ECPS 7-Step Plan of Action

7-Step Plan of Action Enterprise-Class Professional Services (ECPS) Assessment Year: Period: Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4

Rating: 1 – Ad-hoc or Non-existent 2- Organized/Defined 3 – Standardized/Repeatable 4 – Measured/Controlled 5 - Optimized

Page | 1 of 26

1) Employee Engagement

GOAL: Inspire employees to make and sustain the transition.

Doing now Improvements to be made Person responsible Completion date Rating (1-5)

1a) A clear, written vision for ECPS

clarifies the need for ECPS , expresses a sense of urgency, and shapes a vision for the future state

1b) The ECPS vision has been

communicated to the entire organization

1c) Performance metrics for the ECPS transition are identified

1d) ECPS performance metrics are

established and systems/methods are in place to capture that information

1e) An Organizational Change

Management Plan describes the

activities needed for employees to successfully accept and adopt new ways of doing business

1f) A Communications Plan sets the

standards for the frequency and method of stakeholder communications

1g) An ECPS Project Plan identifies the

activities and timeline needed to ensure the ECPS transition, Organizational Change

Management Plan, and Communications Plan are executed as planned



Page | 2 of 26

1h) The necessary resources are

authorized and committed to the ECPS transition

1i) Senior management’s sponsorship

and demonstrated commitment encourages employees to make the ECPS transition successful

1j) The leadership team is held

accountable for ECPS transition results

1k) Employees trust that leaders make

effective decisions and are accountable for their actions, and have the employees’ best interests in mind

1l) Employees receive regular

communication on ECPS progress and goals

1m) ECPS is considered a core

competency in professional development plans

1n) Employees believe that what they

are working on is important and meaningful

1o) Employees believe that they are

given an appropriate amount of responsibility, are growing their functional and leadership skills, and

have a work/life balance that is appropriate for them



Page | 3 of 26

1p) Extraordinary employee

contributions to ECPS are rewarded, recognized and celebrated

1q) Employees are encouraged to take

risk and mistakes are viewed as learning opportunities

Total Score



Page | 4 of 26

2) Sales and Services Alignment

GOAL: Align customer expectations with service delivery capabilities and expectations.


2a) Standards are defined for contract

deliverables, delivery and acceptance criteria and post-delivery support and maintenance

2b) Sales and services teams are aware

of the distinction between custom, standard, and packaged (“productized”) services

2c) There is agreement between sales

and professional service on target customers and proposed solutions

2d) Regular and accurate visibility into

the services opportunity pipeline allows professional services to

accurately scope projects and plan future resourcing of projects

2e) The resource demand from sales

forecasts is planned and controlled

against service delivery resource capacity

2f) What-if sales forecast modeling

provides the ability to generate scenarios to determine the potential impact on service delivery resources

2g) Generic resource roles and labor

rates are used as placeholder values for capacity and profitability planning



Page | 5 of 26

2h) All service offerings are associated

with a product SKUs with standard terms and pricing, and are under version control

2i) Standard pricing and contract terms are defined

2j) Consistent estimating and risk

evaluation criteria provide input into bid/no bid decisions

2k) Current profiles/resumes of

professional services personnel are kept on hand, leveraging a knowledge base of past customer successes, and collaborating on and

sharing best practices all help ensure winning proposals

2l) A centralized proposal factory

applies standard methods, tools, contents and roles to develop efficient, timely, and high quality proposals where winning is the norm

2m) Proposal/ SOW creation follows a

clear and consistent process with a

named owner responsible for drafting and carrying through to customer signoff and transition to professional services



Page | 6 of 26

2n) Each closed-won opportunity with

professional services includes a client approved proposal/SOW that

includes information for project costs, scope and deliverables, change management, roles and

responsibilities (internal and external), expiration date, deadline (for the span of time in which the work can be delivered), reference

to the cost estimate/price quotation, and attachments for scoping information and/or risks/assumptions

2o) Cost estimating standards and

practices for professional services (authority levels, types and formats

of estimates, methods/approaches to estimating, etc.) are clearly defined

2p) A standard cost estimating tool

(under version control ) includes required input fields used to properly scope and price professional services

2q) A designated opportunity owner is

responsible for using the cost estimating tool and versioning each cost estimate

2r) Any unique requirement not

included in the standard cost estimating tool are estimated

separately by appropriate subject matter experts



Page | 7 of 26

2s) Final, customer approved cost

estimates/price quotations are signed off on by the customer and

referenced in a corresponding proposal/SOW

2t) A contingency amount is added to

each cost estimate/price quotation based on the potential risks associated with the opportunity (i.e. risk markup)

