Context
Identify the context for which a new system is planned
When implementing a new system is it important to gain an understanding of the context in which the new system will operate.
Key questions to be explore are:
- Who will be using the new system?
- What system was in place before the new system?
- What financial and time restrictions are there on the new system?
- What will the scope of the new system be? What will be in-scope and out-of-scope.
If an existing system is in place it is important to understand why the system is being replace – what are the key factors that are driving the change?
- Is the existing system flawed?
- Is the existing system buggy, insecure or unmaintainable?
- What features are missing from the existing system?
- What features of the system do function well and should be kept?
- Problems with the existing system
- Too out of date – obsolete technologies
- Unable to be maintained
- Unable to cope with demands of scale
- Cannot be adapted to new business requirements
In order to gain an understanding of the context a number of different research techniques can be used, depending on the situation:
- Interviews with management, users and other stakeholders of the system
- Observations of the existing system being used, usually through the observation of users using the system.
- Surveys and questionnaires given to various stakeholders
- Examination of the documentation of the system.
- Use of the system by the developers
Advantages of new systems
There can be many advantages to new systems
More forward compatible with other systems
Better User Interface
Faster Performance
Cheaper in the long run
Change Management
Describe the need for change management
Change can be incredibly difficult and distressing for both individuals and organisations. Change, therefore, needs to be managed carefully in order for the new system to be successfully implemented. Constant two-way communication is a key part of the process.
People need to be trained on the new system
Organisations need to be given time to prepare for the change
Procedures need to be maintained throughout the process
Onboarding and buyin needs to attained from stakeholders and risks to the organisation and individuals need to be mitigated
Compatibility
Outline Compatibility Issues
Local vs Remote
Compare local vs remote systems
Installation
Evaluate alternative installation processes
Soft rollout vs hard rollout
Beta testers
Global vs Regional rollout
Running systems in parallel during the changeover period
Data Migration
Discussing Problems with data migration