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Underwater stones

Oleg Tokarev, Senior Project Manager of a professional approach to project management.

When implementing any system, however, as with any project, sometimes pop up, so-called "pitfalls" as expected and unexpected. The professionalism of the team of implementation on the part of the integrator, is to anticipate and prevent potential problems and risks arising in the course of implementation of the system.

Let's talk about the most common "underwater stones", which may result from the project as a whole will depend.

Implementation methodology and project planning.

The lack of a structured implementation methodology often leads to delays in terms of increasing the budget, reduce the quality of the project. To meet the objectives of the project, the customer must have a complete understanding of the actions that will be performed, as well as who will be responsible for each action. Often not taken into account the possible risks of the project, are not drawn up measures to eliminate these risks, are not regulated how to change the content of the project, change the project team.

How do we decide: We use a special methodology, certification ISO. This sequential process execution system implementation, the project is divided into 8 phases One of the important features of the methodology is the possibility of withdrawing from the project at every stage, for example, on Lukoil we had suspended work on the project for 6 months immediately prior to the launch, after the resumption of work, we immediately made a start, without increasing the budget and reducing the quality.

Implementation methodology - it is much more than a project plan. Methods of Project Management, such as the decision to risk management issues, change management, quality management, the formal acceptance of the results provide a strong basis for a successful project.

Formation of the project team.

Often this factor leads to the introduction of a system failure. Causes:

• The incomplete team, ie not included in the specialists needed for the success of the project team and are included, but not enough time in the project. For example, if the description of business - processes only the leaders interviewed, but no information is collected from end-users - the operators, storekeepers. For optimal performance, the warehouse, it is necessary to examine processes from all angles, and the top and bottom.
• Lack of qualified project team. For example, you need a competent database administrator, project manager on the part of the customer, and the Contractor shall promptly resolve the difficulties encountered, it happens that fail either due to lack of authority, either due to lack of experience.
• An important aspect is also the interest of professionals in the success of the project.

How do we decide: Our employees are experts in the technical field as well as in consulting warehouse business - processes, as our project managers are universal specialists who supervise any work on the project, from the business as a description - processes to equipment settings. One of the major advantages of our implementation methodology, a clear definition of the roles of each participant of the project, each defined by a list of works for which he is responsible. For a description of the business - the processes included in the command staff, the knowledge of which allows the fullest and accurately describe the process: end users, logistics, goods, the warehouse manager. When forming a project team conducted verification of qualification of technical customer's specialists employed on the project.

Lack of engagement of the customer (sponsor) of the project.

In this case, the customer receives is not what I wanted originally. On our projects, we regularly, about once a week, hold the status of the meeting, which may be made to any - any changes in the project, monitored the execution of the planned works in time, the outcome of the risks to the discussion of the problems, etc. Thus, the customer is directly involved in the project and is always aware of the current situation in the project.

Training of end users.

In most cases, the implementation of any information system, end users are negatively to innovation in the enterprise. Therefore, it is important to pay due attention to the quality education of users, to maximize avoid errors during system startup. You can not only educate end users working in the system (may forget to leave, sick), you must "leave" behind a qualification functional consultant. It is important to make a clear statement, as well as to carry out a strict control of the training. It is not always the beauty (and complexity) interface, operating documents (especially, storekeepers, loaders, loading equipment drivers) is an advantage, on the contrary, the simpler the sequence of actions and less information is issued to the user, the less likely he commits an error.

How do we decide: In teaching we use the approach of "train the trainers" of the Customer or a "training of trainers", ie training experts produce customer together with our coaches, as a result, later customer himself can train new employees. For each client, we design instructions for each operation in the system. After the training, leading examination is carried out by the project manager of users, with the issuance of registered certificates.

Processes - optimization of business.

Often, optimization of business - processes leads only to the complexity of these same processes, most often due to the lack of experience of the Contractor's specialists, the incompleteness of the information collected, disinterest keepers of information, lack of clear information technology acquisition and description of business - processes.

How do we decide: Originally held information-gathering phase. An inventory of operations carried out on the stock of the company and issues (for example, what is the best way to acceptance of goods is possible if the reception of goods using radio terminals and automatic reception of the goods, which the optimal rules of the goods turnover of stock, is it possible in this process to use operation through dispatch ( ' with wheels on wheels "), if not, what needs to change so that they can be used, order picking is optimum for storage, for example - hand equipment, equipment using radio terminals, equipment using labels, batch equipment, to better optimize the use of working time warehouse workers, inventory control of goods in the warehouse and reports on stocks of stock), which will have to answer together the companies of the customer and the Contractor for bringing warehouse processes to the customer's mind, to achieve maximum effect. For each of the issues will be determined by the current business process described in this document are created, the flow of goods and information flows. The result of this phase is to document AS IS (as is).