2u) Each proposal/SOW involving non-

standard services is l inked to a corresponding cost estimate/price quotation

2v) Professional services subject matter

experts are engaged during the sales cycle for scoping, positioning,

cost estimating, and recognition of solution deployment methodology and standards

2w) Finance and legal review occurs for all closed-won opportunities

2x) A formal approval process is

established for changes to standard terms and pricing

2y) A pre-qualifying process is

established for opportunity go/no-go determination (win likelihood,

profit margin, risk, etc.) and criteria for deal desk



Page | 8 of 26

2z) Client approved cost estimates/

price quotes and proposals/SOWs are identified and uploaded to a standard fi le directory

2aa) A transition handoff from sales to

services occurs for all closed-won

opportunities that include professional services

2bb) Sales executives and account

managers are required to attend a

boot camp that includes information related to professional services offerings, bil l ing type expectations, Deal Desk for non-

standard opportunities, professional services engagement (during sales cycle) and transition of

closed-won opportunity to professional services

2cc) Monetary incentive, rewards

and/or recognition encourage

service team members to up-sell and cross-sell products and services

2dd) Shared revenue and profit goals

promotes collaboration and cooperation between sales and service delivery teams

Total Score



Page | 9 of 26

3) Consulting Practice Framework

GOAL: Enable a vibrant community of consulting professionals.


3a) Structured, event driven solution

deployment/implementation methodology and processes are clearly defined and communicated

3b) Project type classifications are the

foundation for a flexible service delivery framework based on a

project’s risk (probability and impact) and complexity

3c) A priority modelling tool is used to manage backlogs of service requests/projects

3d) Standard processes exist for project

managers to request human

resources by role, skil l set and other attributes

3e) Resource managers are able to

source resource requests by

replacing generic resource requests with named resources based on current/future availability and requested attributes

3f) Resource managers are able to

easily balance supply and demand by redeploying and replacing resources

3g) Relationships with preferred

contractors/vendors are established for supplementing human resource

capacity shortages, core



Page | 10 of 26

competency deficiencies, and contingency staffing

3h) A balanced workforce consisting of

contingent (contract) and permanent employee talent

contributes to cost efficiency and production goals

3i) Consulting practice managers perform regular project reviews and

serve as the first point of contact for customer escalations in their l ine of business

3j) A RACI (Responsible, Accountable,

Contributor, Informed) matrix is established for each project type/classification

3k) Standard deliverable sets (by

project type/classification) identify project-specific deliverables

3l) Expectations for submitting,

reviewing and approving timecards and expense reports are established and clearly communicated

3m) An approval process is identified for

non-billable “credited” customer work (goodwill, get well, etc.)

3n) A published operations calendar

provides cutoff dates related to submission, review and approval of timecards, expense reports and bill ing events

3o) Service delivery practitioners are

held accountable for the timeliness



Page | 11 of 26

and accuracy timecards and expense reports

3p) Practice managers are held

accountable for enforcing practice methodology and processes within their l ine of business

3q) Communities of practice (CoPs) are

established and responsible for acquiring and transferring

knowledge related to line of business

6a) Professional services personnel are

required to attend a boot camp that includes information related to service delivery methodologies, frameworks/standards, tools and processes

3r) A skills inventory/matrix is used to

track skil ls and proficiencies of professional service personnel and preferred contractors/vendors

Total Score



Page | 12 of 26

4) Project Management Controls

GOAL: Elevate project management to a core competence.


4a) Project type classifications are the

foundation for a project management framework and

controls based on a project’s risk (probability and impact) and complexity

4b) A single project management

methodology is established used consistently across all professional services projects

4c) All projects associated with

professional services can be centrally viewed and managed for revenue, costs, profitability and performance

4d) Project managers and business

executives are accountable for project and business success through the use of consistent project performance measures and metrics

4e) The role of the project manager is clearly defined and communicated

4f) Qualified project managers are

assigned to every professional services project

4g) Project manager assignments are

commensurate with the size and complexity of projects (i.e. junior/“mini” project manager assigned to smaller/less complex

projects and senior project managers



Page | 13 of 26

assigned to larger/more complex projects)

