80199 enus erp_05

Chapter 5: Project Closure during the Operations Phase

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CHAPTER 5: PROJECT CLOSURE DURING THE OPERATIONS PHASE Objectives

The objectives are:

• Discover the importance of quality management during the Operation phase.

• Understand additional activities in the Operation phase. • Understand the necessity of project closure. • Identify how to work towards project closure. • Celebrate the completion of a successful project.

Introduction The Operation phase involves the final activities required to close out the project and transition the solution and knowledge to the customer.

The Program Management team prepares the final invoices, lessons learned, and the Project Closure report. The team also prepares a folder with all the project deliverable documents along with the acceptance forms. These documents are reviewed with the customer to obtain final approval and acceptance.

The leadership continues to support the process, using the activities within the Organization Change Management discipline to promote the successful Go Live and any additional activities. This continued communication helps to ensure positive user adoption.

The functional and technical team resources required to provide the post Go-Live support resolves any issues that occur during deployment to the user base. At this point, the support teams are also involved to resolve issues, so that the transition of the solution to the customer and support (per the appropriate support contract) take place smoothly.

Any remaining knowledge transfer items that are not covered during the previous phases are completed in this phase. Upon the completion of the post Go-Live support activities, the team completes all the necessary logistical activities and obtains the final sign-off on the project.

Microsoft Official Training Materials for Microsoft Dynamics ® Your use of this content is subject to your current services agreement

Project Managing Microsoft Dynamics® AX, Microsoft Dynamics GP, and Microsoft Dynamics NAV Implementations with Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step 2010

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Quality Management The role of Quality Management in the Operations phase is to ensure that all activities for the phase are completed and approved, and that they meet the customer's quality standards.

As with any other phase in the project lifecycle, the Project Manager may organize a Tollgate Review meeting at the end of the Operations phase.

To ensure quality management in the Operations phase, the Microsoft Dynamics™ Sure Step Methodology plans for specific Quality Management activities as follows:

• Preparing and conducting phase tollgate review. • Clearing pending items. • Finalizing knowledge transfer. • Document lessons learned. • Project closure.

Clear Pending Items

Issues and other project related items are documented and addressed throughout the project lifecycle.

However, in spite of best efforts, items may remain unresolved or new items can be discovered just prior to, during, and after the Go-Live activity . After the Go-Live activity, end-users are still developing their confidence with the new system and new issues can be discovered. Outstanding items need to be discussed with the customer and a final resolution agreed upon.

Finalize Knowledge Transfer

During this activity the Project Manager identifies any outstanding knowledge transfer items that must be shared with the customer.

Examples of this include the following:

• Outstanding issues the customer has agreed to complete. • Location where all documentation resides. • Security permission documentation for the administrator. • Support tasks.

Support tasks completed by the Consulting team will be handed over to the customer IT team. This includes the procedures on how to maintain and update the system and all other procedures that are set in place during the implementation of the project.



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The customer's Project Manager schedules a meeting to conduct the knowledge transfer and ensure that all required attendees are available to complete the knowledge transfer.

Document Lessons Learned

The Project Manager schedules a meeting with the Consulting team to discuss the project successes and areas for improvement. During this meeting, each consultant provides his or her observations on what went well and what might have gone better. The lessons learned in this implementation can be used as guidelines by the consultants in their next engagements.

The Project Manager also captures and documents all the observations of the Consulting team. The output of this discussion can be shared with the customer if it is appropriate, or it can just be used for internal purposes only.

Additional Operation Activities In additional to Quality Management activities, there are other activities recommended in the Operation phase. Depending on the project type and needs, these include the following:

• Provide Post Go-Live Support • Transition of Solution to Support • Review Deliverables against SOW and Agreed Changes • Establish Ongoing Quality and Testing Strategy • Conduct Disaster Recovery Test • Conduct Performance Tuning and Optimization

Provide Post Go-Live Support

Once the newly implemented Microsoft Dynamics™ ERP solution goes live, the implementing organization needs to provide the post Go-Live support.

