The Global Phoenix - Issue 2 April - June 2017 | Page 18

IMPLEMENTATION AND
FUTURE-PROOFING
11
How will you transition from
your existing system?
Whatever your existing system – spreadsheets or
software, you need to think about how you can effect
a seamless transition to your new tool. This may
involve taking data from one system to another. Can
your supplier do this or will you have to start over?
Ask whether your supplier has done this before, and
whether they are able to replicate methodologies
from other systems inside their own. If you are
implementing the software at the same time as a new
policy, you will be able to undertake new calculations
in the new software, but what about maintaining the
packages already in use? Have a plan for this, and be
clear on what you would like to happen so that the
supplier can advise on how best to achieve it.
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How will you
train your teams?
By the time your software is ready to implement,
as project manager you will be familiar with
its functionality and customisations, but now
your whole team needs to use it. Sophisticated
software, no matter how well designed, will need
an introduction to ensure the whole team can
make the most of it. When you get to this stage of
the process, you will have spent a lot of money to
improve business efficiencies, so it’s important that
everyone can capitalise on the investment.
Ask if your supplier will offer in-house training or
workshops, at more than one location if necessary
– and what the cost of that would be. Are they able
to do online training? Can they provide a readable
user manual for you to adapt to your own purpose,
or create one with you?
Another option is to use User Acceptance Testing
(UAT) as a form of ‘on-the-job’ training. UAT is a
process of verifying that a solution works for the
users before it is rolled out, typically when final
adjustments and technical testing are being carried
out. It is a good way to make the end-users feel
involved with the project, and will give them a head
start on using the functionality before the system
goes live.
PAGE 18 www.theglobalphoenix.org
13
What support will you have after
you go-live?
It’s easy to overlook this when you’re focusing on
specification and functionality as you choose your supplier,
but as a future user of the software, it’s important to know
what support will be available to you once the technical
teams and procurement have withdrawn.
Ask the supplier what support is available, and whether
they offer Service Level Agreements. Think about whether
the support on offer is useful to you and all the potential
users of the tool – your administrators may be based in
different time zones, for example. Can you contact a real
person if you have a very urgent need or will you always
have to complete a ticket? Does the supplier commit to
responding to queries as soon as possible, even if only to
say they are investigating, or do they specify a 24-hour (or
longer) window? How does that fit with your usual working
practices?
Ask what level of support is included in the overall cost of
the annual maintenance fee, and how much is charged
separately. Included support may raise the annual
fees slightly, but will avoid the potential of running up
unbudgeted costs further down the line.
14
How much revenue does
the supplier reinvest in their
service?
The supplier’s investment in both its hardware and
software development is a strong indicator of its
commitment to providing the best service now and
for the long term. It is therefore worth asking them
how much revenue they re-invest. The answer should
reassure you of their ability to offer uninterrupted,
state-of-the-art services both now and in the future.