
Team Composition
- Project Leader
- System Champion
- Key individuals from the areas affected by the new system
- Vendor reps
- IT professionals
Fundamental Activities of System Implementation
- Organize the team and identify the system champion
- Clearly define the project scope and goals.
- Identify accountability for the successful completion of the project.
- Establish and institute a project plan
System Champion
Someone who is well-respected in the organization, sees the new system as a necessity, and is passionate about its implementation.
Qualities of a System Champion
- Strong communication skills
- Interpersonal
- Listening skills
- Excellent problem solving and resourcefulness
- Superior organizational talents
Attributes of Project Goals
Should be:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Attainable
- Relevant
- Timely
Project Accountability: Business Sponsor
The individual who holds overall accountability for the project.
-Should hail from the most heavily affected area.
Business Sponsor: Duties
- Secure funding and needed business resources.
- Has final decision-making and sign-off accountability for project scope, resources, and approaches to resolution of project issues
- Identifies and supports the business owners.
- Promotes the project internally and externally. Obtains the buy-in from business constituents.
- Chairs the project steering committee
- Helps define deliverables, objectives, scope, and success criteria.
- Removes business obstacles to meeting project deadlines
Project Accountability: Business Owner
Has the day-to-day responsibility for running a function or a department.
Business Owner: Duties
- Representing their department or function at steering committee and project team meetings.
- Securing and coordinating necessary business and departmental resources.
- Removing business obstacles to meeting to project timeline
- Working jointly with the project manager on several tasks.
Project Accountability: Project Manager
Handles day-to-day direction setting, conflict resolution, and communication needed by the project team.
Project Manager: Duties
- Identify and obtain needed resources.
- Deliver the project on time, on budget, and according to specs.
- Communicate progress to sponsors, stakeholders, and team members.
- Ensure diligent risk monitoring is in place and appropriate risk mitigation plans have been developed.
- Identify and manage the resolution of problems/issues.
- Maintain the project plan.
- Manage project scope.
Joint Duties of Business Sponsor, Owner, and Project Manager
- Set Meeting Agendas
- Manage meetings
- Track project progress
- Communicate project status
- Escalate issues as appropriate.
- Resolve deviations and issues related to the project plan.
Project Accountability: IT Manager
Senior IT person assigned to project is responsible for:
- Representing the IT department
- Has final IT decision-making authority and sign-off
- Helps remove obstacles to meeting timelines.
- Promotes the project internally and externally with IT constituents.
Major Activities of Implementation Process: Workflow and Process Analysis.
Identify ways to:
- Improve workflow
- Simplify tasks
- Eliminate redundancies
- Improve Quality
- Improve user satisfaction
- Avoid automation of outdated and inefficient processes
- Gain initial buy-in by including users during the redesign.
Major Activities of Implementation Process: System Installation
- Install hardware, software, and network infrastructure to support new system.
- Build necessary interfaces.
- Pilot the system in a unit or area before widespread rollout. (Evaluate effectiveness, address bugs/concerns, apply lessons learned to other units)
Major Activities of Implementation Process: Staff Training
- Decide between a “train the trainer” or “pool of trainers” strategy
- Timing of the training: “Just-in-time” training
- Update procedure manuals
- Communicate who to contact for support/troubleshooting
Staff Training: Train the Trainer
- Train select staff in a given area to become Super Users
- Super users train/educate their co-workers
- Super users should be respected among the staff in their given area.
-Cons: Super users may be drawn away from the organization to apply their new skill sets elsewhere.
Staff Training: Pool of Trainers
Selecting staff that are knowledgeable about the entire system and rotating them to different areas/departments to train others.
Staff Training: Just-in-Time
Providing training sessions to staff at regular intervals prior to the go-live in both a distraction-free as well as a live setting.
-Mastery of the system prior to go-live is guaranteed to improve success rates.
Major Activities of Implementation Process: Conversion
- Convert the data from the old system to the new.
- Clean the date prior to conversion. (Ensure the data is complete, accurate, and current)
- Run data through validation checks to ensure accuracy
- Test the use of the newly transferred data.
Major Activities of Implementation Process: Communication
An effective communication plan:
- Aids members of the implementation team in communicating and coordinating their activities.
- Identifies how progress will be conveyed to key constituent groups.
- Formal communication and Informal communications.
- Although methods may vary, the message should be consistent and the information presented timely and up-to-date.
Major Activities of Implementation Process: Preparation for Go-Live
Implementation team ensures:
- The system is ready through testing
- Staff are adequately trained.
- Appropriate procedures are in place.
- Disaster recovery plans are in place.
- IT staff in place to monitor and assess system issues/errors.
Major Activities of Implementation Process: System Downtime Procedures
Processes in place for the the expected and unexpected downtime that the system will experience.
Managing Change: Leadership
Leaders must:
- Define the nature of the change
- Communicate the rationale for and approach to the change.
- Identify, procure, and deploy necessary resources.
- Resolve issues and alter direction as needed.
- Monitor the progress of the change initiative.
Managing Change: Language and Vision
Describe the Vision:
- What will the world look like after the change?
- How staff roles and work life will be different?
- Why is this change important?
Use careful Language:
- “Should” instead of “Must”
- “We’ instead of “You”
Managing Change: Connection and Trust
Staff are willing to rise to a challenge if they TRUST their leadership:
- Act in the best interest of the staff/organization
- Listen and respond to the concerns of the staff/organization
Managing Change: Incentives
Intrinsic: Excitement over change; Fear of what happens upon failure
Extrinsic: Bonuses, promotions, awards
Managing Change: Planning, Implementing, Iterating
Change must be PLANNED:
- Tasks must be allotted resources.
- Accountable staff for task performance must be determined
- When problems arise, iteration and adjustment is necessary
Behavioral Factors: Appropriate Environment
Create an appropriate environment:
- User expectations will vary
- Clear and effective communication is key