This is a critical activity for the implementation's success. Although the end-users are already trained, they can experience some insecurity with their new system. By having the Application Consultant dedicated to their support and available to answer questions, end-users acquire more confidence.

Additionally, the Application Consultant can monitor the issues that arise and communicate them to the project managers for both sides to track whether issues are the result of configuration choices or are either a new requirement or product defect. In all cases, this allows for issues to be addressed proactively and minimize end user frustration.

On-site support may be recommended in the initial weeks of the go live, but the project managers from the consulting organization and the customer can opt for a combination of on-site and remote support.



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Transition of the Solution to Support

Although the post Go-Live support is necessary and critical, it is a time-limited activity.

The customer's Project Manager needs to communicate clearly about the end date for the post Go-Live Support. Once the system is live, and towards the end of the post Go-Live support activity, the solution is handed over from the Project team to the on-going support system.

The customer's Project Manager must also be made aware of online documentation and any other resources that are available.

Review Deliverables against the SOW

During this activity, the final deliverable documentation is reviewed, finalized, and prepared to hand off to the customer. All documentation must be complete so that a smooth transition can be made.

Deliverables and acceptance criteria are evaluated against the Statement of Work (SOW) and any change orders to ensure that all contractual obligations are met. The impact of changes authorized through the implementation process must also be measured.

Establish Ongoing Quality and Testing Strategy

Quality and testing activities extend from the implementation and deployment of the Microsoft Dynamics ERP solution through the Operation phase.

Use of the live production system in the Production phase can expose product or feature defects that are unobserved during the prior testing activities in the Development and Deployment phases.

In addition, hot fixes, service packs, or update releases may need to be applied as part of the ongoing maintenance of the Microsoft Dynamics ERP solution.

Planning for testing in the Operation phase includes the following:

• Identify the ongoing testing strategy, including steps and required approvals.

• Create a system change management process for transporting changes from the development and/or test environments to the production environment.

• Identify ongoing quality and testing resources. • Establish a permanent test environment. • Schedule future performance/load testing to monitor the system.



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Conduct Disaster Recovery Test

Although this activity should be carried out at least annually on an ongoing basis, it is also recommended that it is completed prior to go live. The purpose is to test the disaster recovery environment and failover procedures to ensure that the processes documented in the Production Operations Guide are thorough as well as effective.

Key steps involved in this process include the following:

• Develop and review disaster recovery test plan • Document and review process in a test run • Update documentation to reflect any issues and solutions

Conduct Performance Tuning and Optimization

The purpose of this task is to tune the solution for optimum performance and to carry out capacity planning as the infrastructure requirements increase through the operational life of the solution.

This is carried out soon after Go-Live occurs, then carried out proactively on a regular basis rather than waiting for the performance to drop to an unacceptable level where users are complaining about the performance of the solution.

Initially, this process serves the following three key purposes:

• Ensures that all performance best practices have been correctly implemented

• Monitors and reviews the resource utilization of all components under actual production loads.

• Provides a performance baseline.

Future reviews can then focus on the following changes:

• Application of hot fixes and services packs • Updating of database statistics, indexes, and data file disk layout • Archiving old data from large tables • Performing a code review of custom modifications



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Lab 5.1 - Clear Pending Items During this lab you identify the pending items for the Tailspin Toys implementation.

Scenario

Different tests were conducted during the Development and Deployment phases. Unit and function tests were conducted at the beginning of September, while the user acceptance tests were executed on October 28, 2010.

These tests raised a number of issues that were not resolved at that time. It was agreed that the resolution of these issues would be implemented after the Go-Live.

Step by Step

Step 1 - Identify issues to be resolved.

1. A number of issues arose from the tests conducted during the Design and Development phases. List which issues from unit and function tests can be a subject for completion in this phase.