4h) Project managers are held

accountable for the application of project management methodology and processes

4i) Complete work breakdown structure

templates with documented guidelines, tools and techniques, and

updates are developed and under version control

4j) Standards, policies or procedures for

project baselining, re-planning and re-baselining are defined and util ized

4k) Standard operating procedures for

the management and control of

project resources and task assignments are consistently implemented

4l) Standard operating procedures for

the management and control of project scope changes are consistently implemented

4m) Standard operating procedures for

the management and control of project risks are consistently implemented

4n) Standard operating procedures for

the management and control of project deliverables are consistently implemented



Page | 14 of 26

4o) Procedures for capturing lessons

learned are consistently implemented

4p) Projects are monitored for

compliance with project management standards, policies,

procedures, and templates via regular random project audits

4q) Criteria is established for identifying

at-risk/troubled projects on a regular

basis and developing appropriate rescue plans

4r) A standard fi le directory structure and formal methods exist to collect,

store and share project-related documentation/artifacts (status reports, risks and issues logs, deliverables, decisions, etc.)

4s) A centralized document repository

provides a single location of record for approved standards, processes

and templates, where everyone from employees, contractors and vendors can access and stay up to date

4t) The ongoing stewardship and

nurturing of project managers contributes to a committed, vibrant project management community

4u) A project management professional career path program is deployed

4v) Project managers ae required to attend a boot camp focused on



Page | 15 of 26

project management methodology and processes

4w) An internal project management

certification program ensures the knowledge competency of project managers

Total Score



Page | 16 of 26

5) Project Performance

GOAL: Activate best practice project management tools, methods and techniques Doing now Improvements to be made Person responsible Completion date Rating (1-5)

5a) Project performance metrics for

Earned Value, Schedule Performance Index, and Cost Performance Index are measured and reported

5b) Project costs are estimated for all

resources that will be charged to a specific project

5c) Actual project performance for

budget and schedule are tracked against baseline information

5d) Procedures for administrative project

setup (work breakdown, deliverable, delivery milestones, bil l rates, bil l ing events, etc.) and bill ing event setup are established and enforced

5e) A project charter that contains

appropriate project information is developed and approved for every

project, setting and defining goals, objectives and scope

5f) Project sponsors have a clear vision

of the project outcomes, play an active role in the life cycle of the project, and assume ultimate accountability for project outcomes

5g) The overall goal of the project is

clearly specified and recognized by all stakeholders

5h) Project planning and review is thorough and includes:



Page | 17 of 26

‒ A common understanding of goals and outcomes

‒ Commitment to project success from all stakeholders

‒ Regular and careful progress monitoring

‒ Realistic expectations for customer responsibilities and time schedules

‒ Active risk assessment

5i) A project management plan that

contains appropriate project information is developed and approved for every project

5j) A formal work authorization process

sanctions project work to begin and ensures that work is done at the right time and in the proper sequence, and that the critical path is understood

5k) A project relationship map matches

customer and project delivery team contacts for the purpose of

establishing peer-to-peer relationships with clear l ines of communication

5l) Project delivery team members are

fully competent and engage in positive behaviors that promote success

5m) Project delivery team members are

held accountable for applying standard operating procedures related to project management

(scope change management, risk



Page | 18 of 26

management, deliverables

management, and document management, etc.) and service delivery (timecards, expense reports, etc.)

5n) Deliverable approval occurs through incremental customer acceptance

5o) End users/operators are engaged in the design of the project

5p) Project team behavior is aligned with

schedule and profitability goals: out-of-scope requests are deferred for follow-up

5q) A project quality management plan

describes how the team will implement its quality policy and

includes responsibilities, procedures, processes and resources necessary to implement quality management activities

5r) Project quality assurance activities are

implemented to ensure that the project will satisfy quality standards

identified in the quality management plan

5s) Knowledge transfer and support

planning is sufficient for system users

to effectively and efficiently operate and maintain what the project has produced

5t) Weekly status reports are provided to

the customer/business sponsor and customer project manager



Page | 19 of 26

5u) Regularly scheduled status meetings

and communication with service delivery team members keeps all

members aware of status, risks/issues, and change requests

5v) Lessons learned are captured during

the course of the project and shared with professional services managers

5w) Rescue plans are implemented for projects identified as at-risk

5x) Project closeout activities focus on

contract requirements, support handoff, and follow-up on deferred scope

5y) A transition handoff from professional

services to support occurs prior to project closeout

5z) Configuration baselines are identified

and controlled during the course of projects

Total Score



Page | 20 of 26

6) Value Proposition

GOAL: Leverage consulting expertise and intellectual capital as a source of client value.


