Dos and Don’ts of System Implementation Session 23 W Scott Erwin, Sr., CGFM, CRA Director – OSP, Texas State University – San Marcos Dianne Bozler President, ERA Software Systems

Implementation Phases Phase I Project Plans Process Analysis Phase II Software Installation Interface Definition Phase III Load Legacy (if desired) Data Phase IV Training Change Management and Preparation for Roll-Out Go-Live

Key Success Factors Dedicated Resources Advocates from Management Communication Strategy Internal Project Plan IT Support and Involvement Trained Local Experts Using the software “off the shelf” before requesting customizations

Installation Process of moving from old system to new system Conversion of data must be planned Four approaches to installation Direct (Big Bang) Parallel Installation Single Location Installation Phased Installation

Direct Installation

Parallel Installation

Single Location Installation

Phased Installation

Which way is best? Direct Installation Parallel Installation Single Location Installation Phased Installation

Is implementation a success? Is the system used? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Is the user satisfied?

Factors influencing implementation success User’s personal stake System characteristics User demographics Organizational support Performance Satisfaction Political …

System Documentation Detailed information about a system’s design specs, its internal workings, and its functionality

User Documentation Written or visual information about an application system, how it works, and how to use it.

What Makes Good Documentation? Contains an overview, index, getting started instructions, I.e. – very structured Describes functionalities Contains task-based documentation “How to’s…” Frequently Asked Questions Messages & their meanings

Training the end-users What do users want? Training early on Training manual Straightforward teaching techniques 1. 2. 3.

Training Methodologies Instructor Led One-on-One User-Led External sources

Common Training Methods Tutorial - one person at a time Courses - several people at a time Computer-aided instruction Interactive training manuals - cmbo of tutorials and CAI Resident expert Software help components External sources (vendors)

Supporting the End-user Information Center / Help desk Automating support Resident expert Other things to consider: Providing recovery and backup Disaster recovery PC maintenance

Things can and will go wrong Guess What Despite good planning and perfect execution, Things can and will go wrong

Key The key when things go wrong, is how you and your team respond Don’t play the blame game Notify interested parties that there is a problem and you are working a resolution How you respond is pivotal in how the implementation will be viewed and accepted across campus (for years to come).

W Scott Erwin, Sr., CGFM, CRA Dianne Bozler Thank You Please complete your evaluations If you have any additional questions, please contact us. W Scott Erwin, Sr., CGFM, CRA Director – OSP, Texas State University – San Marcos we10@txstate.edu Dianne Bozler President, ERA Software Systems dbozler@erasoftwaresystems.com