There are a substantial number of companies who opt to not follow through on support after the rollout.
One of the disadvantages of small companies doing the implementation is their limited ability to provide post-implementation is their limited ability to provide post-implementation assistance and support.
In any case, the level of service needs to be there, and it is wise to arrange for post-implementation support.
Incurring cost is better than incurring systemic failure simply because something went wrong you didn't know what you did.
The good CRM is to contact the customer to make sure they are happy and functioning.
The implementation partner should access whether the customer is getting maximum benefit from the system.
Whenever there is update available, work with the implementation partner to ensure that the customization are not overwritten with the update's installation.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Rollout and Systems Hand-off:
1. This is the final implementation phase
2. The final phase is both a delicate and huge task. If anything goes wrong it could mean disaster.
3. Normally, the process takes one or two days, and usually occurs on a weekend so there is no or at least, minimal disruption of the actual workweek.
4. If it extends beyond the weekend or can't be done on the weekend, alternate arrangement are planned and executed so that the disruption remains minimal.
5. The other important significant part of the rollout is remote user and satellite office preparation.
6. Each remote user is given a copy of the general database installed on their desktop or laptop.
7. The initial problem is not part of the CRM system, but is rather the interaction between the system and the network.
8. One place that normally has some problems though they are mostly mechanical is that data synchronization with remote users.
9. The synchronization up doesn't always run smoothly in the first few moments of the production environment, but when products have good data synchronization engines, these problems get solved very quickly.
2. The final phase is both a delicate and huge task. If anything goes wrong it could mean disaster.
3. Normally, the process takes one or two days, and usually occurs on a weekend so there is no or at least, minimal disruption of the actual workweek.
4. If it extends beyond the weekend or can't be done on the weekend, alternate arrangement are planned and executed so that the disruption remains minimal.
5. The other important significant part of the rollout is remote user and satellite office preparation.
6. Each remote user is given a copy of the general database installed on their desktop or laptop.
7. The initial problem is not part of the CRM system, but is rather the interaction between the system and the network.
8. One place that normally has some problems though they are mostly mechanical is that data synchronization with remote users.
9. The synchronization up doesn't always run smoothly in the first few moments of the production environment, but when products have good data synchronization engines, these problems get solved very quickly.
Training
Training time depends on the number of users and available facilities for training and the duration of the training period is about two to three days. There are four parts to training:
Basic training:
This is the plain training for users on the application.
This training is run by the vendor.
There are two ways to run this training, depending on which is the most cost effective.
You can either send users abroad or have a trainer come to your facility
Customization training:
This training is conducted by the now-trained employees who have been engaged in the project.
It is best done by the internal project team, because of their familiarity with the project.
One other plus with the internal staff taking the training is they have had the knowledge during the entire implementation process.
It is ordinarily built into the proposals, contracts, and statements of work that are basis for the implementation.
Documentation:
This is the vital part of the process.
The vendor has full responsibility to provide documentation on the customized system to see the use is assured.
Some companies will recruit the documentation experts in the organization.
Additional Training:
a. Train the trainer: Whoever you send of this course will be the one to train the users on your staff. This is a major time and money saver.
b. Integrator Course : This course teaches your IT staff how to make their own customizations to the other vendors who have such a course.
Basic training:
This is the plain training for users on the application.
This training is run by the vendor.
There are two ways to run this training, depending on which is the most cost effective.
You can either send users abroad or have a trainer come to your facility
Customization training:
This training is conducted by the now-trained employees who have been engaged in the project.
It is best done by the internal project team, because of their familiarity with the project.
One other plus with the internal staff taking the training is they have had the knowledge during the entire implementation process.
It is ordinarily built into the proposals, contracts, and statements of work that are basis for the implementation.
Documentation:
This is the vital part of the process.
The vendor has full responsibility to provide documentation on the customized system to see the use is assured.
Some companies will recruit the documentation experts in the organization.
Additional Training:
a. Train the trainer: Whoever you send of this course will be the one to train the users on your staff. This is a major time and money saver.
b. Integrator Course : This course teaches your IT staff how to make their own customizations to the other vendors who have such a course.
Power User Beta Test and Data Import:
This is a sensitive part of the implementation.
In this phase the star users get to play.
The experienced users play a vital role in this phase of implementation.
The first major step in this 2-5 day process is to create a testing environment at the site.
Systems with the most extensive customizations exhibit the fewest problems in beta testing because they have been checked so extensively during development.
The IT team focuses on how to implement and support the system.
The success or failure, strengths and shortcomings during the beta testing attempt determines the backup resources that are necessary.
