OBJECTIVE

In this phase, the system or system modifications are installed and made operational in a production environment. The phase is initiated after the system has been tested and accepted by the user and Project Manager. Activities in this phase include notification of implementation to end users, execution of the previously defined training plan, data entry or conversion, and post implementation review. This phase continues until the system is operating in production in accordance with the defined user requirements.

TASKS AND ACTIVITIES

Tasks and activities in the implementation phase are …

1.  Notify users of new implementation

The implementation notice should be sent to all users and organizations affected by the implementation. Additionally, it is good policy to make internal organizations not directly affected by the implementation aware of the schedule so that allowances can be made for a disruption in the normal activities of that section. The notice includes:

• The schedule of the implementation;
• a brief synopsis of the benefits of the new system;
• the difference between the old and new system;
• responsibilities of end user affected by the implementation during this phase; and
• the process to obtain system support, including contact names and phone numbers.

2.  Execute training plan

It is always a good business practice to provide training before the end user uses the new system.

3.  Perform data entry or conversion

With the implementation of any system, typically there is old data which is to be included in the new system. This data can be in a manual or an automated form. Regardless of the format of the data, the tasks in this section are two fold, data input and data verification. When replacing a manual system, hard copy data will need to be entered into the automated system. Some sort of verification that the data is being entered correctly should be conducted throughout this process. This is also the case in data transfer, where data fields in the old system may have been entered inconsistently and therefore affect the integrity of the new database. Verification of the old data becomes imperative to a useful computer system.

One of the ways verification of both system operation and data integrity can be accomplished is through parallel operations. A parallel operation consists of running the old process or system and the new system simultaneously until the new system is certified. In this way if the new system fails in any way, the operation can proceed on the old system while the bugs are worked out.

4.  Install System

To ensure that the system is fully operational, install the system in a production environment.

5.  Conduct post-implementation review

After the system has been fielded a post-implementation review is conducted to determine the success of the project through its implementation phase. The purpose of this review is to document implementation experiences to recommend system enhancements and provide guidance for future projects.