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Business Analysis Engagement
- Business Analysts help clarify, elicit, and document business processes and requirements.
- Can engage in a variety of scenarios (ideation, consultation, project, assessment, etc.).
- Limited availability – usually aligned with large enterprise projects (SIS, Planon, etc.).
- PPMO Leadership assigns these resources.
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Product Implementation Project Expectations
- Products may require licensing or support fees after the project and the financial workbook should account for who is paying and how much is budgeted for these needs.
- The following roles can be expected for Product Implementations*:
- Quality Assurance – Testing of tool to confirm requirements/needs are met
- Configuration Management – Manage configuration/setup of product to meet requirements
- Server Management – Set up and manage any servers required
- Vendor Management – Manage relationship with vendor. This activity is the responsibility of the Service Owner for the area using or supporting the implemented product
- Integration Management – Set up and manage integrations with other systems
- Database Support – Setup and manage databases required
- Unit Subject Matter Expert – Define requirements and business processes
- Access Management – Set up and ensure access to systems
- While in the past MSU IT provided all support on custom-built applications, vendor products may allow the business owner (superuser) to take on some of the administrative and training functions of the application. In this case, they may go directly to the vendor for support while MSU IT would support the MSU-specific technologies (integrations, servers). It is expected the project will clarify these post-implementation roles and responsibilities to avoid issues after project completion.
- Product implementation projects will follow the Solution Delivery Framework utilized for MSU IT Projects. In this framework, the Project Manager will work with the team to complete the appropriate actions of each of the phases of the project: Initiation, Planning, Design, Build, Test, Deploy, and Close. Each phase has deliverables to ensure basic standards are met.
*Other services may be required by the project team
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Subject Matter Expert (SME) Identification
- IT Sponsor and Technical Lead(s) identified by PPMO during project review/approval process. The PPMO will also call out other services and resources that may be necessary to consult.
- SMEs are identified during initiation and planning of project as the Project Manager and Technical Lead(s) evaluate IT Services required to complete the project and reach out to IT Service owners for resources.
- Ensure business SMEs are assigned to the project who clearly understand the business processes and can make decisions on changes.
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Best Practice for Product Implementation
- Off the shelf products will rarely meet 100% of business requirements/needs.
- Business process owner should do peer analysis and review industry standards for business processes to help facilitate change.
- Recommend 80/20 rule for requirements – Select a product that can meet 80% of business requirements and adjust business processes/practices to ensure remaining 20% of requirements can be met.
- Critical Success Factors for product implantation:
- Select a product that has the fewest gaps to your critical/priority business processes.
- Select a product that is most aligned with industry standard processes and change your processes to fit those standards and the product.
- Identify Post-Implementation support plan and roles at start of project – this will make clear roles and responsibilities of business unit, vendor, and IT after the project. Creating a RACI Chart may help provide clarity for all stakeholders.
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