APPULATE IMPLEMENTATIONS

AMAT VICTORIA CURAM (“VICTORY FAVORS THE PREPARED”) Q: Is any System Implementation really “easy”? A: Easy is a relative term, but it helps to be prepared. Q: How does one “properly prepare”? A: That is a more difficult question and one that could take several hours or days of discussion and debate. The best approach for quicker discussion is to look at some basic of all systems implementations.

A QUICK LESSON FROM MY SON True conversation with my son, Ryan: Me: “Why was the back lawn left unfinished” Ryan: “The dog was outside, and the yard was full of poop.” Me: (Frowning) Ryan: “Poop is Brad’s job. Once he does that I will finish the lawn.” Me: “A good PM will check that all preceding tasks are completed.” Ryan: “I’m not perfect and I’m not a grown up. What’s a PM? ?”

COMMONALITIES IN ALL SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATIONS Q: No matter how “simple” the project may seem, there is always a need for what? Planning & Project Management. Even on a “small scale”. Q: What do we mean by this? How Complex is the project? What resources will be needed and will they be available? Budget Constraints? Time Lines – what is the anticipated time frame needed to plan the project through all phases? A “perfect/grown up world” doesn’t always allow for “full preparation”. Choices need to be made

TIMELINES SDLC Models : Initiation -> Planning -> Build -> Test -> Deploy Reality: Initiation/Scoping -> Planning -> Requirements -> Design -> Develop/Build -> Test-> Deploy (Implement/Train) -> Close

TIMELINES – APPULATE METHODOLOGY

TIMELINE CONSIDERATIONS Q: What Can Impact timelines ? A: In a “perfect/grown up world”… Design: Business Requirements Documents (BRDs) - These documents and process flows will be very important for testing and verification. - Who will document the requirements and desired processes? - What are the desired affects? Are they realistic? Do they need modification? Gaps? Are there “work around” solutions or does the system require modification/custom programming? - Customization: What is the effort? Does the effort/cost outweigh the gap? - Configuration: Are their functions that can be adjusted with configuration?

TIMELINE CONSIDERATIONS Q: What are some other considerations ? A: In a “perfect/grown up world”… Integration: Do multiple systems need to share data with each other? - Who are the subject matter experts on these systems? - Is data exchange readily available, or is additional work needed? Testing: Time spent to test the solution to ensure it supports the processes and requirements. - Who will do the testing in conjunction with the requirements? Training & Deployment: Time spent to roll out the new solution to the users in a live environment. - Communication Plan & Impact on daily work processes & users.

GETTING THERE “Everything will be OK in the end. If it is not okay, then it is not the end”. ~ Ed Sheeran It is prudent to anticipate a learning curve/acclimation period. Do not expect everything to be exact coming out of the gate. “Perfection is an opinion.” ~ Unknown

LESSONS LEARNED Prepare as much as possible. Actually using the system in a test mode, or pilot mode is very beneficial. - This is especially helpful when trying something completely new and unsure. - This is also the best way to find weaknesses in the process or requirements. When working on required questions, don’t forget to think about carrier requirements. Sometimes it is best to work backwards. Let us load your agents for you. It helps speed up preparation for roll out. Let us help with training. Internal and external users (i.e.; agents). Using Support: The best way to communicate with the support team is with enough detail to set them the correct path for any issues you are dealing with. We have received several great suggestions for system enhancements and we continue to look at adding some of them to the mix.

LESSONS LEARNED – WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU 1. What Frequency of meetings/communications would you suggest? 2. What can we do to make the Agent rollout Process Better?