The third of three (3) example Use Cases looks to scenarios that affect Software Vendors, Solution Integrators, or Independent Consultants. Each group represents a type of implementation consultant. And the Iterative Transformation Model can provide benefit to all three groups.
If you have a sample Use Case where some external guidance, tools, or knowledge capital could have helped, we would love to hear about it. Please Contact Us and share your story. It may help others avoid similar situations, and contribute to our mission of sharing knowledge.
Software Vendors
Software Vendors include organizations which produce an application or technology for customers. Additionally, they offer implementation services their product. For many firms, the implementation services they provide are essentially to support the sales process. To make it easier for a customer to make a product selection because the vendor will take care of the implementation.
However, many firms in this category have yet to mature into organizations which produce, or apply, their own approach and methods. Rather, each project can be ad-hoc, relying solely on the experience of the individuals assigned. Alternatively, firms may have an implementation approach that applies to making their product available, yet may not take into account broader needs of the customer's organization in order to apply the new product effectively.
Solution Integrators
Solution Integrators include any 3rd Party organization that provides implementation services for applications or technologies which they do not, themselves, publish. Think of the larger consulting firms - Deloitte, Accenture, Infosys - as examples. These firms are large enough and mature enough to produce and apply their own methods.
However, there are many mid-sized and smaller firms which have not developed any approach or methods. Like the Software Vendors, many such firms, each engagement is unique. The approach used is derived from the experience of the individuals assigned to the project.
Independent Consultants
Independent Consultants include any individuals or small group that provides implementation services for applications or technologies. These individuals may work for a Solution Integrator, a Software Vendor or be contracted directly with the customer. Such individuals frequently play a critical role, filling gaps which the other entities involved are unable to fill themselves.
These individuals are, rightly, expected to bring advanced knowledge to the role(s) they fulfull. Part of that knowledge relates to the function they are fulfilling, or to the application or technology being implemented.
Use Cases for 3rd Party Implementation Consultants
The following examples are intended to demonstrate how the ITM could have helped the implementation consultants in each case.
"Partner" Protection
System: ERP Consolidation for multi-national product & service provider
Actors: Vendor led implementation supported by Internal employees
Scenario: The first phase of a planned four-phase consolidation took several years longer than planned in order to deliver initial application functionality to end users. The "partner" seemed only too happy to continue extending work as requirements changed and goal posts shifted. Having no internal leadership nor any internal delivery approach, the client was unprepared and ill equiped to push back on the impediments to progress.
Use Case: Applying ITM Solution Definition activites would have prevented ongoing scope drift and the lack of achievable targets against which to measure progress and value delivery.
Inappropriate Agile Use
System: CRM for multi-national manufacturer
Actors: 3rd Party Solution Integrator led initiative supported by internal staff
Scenario: Implementation in support of multimillion-dollar sales & contract management years behind schedule and well over budget. The SI leading the tranformation liked to say things like "we don't need requirements, we're Agile" and "we don't document, we're Agile". Well, neither of those statements are Agile. The only thing "Agile" about their delivery was that every two weeks the started another "Sprint", and anything they worked on, from the smallest change to the largest initiative, was a "Story". After multiple years of Sprints and Stories, nothing had yet to be made avialable to the customer.
Use Case: Breaking down a large implmentation in to iterations is not problematic. Doing it well is. Had they segmented their work into phases, release and ten sprints, it would have become apparent to all that progress was not being made and corrective actions could have been taken much earliers, saving millions of dollars.
If some assistance is needed to get your organization up-to-speed using the model, that is something with which we can help.
See options for accessing ITM content, or look into available memberships.