6a) A customer centric culture is a

platform for organizational change from “how does this benefit us?” to

“how does this benefit our customer”

6b) Consulting practice managers serve

as subject matter experts,

collaborating with product development and solution architects to develop value added products/services beyond bare

products to create customer dependency/“stickiness”

6c) Compelling value proposition

statements for each market segment are intended to “shock awake” potential buyers by communicating how the services

and products provided uniquely qualify the organization to deliver that value

6d) Product catalogs have been

converted into value proposition catalogs organized by customer challenge

6e) Value propositions are integrated

into sales, service delivery, and support processes through process definition and updates, awareness

and training activities, organizational change management



Page | 21 of 26

initiatives, and behavior reinforcement

6f) Position descriptions reflect the

necessary skil ls and performance expectations for implementing

value proposition and productized service packages

6g) Launch planning activities and commercial releases are used to

introduce new productized service packages

6h) Marketing collateral (brochures,

white papers and/or case studies) and pre-packaged materials (templates, project plans, work products and deliverables, and

staffing models) are included with each productized service package

6i) Professional services sales and marketing generates awareness and closes opportunities

Total Score



Page | 22 of 26

7) Systems Integration

Goal: Establish a 360 degree view of the quote to cash life cycle.


7a) Rules and processes for price quotations are clearly defined

7b) Quotations can be produced for any

product or service, including bundles, constraints, and other options

7c) Pricing hierarchies and tiers are

established based on parameters l ike volume, units and usage

7d) Price adjustments are based on approval levels for discounts, markups, and price overrides

7e) Quotations can be created from

existing agreements and purchase history

7f) Software renewal quotations can be

created based on previously agreed upon pricing and terms

7g) Optimal offerings are identified

during the quoting process for guided selling and upsell recommendations

7h) Proposals are generated from standard templates

7i) Proposals/SOWs and contracts are approved via electronic signature

7j) Quoting analytics are tracked for

quoting cycle time, acceptance rates and product l ine revenue



Page | 23 of 26

7k) Contracts are created from and linked to opportunities or accounts

7l) Contract fields are autofil led from opportunity or account information

7m) Contract exhibits and clauses are

created by selecting conditional key terms

7n) Final proposal/SOWs and contracts,

prior versions and approval history are centrally stored and available for retrieval

7o) Contract analytics are captured

for contract compliance, risks and cycle time

7p) The quoting process is integrated with contract management

7q) Sales forecasts are dynamically and

automatically mapped to resource requirements

7r) Interconnected service delivery

teams leverage a common project

management information system (PMIS)

7s) Projects (with capability for multi-

level hierarchies) are created in the PMIS

7t) Delivery milestones and bill ing milestones are defined in the PMIS

7u) Billable rates are assigned by resource in the PMIS



Page | 24 of 26

7v) Timecards and expenses are

approved/rejected in the PMIS based on approval level

7w) Budgets for time and costs are assigned per project in the PMIS

7x) Interconnected service delivery

teams leverage common document assets through a centralized document repository to support the entire program/project l ife cycle

7y) The integration of web/cloud-based

collaboration tools enables team members to share ideas, tasks, updates and other changes

7z) Revenue forecasts and schedules

are used to determine revenue recognition

7aa) Bill ing eligibility is determined by

completion of a bil l ing event (fixed price) or approved timecards (time and materials)

7bb) Designated individuals generate

bill ing events for bil l ing eligible items based on a predetermined schedule

7cc) Invoices are automatically

generated for generated bill ing eligible items

7dd) Management reports at the project

level and practice level are available for employee util ization, professional services revenue,



Page | 25 of 26

revenue per employee, profitability,

average bill rate, and customer satisfaction

7ee) Project portfolio dashboard views

provide complete visibility into global project quality

7ff) Standard reporting cycles are identified in a universal calendar

Total Score



Page | 26 of 26

Assessment Summary Total Score Average

Score

1) Employee Engagement

Inspire employees to make and sustain the transition.

2) Sales and Services Alignment Align customer expectations with service delivery capabilities and expectations.

3) Consulting Practice Framework

Enable a vibrant community of consulting professionals.

4) Project Management Controls

Elevate project management to a core competence.

5) Project Performance Activate best practice project management tools, methods and techniques

6) Value Proposition

Leverage consulting expertise and intellectual capital as a source of client value.

7) Systems Integration

Establish a 360 degree view of the quote to cash life cycle

ECPS 7-Step Plan of Action

Documents

Transcript of ECPS 7-Step Plan of Action