Week 5

Q.2 Provide examples of events that you think may trigger alterations in a work plan. What would the consequences of such events be?

According to Sumner (2005 p.114) there are many events that may trigger alterations and consequences in a work plan. Work plans may be termed as various detailed activities that are defined to deliver a project/ program of work. The work plan has allocated resources, timelines and milestones and is typically developed around the project size, scope, resources and budget and considers technological, organisational and people risks. Time is money and changes in scope, budget and project manager/s are likely to trigger alterations to a work plan. Listed as follows, is a mixture of technological, social and organisational theories that may potentially alter a work plan.

• Resources without capabilities that match the nature of the work may cause over expenditure which causes inefficiencies to deliver on time and estimated budget in accords with the work plan.
• Skilled resources that are scarce or unavailable due to other assigned or priority activities may cause continuity setbacks in alignment with the milestones of a work plan.
• The project manager fails to track, follow up and communicate to each responsible person/ position their deliverable in the work plan. The consequence in not doing will delay the project or may even result in project failure.
• If the project is not scoped out by the right stakeholders at the business case or project management plan stage, (e.g. an information technology project with business definitions gaps), subsequently the work plan to implement the system may not be successful at post implementation and consequently not deliver on the business planned benefits.
• User Acceptance Testing (UAT) plan gaps, poor interpersonal skills or un-encountered issues may cause timeline delays for systems go live due date in accords with the work plan.
• Unexpected volatile systems performance may cause timing delays and lack of qualitative benefits.
• Software bugs may cause incorrect output or even project failure.
• Work plans that do not include top management and steering committee member’s commitment for monitoring scope changes and/ or concerning issues or causes may prevent the project from finishing as scheduled.
• Each phase or stage of a project’s expenditure may exceed budgeted costs that trigger a review of scope, methodologies, resources and time needed to get the project on back on track.
• ERP software installed in modules may experience time delays with implementing the business processes if the employees have not received sufficient training of the software and consequently overlap work deliverables.
• Technology issues such as poor project specifications, for example, changes to systems code in one business area may put another business areas at risk if the flow-on of interfaces are unknown by the systems developer. (i.e. changing a vanilla ERP package to suit the organisation, legacy systems may cause future upgrades complexity).
• Equipment needed, at the last minute is found to only be available off shore (e.g. a data centre suppliers not available in Australia to host Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software) and consequently may cause time delays due to privacy laws, standards, policies and funding, resources and risks that need to be further analysed and considered by the steering committee and top management.
• Social issues such as poor leadership, people management, communication and relationships with stakeholders/ users have consequences that will cost the organisation time. The costs will eventually exceed budget and the risk of failure becomes more than likely.
• Too many frameworks and inconsistent methodologies that are followed as part of achieving the milestones in a workplan cause confusion and are time wasters. For example an organisation may have too many frameworks to understand and follow, that perhaps should be business processes following one (1) overarching framework using generic methodologies that follow applicable quality standards and align to strategic priorities. There may be different business areas of the organisation that have different variations of templates collecting the same information and the designs are unfamiliar to each other.

References

Lozinsky, S 1998, Enterprise-wide software solutions: integration strategies and practices, 1st edn, Addison Wesley, Reading.

Sumner, M 2005, Enterprise Resource Planning, 1st edn, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.

Have a look at assignment 3. The purpose of this assignment is to provide a case study report. Provide a rough skeleton (dot point form if you wish) of what you are going to put in the main body of your report. You should make clear what the problem is and also outline what the options are.

• 3.1 Need for Change.


• 3.1.1 Business Capability.


• 3.1.2 Server Market Provision.


• 3.1.3 Information Needs, Strategic Resource Planning Requirements.


• 3.1.4 ICT Capability.
• 3.2 Desired Outcomes.


• 3.2.1 Goal
  The best organisation in the world.
  Operational Readiness


• 3.2.2 Enterprise Resource Planning
  Definition of an ERP is….


• 3.2.3 Vision.

The network as the platform for life’s experiences

• 3.2.4 Innovative Business Capability
  Foundation for improved business processes, efficiency gains…


• 3.2.5 Innovative Information Capability

Planning imperatives and real time relevant information for decision makers.

DISCUSSION
Motivation and driver for change
Aims to supports conclusion and recommendations.

• 4.1 Options and Scope
  
• 4.1.1 Options Analysis
  
• 4.1.1.1 Do nothing
  Remain with the current ERP, legacy and other systems
  
• 4.1.1.2 Evaluation of the existing ERP
  
• 4.1.1.3 Upgrade existing core systems
  Best of Breed system
  
• 4.1.1.4 Implement an ERP solution
  A new ERP system, taking into account the learnings from the last ERP implementation
  
• 4.1.1.5 Cost comparison options
  
• 4.1.1.6 Re-engineering verses Customisation
  Develop an ERP system to suit the business needs

• 4.2 Proposed Scope
  
• 4.2.1 In Scope
  
• 4.2.1.1 Project and change management
  
• 4.2.1.2 Initiation activities
  
• 4.2.1.3 Procurement activities
  
• 4.2.1.4 Implementation initiatives

• 4.2.2 Out of Scope

• 4.3 Strategic Alignment
  
• 4.3.1 Strategic Priorities
  
• 4.3.2 Alignment of the businesses to Cisco’s Company Plan

• 4.4 Information, Communication, Technology (ICT) Alignment and Impact
  
• 4.4.1 Resource and Cost Estimates
  Consultants
  
• 4.4.2 Technology Details
  
• 4.4.3 Strategic Alignment
  
• 4.4.4 ICT Portfolio Management Committee
  
• 4.4.5 Re-engineering

• 4.5 Capacity
  
• 4.5.1 Business Area Impacts
  
• 4.5.2 Links and Interdependencies
  
• 4.5.3 Capability

• 4.6 Value Profile
  
• 4.6.1 Background to Benefits Realisation Plan & List of Benefits
  
• 4.6.2 Maximising return on investments (ROI)
  
• 4.6.3 Strategies for the realisation of benefits
  
• 4.6.4 Performance Measures & Expected Outcomes
  
• 4.6.5 Risks and Issues
  Business continutiy
  Contingency
  Security
  Controls
  
• 4.6.6 Cost Estimate
  
• 4.6.6.1 Estimated Project Costs and Benefits
  
• 4.6.6.2 Cost Assumptions
  Ongoing annual costs

• 4.7 Critical Factors
  
• 4.7.1 ERP Successes
  
• 4.7.2 ERP Failures
  
• 4.7.3 Current Trends
  
• 4.7.3 Lessons Learned

• 4.8 The Macro Environment
  
• 4.8.1 Cultural
  
• 4.8.2 Political
  
• 4.8.3 Economic
  
• 4.8.4 Technological
  
• 4.8.5 Challenges & Outcomes
  

COMPANY PLAN

POLICIES
Identify relevant policies

BUDGET/FUNDING
Available budget allocation

COMPLIANCE

PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

TIMING
Customisation

STAKEHOLDER IMPACTS

MANAGEMENT SUPPORT

Cisco Systems Inc. 2009, Cisco 2009 Annual Report, Cisco Systems, viewed 4 December 2009,
http://www.cisco.com/web/about/ac49/ac20/about_cisco_annual_reports.html

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