It is important to maintain control and communicate as needed during implementation. During project implementation, people are carrying out the tasks, and progress information is being reported through regular team meetings.
Implementing Assignment Recommendations Successfully
During the assignment, you and your client will have identified the major implementation issues with all of the costs and benefits associated. You will have already defined the statements of work, processes for evaluating performance and quality Management needs. You should also review your “Contract Measurements”.
These will be used to demonstrate the success or failure of the assignment especially if it is associated with “outsourcing”.
The measures you use could be in the following three areas:
- Outcome- and performance-based metrics.
- Quality assurance metrics
- Work and operational metrics
Many outsourcing contracts for consultants and applications will require more outcome-based measures, while technical support contracts may use a number of performance-or work-based metrics.
Planning and Managing Transitions
Transitions must be handled properly if the contract is to succeed.
Plan for the transition from you to the client:
- Detail the costs involved: create a process and configuration map. Highlight impacts on internal staff.
- Plan for changes in the workflow: Keep end-users informed of the goals and progress. Manage their expectations to ensure buy-in and sign-off. Education must be part of the plan.
- Plan for the transition from you to the client (or back to you) at the end of the contract.
A summary checklist
Responsibilities
- What are the client and consultant responsibilities before, during and after the transition?
- What are the actions that need to take place to transfer equipment, knowledge, etc.?
Tasks
What are the specific tasks that need to be done?
- By whom?
- In what order?
- By when?
- What dependencies exist between tasks?
Assets
- What assets and licenses will need to be acquired or transferred?
- What assets have been produced and who owns them e.g. documentation, code, planning documents?
Clearly, Transition periods can be painful for all.