This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Lessons Learned
Use tips and advice in this section to help you further understand and prepare for your EPM implementation.
Establish a Project Plan for Your Implementation
An EPM implementation must be run like any other major enterprise project. You must be realistic in estimating the durations and level of effort. No two EPM deployments are the same, and the particulars of each organization should dictate the duration and effort of the project.
Never Skip Stages and Phases
If you skip any stages and phases, you miss capturing important data and information, and you increase the risk of failure, which translates ultimately into lost opportunities and cost overrun.
Perform Change Control
Make sure that you place the design and configuration document and the system architecture under strict change control.
Conduct Proper Training
Make sure that proper training is provided to all users.
Ensure Proper Project Documentation
Make sure that your business processes map properly in the system and that all procedures and methodologies are properly documented.
Communicate the Plan
Do not forget to build a communications plan about the implementation. Make sure that you stick to it, even though you might think it is unnecessary. If other people do not understand the benefits of EPM, they might undermine your EPM efforts.
Control Scope
People throughout the organization might attempt to request more functionality in the EPM implementation than your organization is capable of handling.
Plan for Incremental Change
Gain a thorough understanding of the capabilities of the Project Server 2007 software before attempting to install it. Understand the organization’s objectives and tailor the configuration to achieve these objectives.
Be Patient
Manage your expectations and those of others so that you do not overpromise. The software has amazing capabilities but the organization can absorb it in only small doses. Structure a multiphase rollout of the technology and business processes. If you try to do too much on the first rollout, you are setting expectations that might be too great.