How do you ignore dropping the ball when the project comes on stream?
Prepare for the transition to operations early in the project and minimise the risk of a poorly anchored solution that is not functioning as expected.
In the middle of a large IT project, it is easy to overlook the importance of planning the transition to operations and the new workday. Especially in the early stages of the project, when it comes to business processes and optimization, the actual functioning of the solution seems to be a distant and less important issue.
But that’s when — at the beginning of the project — you should start getting ready for the day the project team leaves and the support team takes over.
As the go-live day processes and the entire faculty are biting their nails, it’s too late to presume about how to manage the solution, and whether every aspect is available and meets current requirements. However, there is an impending risk that the company will earn far less value through investment and effort.
Messy transition = much less value
Before joining Winklix, I was personally involved in a wide range of project processes and tried practically every organizational role in the supply chain. In every circumstance, it felt the all too tangible difficulty that kicks in when the project peaks, and when the planning of the transitional level often gets surrendered on the altar.
Still, the organisation’s important wishes and points will get lost the moment the company’s and the provider’s project teams take their leave, “ If the transitional phase gets rushed and isn’t up to par. This results in a solution that is not operationally stable and does not work well for end-users. In other words, it is insufficiently anchored, not just in terms of the organization as a whole, but also in terms of the suppliers associated with day-to-day operations. The care and preparedness required to manage the transition can prevent this from happening.”
The only solution is therefore to plan, placing equal priority on the transition phase and the implementation project.
What, when and in what way?
At the end of the day, planning for the transition phase consists of three questions: What should work? When will it be operated? And finally, how will the operation be carried out?
All right, that’s a bit simplistic and may seem a bit obvious. And, of course, there are a lot more things involved. But these three issues are the basis when Winklix works on the transition from the project methodology to the operational methodology.
In the end, the two approaches are quite different. For example, when it comes to operating methodology, you need to consider the effective management of unplanned operational incidents and the planning of all required services.
These considerations help to lay the foundation for a transition process that will ensure the predictability of the organization, end-user safety and transparency in terms of cost levels. Moreover, it does not only apply to companies and complex solutions. A well-managed transition, planned early in the project-to-operation transfer phase, also increases the value by supporting project completion and targeting the operation.
We must also remember the importance of ensuring the stability of operational processes from day one. In this context, consolidating and transferring knowledge on critical processes, deviations from the standard solution, wishes and outstanding issues are essential.
Retain important knowledge to ensure the value does not go away.
There should also be a degree of overlap between the project team and the operating team. This makes it much easier to effectively and comprehensively transfer all relevant operational knowledge and documentation.
It is also crucial to ensure that all stakeholders are properly trained, not only the company’s operational team but also the end-users who will end up deploying the solution.
Still, if you give training low priority and if you don’t transfer knowledge, the company will be left with a‘ very expensive, “ If you don’t plan operations in agreement with today’s standards. Even though ultimately you can always solve any challenge, it can end up being a significant extra cost for the company in the form of delivery delays, payment delays, downtime or some other major unforeseen event that could have been averted during a transition phase.”
Do you want more information?
Winklix digital counsels are available to help with your Microsoft Dynamics 365 system after going live, including the transition from project to operation, life in the Microsoft Evergreen world, guidance on dealing with automated testing and tips on licences. communicate with us and we’ll assist you solve problems before it’s too late.