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Implementation

AIC’s implementation approach helps you deliver on your business objectives - and your project schedule and budget commitments.

Features of our approach

Your Business / Not Their Technology - A successful software implementation project will focus on and deliver against your business objectives. AIC’s approach to implementation keeps the focus where it belongs - on your business and what the business needs.

Implementation - Not Installation - AIC’s approach is designed to see that the software package works in your business environment. Step by step we work to manage the integration of your business processes with the software supplier’s technology. This approach consists of much more than simply "turning the package on."

Disciplined Execution - AIC will work with you to establish a disciplined project management environment - project plans, issue tracking, timelines, budgets - to keep you on track and avoid surprises.

Collaboration - Many of our consultants have decades of experience with package implementation. We pride ourselves on not only helping to make your project a success, but to help your people grow in the process. We’ll work hard to transfer knowledge from our team to yours - equipping you to manage ongoing system improvements on your own.

Implementation Preparation - This phase lays the groundwork for your implementation project, creating the initial project plan that defines roles, tasks, timelines, and costs. There are several key tasks:

Identify the executive sponsor(s) with overall responsibility for the project
Identify the core project team and each person’s role
Establish the project team "war room," network connectivity, PC’s, etc.
Develop the project plan

Business Definition - What are your aspirations for your business once your new system is operational? During business definition, AIC will assist you with the task of defining, at a detailed level, how you will do business following your software implementation. This process is at the heart of successful implementation. This is where we begin to translate your business process vision into reality.

Conference Room Pilot - You have now defined how you want your business to operate. Now is the time to put your new software package to the test. AIC will work with you and software vendor consultants as needed to configure your new package for your requirements. Next, your core team, following "basic training" on your new package, will begin working through your business process scripts to validate those scripts and the package configuration. In some cases, scripts will be fine tuned. In others, the software parameters will be adjusted. Together, we’ll also find some "bugs" for follow-up by the vendor. In the end, after several iterations, you will complete the conference room pilot with a clear picture of how your business will interact with your new system - along with a list of inquiries, reports and customizations required to make the transition go smoothly.

A key part of the conference room pilot is training your core team members in the operation of the new system. Through this process, they will become your internal leaders and trainers in the use of the new system throughout the company.

System Infrastructure Review and Management - AIC’s technical resources can assist with a review of your technology infrastructure. Database servers, application servers, network infrastructure, ADC / RF devices, desktop requirements - all of this needs to be reviewed to assure your infrastructure will support your new systems and the growth that you forecast.

Create User Operating Procedures - You've defined how your want to run your business and your new system - documenting your procedures is the next step. These procedures are an invaluable training tool and usable for your ISO certification.

Deliver End User Training - Your core project team has worked hard to learn your new system and embrace your new operating practices. They have the updated user operating procedures in hand. Now they will take those procedures to lead your organization in understanding how the new systems and procedures will operate. AIC will support your internal team of change agents to prepare your organization for the cutover challenge.

Customization and Reporting - Every software package implementation has some level of customization or custom reporting. By defining your business processes up front and completing a conference room pilot, you know have a clear sense of critical customizations as well as your reporting requirements. AIC will work with you to manage customizations in a way to minimize medication of your core software. We are also very experienced in helping to address reporting needs thought advanced technologies including the latest Executive Information System and Decision Support technologies.

Data Conversion, Design and Testing - Most companies want their legacy data merged into the new business systems. Whether that data is historical of current, AIC works with your technical personnel and the software vendor to create the needed data maps and procedures that will safeguard your past investment in critical business information.

Final Cutover Planning - Working together, our goal will be a cutover that is a "non-event." AIC will work with you to review all cutover details: infrastructure, final testing, data conversion, financial cutoff’s, etc. to assure you, your employees, your customers and your suppliers barely notice a difference as you conduct business as usual.

Cutover to the New System - Even with the best planning, there are often unseen problems that arise when the entire system is cutover and placed into production. AIC will be there, at your side, as you startup on your new system. We started with the end in mind - and we’ll support you through the entire journey.

Post Implementation Support - Together we'll aim for the best business process design, excellent training, perfect data conversion and a smooth cutover. Yet even the best conversion has a few post cutover issues - and/or unmet objectives. A software package implementation is really not an event - it is a journey. AIC is there to help if you need post implementation support or ongoing implementation optimization.

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