Using an ERP Upgrade to Advance IT Best Practices Katherine (Katie) Ranes kranes@asu.edu University Technology Office Arizona State University

Agenda Introduction and Ground Rules Common Problem Some Best Practices Tools/Tips/Results Question / Take-Away

The Rules Most value for you Engage with the problem Continue the conversation

Common Problems Problem 1: Upgrade some component of your services. Problem 2: Responsible for a process and want to advance best practice. While we need to upgrade due to end of life of our current version we are using this opportunity to leverage, simplify and strengthen our systems. How many are currently charged with doing an upgrade of some sort? What? Examples: Sharepoint, my example How many are involved with changing the organization or advancing a process? Examples: I am going to talk about both of these things. At ASU we were faced with upgrading our ERP systems in PeopleSoft for HR and Student Administration. At the same time, we had a new CIO who was working to change the organization. This is where I was standing. At the crossroads of “Project” and “Process” or “upgrade” and “best practice” OR in the words of Walgreens corner of “Happy” and “Healthy” In your mind, you want to do one focus on the product/service upgrade or focus on the organizational change. You can do both.

The Context - ASU http://newamericanuniversity.asu.edu/

What fun! A new roof! The Upgrade is like making a large improvement to your house. You are doing something to ensure the maintenance of your house is solid. Upgrade the system allows us to continue to take advantage of new updates and regulations, but it is still our data or furniture and most functionality has not changed. However this upgrade still requires large staff engagement to ensure all leaks are caught and tested. It may not be fun. Our provost, one of our executive sponsors, described the ERP upgrade this way. Looking for ways to gain more than a roof. You may be in the same boat, trying to energize the team doing routine maintenance.

Practice: Project Management

Kick Off Have a kick-off meeting – Cross-functional Ownership activity and be able to describe project. 3 colors of playdough and asked groups to represent the project in some way. Here’s one of those representations. Accurate in that we had many teams interacting with each other, some very focused on specific areas and other dealing with more complicated work.

Project Management Training PMP Certificate Team Leader training Collaboration Tools

Project Timeline – MS Project Manage the framework at a project level, not each individual task. Built framework using two tools. (Google spreadsheet) Google Docs. I also built it in MS Project. One feature of MS project I like is this timeline with specific milestones culled out. Used in the Executive summary each month.

Deliverables - Collaboration Project Documents Project Framework Issue Log Risk Register Presentations

Practice: RESOURCE Management

Balancing Act – Project/Job Team charters Back fill Some new hires

What does it cost? People – People - People ASU Technical Staff ASU Functional Staff External consultants Ongoing operations staff New hires

Tracking Time Needed to capture time/costs Desire to use internal No systems No standard procedures

Maturing in the Process

More Resources

Practice: TESTING - Approvals

Testing Project We will not launch until we are ready ….. We will sell no wine before it’s time….. We will not launch until we are ready …..

Testing Tools - Manual

Testing Approval

Practice: SECURITY

Integration Coordination External Voice More information Survey Consistent follow-up Simplify Leverage the project

CoMMUniCATION/CHANGE Management Practice: CoMMUniCATION/CHANGE Management

Large Playground Objective: Change the perception about PeopleSoft, Change the perception that technology just happens. Lots of moving parts and large playground Communication plan Communication log Pros on the team and external to the team Who?

Use the Institution’s Resources Painting Party – idea (face-to-face meetings) Paint carried the message that there was improvement but could get a little messy (plan ahead, drop cloth etc. Web information) Students – twitter and on-line signs, real signs More specifics in web page, google Don’t forget the internal team. Could drown in e-mail.

The ResULTs

Today at ASU Project Management Resource Management Quality Assurance/Testing Security Communication

Your Take - AwAys

Take-homes Project Management Resource Management Testing Security Communication – Change Management ?

References And QUestions

Where you can find it JIRA - www.atlassian.com/JIRA Project Management Institute – www.pmi.org Planview - www.planview.com Caspio - http://www.caspio.com/ Bare Bones Project Management – Bob Lewis (various)

Learn More http://peoplesoft.asu.edu