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2. List which issues from user acceptance tests can be a subject for completion in this phase.

3. How can these types of issues be classified at this time in the project lifecycle?



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Lab 5.2 - Lessons Learned Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step stresses the importance of a Lessons Learned meeting. During this meeting the team can review its performance and take proactive actions for future engagements.

Scenario

This class will conduct a Lessons Learned session, and the subject will be the case study itself.

Step by Step

Step 1 - Prepare for the class discussion.

Prepare yourself for the class discussion by answering the following questions:

• What have you learned during this case study? • What was your position regarding Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step

before this training? • What is your position regarding Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step after

this training?

Step 2 - Conduct the class discussion.



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Project Closure After Go-Live, several activities need to be completed to ensure that the project delivered is what was agreed upon at the beginning and to confirm the customer is satisfied with the end result. It is important to officially close the project and obtain formal sign-off on all deliverables.

Project closing may include the following activities:

• Finalize all outstanding items • Provide any additional training to users • Finalize all documentation that will be turned over to the customer,

including support contact information • Gather lessons learned from the consulting team and communicate • Celebrate!

The Engagement Closure Checklist

The Engagement Closure Checklist is a guide to ensure that the critical tasks needed to close a project have occurred, and that critical project information (for example, contractual commitments, customer site logistics, project control processes) is defined and documented.

Project Managers must be accountable for making sure that their customer engagements have ended correctly, and that their team has had the best opportunity for success. The Engagement Closure Checklist ensures that all the necessary tasks have occurred to successfully end a project.

Project Closeout Meeting and Report

The Project Closeout meeting and report serve to verify and document final project results, to achieve formal acceptance from the customer, and ensure overall customer satisfaction.



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Lab 5.3 - Conduct Closeout Meeting Scenario

Now that your Microsoft Dynamics ERP implementation at Tailspin Toys is complete, you need to prepare for and discuss the Closeout meeting.

Step by Step

Step 1 - Prepare for the Close-out meeting.

Prepare for the close-out meeting by documenting your conclusions for the Tailspin Toys implementation.

Review the following documents:

• Engagement closure checklist • Project closeout meeting agenda • Project closeout report

Make your conclusions and notes in the project closeout report.

Step 2 - Conduct the class discussion.



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Celebrate Implementing a project can be a long, extremely hard-working experience for the entire implementation team. Because the completion of the project is a huge milestone for the team, it is the responsibility of the Project Manager to arrange for a meeting to celebrate the success and to recognize the hard work of every team member.



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Lab 5.4 - Celebrate Congratulations, you have reached the end of this training!

Scenario

It is now time to celebrate the end of this training and acknowledge the hard work of both the trainer and the students.



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Summary Project closure is an essential component in each project. Projects are not operations but unique and temporarily undertakings. Projects need closure. This lesson examines how to close a project.



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Quick Interaction: Lessons Learned Take a moment and write down three key points you have learned from this chapter

1.

2.

3.



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Solutions Lab 5.1 - Clear Pending Items

1. A number of issues arose from the tests conducted during the Design and Development phases. List which issues from unit and function tests can be a subject for completion in this phase.

MODEL ANSWER:

04.01.00 Items Alternate items, 07.02.00 Shipping and Transport Overview of items to-be received, 07.03.00 Shipping and Transport Transportation documents depending on inco-terms, 15.01.00 Quality control flows Initiate different quality control flows (regular check, customer returns, recall, and so on),15.02.00 Quality control results Enter negative results.

2. List which issues from user acceptance tests can be a subject for completion in this phase.

MODEL ANSWER:

01.23.00 Financial Statements Build Profit and Loss statement, 03.04.00 Inquiries/Reports Run Customer Aging Report, 05.04.00 Stock Purchasing Purchase Order Approval

3. How can these types of issues be classified at this time in the project lifecycle?

MODEL ANSWER:

The issues can result from bugs or processing errors, or they can be requests for modifications or additional training.



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