Implementation

• Implementation Activities List

1. Translate the list into a work plan.
2. Gain agreement from all players to the plan.

• Implementation Plan

Treat the Implementation Activities List as a scope document for this plan. Each item on the list should be expanded into a set of tasks that need to be completed prior to, during, and after the implementation. The key value in this document is as a communication medium so that all the people involved in implementation can understand what part they play in the overall plan. It also allows them the opportunity to identify gaps that might have slipped through up to this point.

The plan should be at two levels:

• A written description of what is going to happen, and how it will all fit together.
• A Gantt Chart to show the timing and interrelationship between the activities.

Implementations can vary enormously across projects and organisations. There is no "standard template" that can be used. It is useful however to think of the implementation in the following context.

What do we have to do to ensure:

• The software is ready
• The data is ready
• The business processes are ready
• The infrastructure is ready
• Our staff are ready
• Stakeholders outside the company (Customers, Suppliers, Regulatory Authorities) are ready
• Support is ready
• If it all falls apart, we have a way out of the mire

In addition to the Implementation Plan we will produce more detailed plans for:

• Training
• Acceptance
• Handover

These topics can be covered in a summary form in the Implementation Plan. For example we would want to cover the general training approach but not down to the level of what session will be held where and when.