Implementation and Changeover
Where in the SDLC?
Waterfall; explicitly at the end.
'V' model; not always shown but after testing.
Incremental; final stage of each increment, and repeated in each increment.
Agile; the final activity of each spiral.
Planning activies
Data; merging from old system, conversion from one format to another, etc
Software modules to be migrated, and when to do so.
When should it occur.
What documents are required?
Method of change over.
Key players; service manager, users, sponsor, business analysts, technical specialists.
Data mapping; field type, field length, field structures, required fields, semantics, validation.
Configuration management, release management, timing, validation
Installation of hardware / infrastructure
Online help, printed user guides, operational manuals, technical documentation.
Training
Lectures and workshops, remote delivered training, 'train the trainer'.
Implementation
Big bang
Advantages; clean break, users have to use new system straight away, less expensive.
Disadvantages; high risk, reputational damage if there are problems.
Parallel running
Advantages; less risk, fall-back on old system, gradual transition, can validate data from both systems.
Disadvantages; more expensive, users may be reluctant to let go of old system.
Pilot
Advantages; less risk, system only fully deployed when stable, less costly.
Disadvantages; chosen pilot area may not be typical, if user experience is poor it may undermine confidence.
Phased
Advantages; higher priority functions can be delivered sooner, less risk, gradual transition, easier to fall-back.
Disadvantages; users might loose interest, users might not adopt if chosen functions are not delivered soon, expensive, users might cling onto old ways of working.
Implementation plan. Includes; authors and sign off, revision history, purpose, system overview, stakeholders, points of contact, implementation schedule, entry criteria, exit criteria.
Maintenance
Linear; Waterfall, 'V' model, 'b' model. Additional stage at the end. 'b' model shows extra steps to evaluate the system.
Evolutionary; based on 'spiral' lifecycle. Separate maintenance stages are not required as maintenance is 'built in'.
Categories; corrective (fault fixing), adaptive (making changes), perfective (optimisation), preventative (forseeing issues).
Evaluation
Context; why?
Content; what?
Process; when?
Types
Post-project review; one -off exercise done almost immediately after 'go live'. Output is 'Post Project Review report' or 'Lessons Learned Report'. Looks at areas; project management, estimating, risks and issues, and user involvement.
Post-implementation review; how the software meets the requirements. Typically takes place after 'go live' (3-6- months later).
Benefits review; ongoing, started as early as possible. Check if benefits outlined in the business case have been delivered.
Metrics for evaluation; quantifiable; relevant, easy to collect, business objectives, functional fit, reliability, usability, KPIs, SLAs