At Business Solution Partners we perform system deployments using ImplementationPlus, a proven methodology that allows us to plan, design, build, test and deploy your solution. Time and again, the ImplementationPlus methodology has helped us produce successful, end-to-end implementations by following the same proven process for every project. Refined and perfected over hundreds of successful implementations, ImplementationPlus supports every phase of your implementation, from planning and development to education and ongoing support.

The ImplementationPlus implementation methodology process includes several distinct phases:

Discovery and Planning
This phase of the ImplementationPlus methodology begins even before you hire us as your business partner. During our initial discussions with you, we’re already developing an understanding of your business and application requirements and outlining a high-level solution for you. When you select us as your implementation partner, we take a detailed look at your company and solution requirements, including business history, products and services, reasons and goals for a change in the technology, existing systems and business processes, data migration requirements, scope of work anticipated, project success factors and timeframes. From there, we prepare a proposed project work plan.

We also meet with you to agree on the project direction, determine out-of-scope work, discuss potential project challenges and present final proposals. We also introduce our respective teams, outline their specific roles, make sure both teams are in agreement with the project plan and share any additional information needed to ensure a timely, successful project.

The tasks we perform during this phase include:

• Internal client pre-sales transition meeting

• Kickoff meeting at your location

• Identify primary client and refine project plan

• Set project scope and schedules

• Define project and task responsibilities

• Data migration planning review

• Review hardware and server sizing requirements

• Integration requirements planning review

• Identify crucial success factors

• Establish budget-control review processes

Requirements Analysis, Design Recommendation and Specification
During this phase of the ImplementationPlus methodology, we work to gain a complete and highly detailed understanding of your business process and procedures. To do that, we conduct interviews with key employees; observe operations; review financial statements, invoices, checks and other relevant forms of data; and probe to discover any existing business issues that still need to be addressed.

From this exhaustive analysis, we document your existing systems and interfaces, develop process-flow diagrams and outline procedures and potential changes to increase the efficiency of your processes. We also determine if any functionality gaps exist and detail how to bridge them through potential software customizations, changes in business processes or solution workarounds.

The tasks we perform during this phase include:

• Conduct key personnel interviews
• Review and document existing business processes
• Determine potential functional gaps in software
• Finalize a detailed list of software customizations and/or integration requirements
• Review document sets and reporting requirements
• Perform data migration detail review and mapping exercise
• Develop and review data integration strategy and technical requirements

Prototype Development and Configuration
During this phase of the ImplementationPlus methodology, we develop and test a prototype of your planned production system by configuring and setting up the necessary software in a tightly controlled test environment. We also begin training your employees on such subjects as software functionality, reporting, report writing and system administration. We also address screen maintenance, transactional formats, entity structures and divisional and standard reporting capabilities.

At this time, we again review functionality gaps and determine potential solutions for bridging these gaps, including further software customization and enhancements, special reporting enhancements or using existing software functionality as a potential workaround solution. We also address special training requirements and produce end-user documentation and procedural manuals. Finally, we perform unit testing and agree upon acceptance of software customizations and/or integration prior to Go Live.

The tasks we perform during this phase include:

• Finalize Pilot Room logistics and scheduling

• Load software in test environment.

• Load data set in sample database for training and testing

• Perform project team training

• Perform additional gap and bridge analysis

• Map and test new and revised business processes

• Unit testing and acceptance testing prior to Go Live

Data Migration, Training and Testing
After completing pilot testing, and armed with a firm understanding of software functionality, we use this phase to prepare your end users and production environment to Go Live. The project team provides comprehensive end-user training and distributes procedure manuals based upon business processes as a training backup. We perform any final data migration from the existing system to the new system prior to final Go Live to ensure no lapses in transactional history. At this point, all remaining remote user testing will be finalized and signoff will be requested at the completion of the Go Live phase.

The tasks we perform during this phase include: 

• Unit testing and acceptance testing prior to Go Live

• Perform end-user training

• Perform final data migration load from existing systems

• Perform last-minute unit testing and acceptance of customizations
  and integration

• Test and finalize all end-user access to software

Go Live and Ongoing Support
In the final phase of the ImplementationPlus methodology, we provide you with comprehensive Go Live support during the day of the system cutover to minimize any last-minute issues that may arise. We also provide ongoing support to your end users and perform a comprehensive post-deployment review, in which we measure all facets of the project and evaluate our performance against project objectives and expectations. We also work with you to identify and resolve any outstanding issues.

The tasks we perform during this phase include: 

• Provide Go Live support

• Provide month-end and tear-end closing support

• Schedule later appointment to evaluate project success

• Determine whether success factors were satisfied

• Review ongoing support services