'Large-Scale' Strategies
John Webster
Heed an implementation pro’s words of wisdom, and you’ll see
that oversized implementation challenge succeed.
With a major PeopleSoft implementation at Dakota State University
under his belt, you could say that Peoplesoft Program Director and Assistant
Professor of Computer Education John Webster knows large-scale enterprise
technology projects inside and out. Current projects include global deployments
of educational-use enterprise software-hosting solutions known as CRESH (cresh.dsu.edu)
for PeopleSoft and GSS for Microsoft (crm.cresh.net).
In addition, Webster owns a commercial software hosting company, CRESH Inc.
(cresh.net), which specializes in hosting PeopleSoft
HR and FIN applications in the small- and mid-market sectors. Webster is also
a computer education professor at Dakota State, hosts a curriculum repository
(oncampus.cresh.net) for 67 schools in 13 countries, and serves on the Academic
Advisory Board for PeopleSoft (www.peoplesoft.com).
10 - Make system security a key part of your project from Day One.
- Security starts inside the firewall and works by layers (hardware, software,
personnel) to the outside.
- Short of unplugging your server, you won’t avoid hacking attempts.
9 - Recognize that project managers make or break projects.
- A good project manager is part pit bull, part Mother Teresa.
- Take people skills over technical skills any day.
8 - Centralize project communications, top down.
- The project manager is responsible for all project communications. Always.
- Communication is not a four-letter word, but the fallout from bad
communication can elicit a string of them.
- Never leave system users guessing—timelines and updates spell success.
7 - Consider everyone’s views on business process planning.
- Bending a system to fit your desires, and vice versa, are time-consuming
and expensive.
- Modifying processes should only be done after a solid business case
is made to authorize the investment.
6 - Remember that in the beginning, no one really understands the scope
of a large IT project.
- Projects are fluid, and large projects ebb and flow like tides.
- Statements of work are more than guidelines, but are not the Holy Grail.
- Building a fully integrated, bulletproof IT system is an expensive
and challenging process.
5 - Getting data from different systems to cooperate with the new system
is a noble, yet frustrating coordination challenge.
- This is where your patience counts and pays off in the long run.
- Quirky bolt-ons are part of life—you must build a system that works
with them.
4 - Enlist seasoned professionals to help develop realistic project
requirements.
- Everyone on the project must know his technical and functional limits.
- Never underestimate the time it takes to update the skills of existing
staff.
- When reviewing quotes on technical requirements or performance,
build in some “we blew it” buffer.
3 - You can never plan enough when it comes to business continuity,
disaster recovery, data security, or resources.
- With consultants, time is money—their time and your money.You’ll
never have more money than they have time.
- The project must walk a fine line between wants and musts,
with the unplanned wants wreaking havoc on budgets and nerves.
2 - Build support for your project from the top down.
- The right mix of business and IT involvement is essential in deploying
a system that will do what was promised.
- You don’t want to run out of support before you run out of project.
1 - Change management is like dancing. Take it one step at a time.
- One person’s new IT system may replace another’s comfy niche.
Change can be scary!
- Change must be beneficial, not just cool.