In the next phase of the TO - BE, jointly with specialists of the Customer will be made recommendations, according to which it is possible to optimize these processes. The result of this phase is to document TO BE (as will), which are described in great detail and advice on business - both processes and these processes are implemented in the system. The document is consistent with the customer.

Calculation of the power of server hardware.

At first glance, a purely technical question, but it is important for comfortable work in the system. It is important for a particular warehouse to calculate the hardware configuration, if underestimated, the system will "slow down" and therefore fall speed of warehouse operations.

How do we decide: The initial collect statistical information on the number of users, the number of operations performed per day, the percentage of box selection, the prospects for growth of the company, etc. This information is sent to the software developer, which calculates the recommended configuration and the number of servers (as you know this is not the developer).

Our experience.

• The transition from paper-based to RF. Implementation of the system from one of our first customers was to be implemented in the shortest possible time, within 2 months of the warehouse had to call the customer, the contract had already been signed. In terms of strict time limits (usually 3 months implementation period) it was necessary to take a decision, which would reduce the risks of implementing the system. The solution was found, at the time of launching the selection was carried out on paper technology, since the RF - the selection is more complex -, and indeed, the launch itself using RF require longer training selection. After the successful launch, after 10 days, a complete set of technology has been transferred to the selection using the terminals. Thus, when you run the risks have been reduced, and as a result customer received, what has been stated by us, namely RF - selection. Thus, we have made a smooth transition from one technology to another, which is important in the event that the Customer's budget to start time does not allow the use of RF - selection, subsequently have the opportunity to go on to use this technology.
• Change of the project team. One of our customers in the implementation of the system change of the project team by the artist has been made, ie, The first two phases are conducted one integrator, and the following 5 phases, including the launch, the company Logicon. Thus, the implementation methodology allows, without increasing the timeliness and quality of the project to change the project team performer, with the ability to exit the project at every stage.
• Suspension of the project. It is also one of the clearest examples of what methodology allows to withdraw from the project at any stage is a suspension of work on the project for a period of 5 months. Prior to October 10, we have completed all the work related to business analysis - processes, system configuration, training, etc. It was assumed that by this time the warehouse will be delivered, but have difficulty matching the warehouse with the fire department, which eventually lasted for 5 months, and delayed deadlines for the supply of material handling equipment. After solving all the problems in the beginning of February, our work will continue, and eventually, after two weeks of the launch of the warehouse.
• Our experience in the formation of a project team. On one of our first projects we make a mistake in the formation of the project team, it was that we did not have tested the competence of Customer employees to be included in the project team. We are simply included in the command of those we recommend. The company was young, all the staff had just got a job. As a result, when the real work began, which were attended by the staff, they just could not cope with their tasks (for example in matters of integration) or could not give the information we need. As a result of the work had to do ourselves, which extends the life of the project, or to find the necessary information takes more time. Now, however, the formation of the team, we spend quite a serious test technicians, as well as to collect information include employees from all levels of command, ie, by the storekeeper to the director of logistics.
• To the customer requirements. Sometimes successful launch depends on whether the customer meets our demands, for example, to provide the required number of warehouse staff, equipment, computers, etc. Although this point may seem somewhat counterintuitive, because the customer is interested in the success of the project. But we do not exclude the likelihood of a situation, for example, the customer can not dial a full staff in the warehouse, or provide all the necessary "hardware", so we have all these points and set strict requirements planning phase obgovarivayem, and of course, develop ways to circumvent these problems ( for example, the reduction of trade flow through the warehouse) all it is necessary to ensure that the project was successful, and not because we are "such bad".
• About risks. We are at the planning stage are trying to provide all kinds of risks that may arise in the process of the system, sometimes even these solutions are:

1. We know that at the time of the launch will greatly increase the flow of goods through the warehouse, in contrast to the normal operation (such as New Year holidays), so it will be very difficult to start, we decide together with the customer at the very beginning, evaluating it, and our forces, or Starting to move on after, or, conversely, of course, if it's possible, really assessing the situation, reducing the timing of the project to make the launch in advance.
2. Equipment failure, for example, WI -FI network, respectively, the terminals will not work, in this case, we have all the necessary paper transaction records for transactions.

Of course, the plan rasprostanenie such risks:

a) as a departure from a key member of the project team, both from our side and from the customer provides for the reserve players.

b) a banal way out of server hardware failure.

c) disruption of supplies, etc. Of course, as sometimes happens, and such risks, which we had not planned.

For example, after we installed our radio equipment, plug it in the enterprise, in collaboration with local administrators, we got a call a person of an independent security company and told us to shut down the equipment, as it turned out all the new items included in the network should be agreed with the them. We for some reason, none of this does not even say no managers IT - departments or IT - specialists, of course, the issue was resolved, but we have taken into account this fact for future projects. Thus we are at the planning stage form a fairly extensive list of risks and ways of their solution. Thanks to our experience, this list is already very long.