All this must be done with the full participation of the customer. The customer must verify the integrity of the data transfer.
With some implementation methodologies this is the beginning of knowledge transfer, with the customer IT staff performing a beta implementation.
What kind of training will be paramount when the time comes for the vendor/consulting Services Company to leave the premises.
In this phase the star users get to play.
The experienced users play a vital role in this phase of implementation.
The first major step in this 2-5 day process is to create a testing environment at the site.
Systems with the most extensive customizations exhibit the fewest problems in beta testing because they have been checked so extensively during development.
The IT team focuses on how to implement and support the system.
The success or failure, strengths and shortcomings during the beta testing attempt determines the backup resources that are necessary.
All this must be done with the full participation of the customer. The customer must verify the integrity of the data transfer.
With some implementation methodologies this is the beginning of knowledge transfer, with the customer IT staff performing a beta implementation.
What kind of training will be paramount when the time comes for the vendor/consulting Services Company to leave the premises.
Development of Customizations:
Development of Customization depends upon number of factors such as:
The size of the project
The complexity of:
a. The interfaces
b. The workflow
c. The functions
The availability of employees/users to work with the team to improve the customization at a given iteration.
Technical problems unrelated to the implementation that affect it.
d. This can be resolved by creating an independent environment for development, testing and eventually production.
Midstream workflow and rules changes for the customization necessitated by changing corporate business processes.
e. This is something that can be managed but will affect the timetable and the price.
The elasticity of the application is very important in the case of creation of the customized application.
The size of the project
The complexity of:
a. The interfaces
b. The workflow
c. The functions
The availability of employees/users to work with the team to improve the customization at a given iteration.
Technical problems unrelated to the implementation that affect it.
d. This can be resolved by creating an independent environment for development, testing and eventually production.
Midstream workflow and rules changes for the customization necessitated by changing corporate business processes.
e. This is something that can be managed but will affect the timetable and the price.
The elasticity of the application is very important in the case of creation of the customized application.
CRM Projects are divided into four phases:
Phase I : Sales module customizations : It means the product catalogs, the sales process embedding, the account and contact databases, and the sales pipeline management.
Phase II : Marketing module customizations : These are no different in technical process from Sales module customizations. They are merely different in what needs to be customized.
Phase III : Integration with external applications : This is an analysis of the existing information technology infrastructure and the network functionality. This work identifies the integration points between the legacy systems, the CRM application, and the possible installation and customization of other new non-CRM applications and systems.
Phase IV : Reporting integration : Reporting is a vital function for the businesses that are scattered the office. The customization of those reports and their generation are critical to corporate success.
Phase II : Marketing module customizations : These are no different in technical process from Sales module customizations. They are merely different in what needs to be customized.
Phase III : Integration with external applications : This is an analysis of the existing information technology infrastructure and the network functionality. This work identifies the integration points between the legacy systems, the CRM application, and the possible installation and customization of other new non-CRM applications and systems.
Phase IV : Reporting integration : Reporting is a vital function for the businesses that are scattered the office. The customization of those reports and their generation are critical to corporate success.
Prototyping and Detailed Proposal Generation:
The main purpose of the prototype is to develop some of the key functionality for the customer to examine before the rollout.
2. The prototype can clarify the customer needs by visualization.
3. The Prototype can be demonstrated to varying departments, each with their own agendas and ways of viewing data.
4. All the customizations doesn’t require prototyping.
5. Once the prototype is done and demonstrated, a formal project proposal that states the deliverables, timelines and final costs is within for the client. This proposal generation.
6. The amount of difficulty in the achievement of the functionality and the issues it brings up are all on the table before a complete implementation to all users is done.
7. The prototype can clarify the customer needs by visualization.
8. The prototype can be demonstrated to varying departments, each with their own agendas and ways of viewing data, and can be worked by the development team, even if the data presentation from department to department is conflicting.
2. The prototype can clarify the customer needs by visualization.
3. The Prototype can be demonstrated to varying departments, each with their own agendas and ways of viewing data.
4. All the customizations doesn’t require prototyping.
5. Once the prototype is done and demonstrated, a formal project proposal that states the deliverables, timelines and final costs is within for the client. This proposal generation.
6. The amount of difficulty in the achievement of the functionality and the issues it brings up are all on the table before a complete implementation to all users is done.
7. The prototype can clarify the customer needs by visualization.
8. The prototype can be demonstrated to varying departments, each with their own agendas and ways of viewing data, and can be worked by the development team, even if the data presentation from department to department is conflicting.
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