Home » Applications » Oracle Fusion Apps & E-Business Suite » hi, can anyone tell about cycles, lifecycles and full life cycle implementations
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| Re: hi, can anyone tell about cycles, lifecycles and full life cycle implementations [message #143646 is a reply to message #143238] |
Fri, 21 October 2005 06:08   |
dushyant
Messages: 74
Registered: September 2005
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Member |
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Hi
The Full life cycle, end to end, life cycle implementations denote the same thing. There are many cycles (process flows) in financials like Accounting Cycle.
The Steps involved in full life cycle implementation are as follows:
v Pre-evaluation and screening
v Package evaluation
v Project planning phase
v Gap analysis
v Reengineering
v Configuration
v Implementation team training
v Testing
v Going live
v End-user training
v Post-implementation
Pre-evaluation & Screening
it is very difficult to deal with number of packages and to take an
ideal decision for a company So it is better to limit the number of
packages that are evaluated to less than 5 it is always to do a
through and detailed evaluation of small number of packages, rather
than doing a superficial analysis of dozens of packages. It is so to
identify these packages that we need the pre-evaluation screening
The pre-evaluation process should eliminate these packages that are
not all suitable for the company’s business process
Package Evaluation
Its objective is to find a package that is flexible enough to meet
the company’s needs or in other words, a software that could be
customized to obtain a ‘good fit’. To have the best system the
company should match its needs to business profile and that which
identifies the business practice of the company. It is responsible
to get a system that will perform, exactly as the company does
business, but the aim should be to get the system that has the
least number differences. At the extent the ERP software should
include
Ø Functionality to fit with company’s business process
Ø Degree of integration between the various components of the
ERP system
Ø Flexibility and scalability
Ø Complexity
Ø User-friendly & Speedy and quick implemental
Ø Ability to support multisided planning and control
Ø Technology in client or server
Ø Capabilities of database independence, security
Ø Availability of regular updates
Ø Amount of customization required
Ø Local support infrastructure
Ø Availability of reference sites
Ø Total cost including cost of license, training,
implementation, maintenance, customization and hardware requirements
It is always better to forma a selection or evaluation committee
that will do the evaluations process.
Project planning phase
this is the phase that designs the implementation process. It is
in this phase that the details of how to go about the implementation
are decided. Time schedules, dead lines, etc. for the arrived
project . The project planning is usually done by a committee
constituted by the team leaders of each implementation group. The
committee will be headed by ERP in charge i.e. COO or CIO. The
committee will meet periodically during the implementation of
implementation life cycle to review the progress and chart the
future course of action.
GAP analysis
It is a phase in ERP implementation, where the org tries to find out
the gaps between the companies existing business, practices and
those supported by ERP package. Finding gaps are very difficult, one
of the most affordable , but most difficult, solution intense
altering the business to fit the ERP package. Another solution is
that the company can simply agree to live without a particular
function . other solutions include.
Pinning your hopes on and upgrade (low cost but risky)
Identifying a 3rd party product might fill the gap
Designing a custom program
Altering the ERP source code
Reengineering
it is in this phase that the human factors are taken in to account.
In ERP implementation setting ,reengineering has 2 different
connotations the 1st connotation is the controversial one,
involving the use of ERP to aid in downsizing efforts and there have
been occasions where high-level executives have invoked
reengineering slogan, and purchased ERP package with the aim of
reducing significant number of employees. While every implementation
is going to involve some change in job responsibilities as process
become more automated and s efficient, it is best to treat ERP as an
investment as well as cost cutting measure, rather that as a
downsizing tool. Downsizing is the business the practice that may
have its place , but it should not be cloaked within the glossier
of reengineering, or justified by the purchase of an ERP package.
ERP should engender business change, but should not endanger the
jobs of thousand employees
the second use of reengineering in the ERP field refers to and ERP
implementation model initially designed and used with much success
by the big 6 consulting firms. The BPR approach to an ERP
implementation implies that there are 2 separate , but closely link
implementations involved on and ERP site: a technical
implementation and business process implementation. The BPR approach
emphasis the human element of necessary change within organization.
This approach generally time consuming and has received its share of
criticism for creating bloated budgets and extended projects . but
adherents of the BPR approach to ERP, would argue that there is know
way that you can ignore the human element in an implementation that
involves significant changes in responsibilities. As ERP market
shifts to a mind market focus and as all implementations are
becoming more cost sensitive, the BPR approach has come under some
real scrutiny.
Configuration
It is a company’s system revels not only the strengths of company’s
business process but also –and perhaps more importantly- its
weaknesses. It s vital to the health of company and to the success
of the ERP implementation that those configuring the system are able
to explain what want it into the package, and where the gaps in
functionality occur. For example, a company might have an accounting
practice that can’t be configured in to the system or some shipping
process that won’t confirm to the package. The company obliviously
needs to know which process have to change in process of
implementation. Finding out that what will work and what won’t
require a knowledge of business process itself, and an ability to
work with the people throughout the company. So, people which such
skills should be assign to these tasks. As a rule , in most large
implementations, the functional configurations are split between the
different areas within the company, so some will attain HR, some
will be involved in financial and so forth.
Implantation team training
Around the same time that configuration taking place, the
implantation team is being train , not so much how to use the
system, but how to implantation it this is the phase where the
company trains its employees to implement and later run the system.
The vendors and hired consultants will leave after the
implementation is over. But for the company to be a self sufficient
in running the ERP system , it should have a good in house team that
can handle various solutions. Thus it is very vital that the company
recognizes the importance of this phase and selects those employees
to have right attitude people who are willing to change, learn new
things are not afraid of technology and good functional knowledge.
Testing
This is the phase you try to break the system. You have s reached a
point where you are testing real case scenarios. The system is
configured and now you must come up with extreme scenarios system
overloads, multiple users logging on at the same time with same
query, users entering invalid data, hackers trying to access
restricted areas and so on. The test cases must be designed
specifically to find the weak links in the systems and these bugs
should be fixed before going live.
Going Live
On the technical side , the work is almost complete- data conversion
is done, databases are up and running ; and on the functional , the
prototype is fully configured and tested and ready to go operation
the system is officially proclaimed operational, even through the
implementation team must have been testing it and running it
successfully some time. But ones system is s “LIVE”, the old is
system is removed , and new system is used for doing business.
The END User Training
here user will taught the functions , procedures , concept and
operation of the system
Post implantation
Once the implantation is over, the vendors the hired consultants
will go. To reap the full benefits of the ERP system , it very
important that the system should get
enterprise – wide acceptance. There should be enough employee who
are train to handle problems that might crop-up. There should be
people within the company who have technical prowess
To make necessary enhancements to the system as and when required. S
the system must be upgraded as and when new versions or new
technologies are introduced. The organization should think in terms
of incremental benefits of the new enhancements. Because with any up
gradation or enhancement, there will be lot of other aspects like
user training that have you be considered so instead of going in for
up gradation as and when a new version is announced by vendor, the
organizer should analyze the costs an benefits.
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