post implementation assessment: does it really work?

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Post Implementation Assessment — Does it Really Work?

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Page 1: Post Implementation Assessment: Does it really work?

Post Implementation Assessment —

Does it Really Work?

Page 2: Post Implementation Assessment: Does it really work?

Post Implementation Assessment — Does it Really Work?

You spent over a year implementing a new software system for your institution. You breathe a sigh of relief when the project is complete. Now ask yourself, is it really complete? Just because the project is finished does not mean the institution benefits from the outcome.

Another question one needs to ask is, “Did we accomplish what we wanted to achieve?”

Your objective for example, wasn’t to simply install a new software system but also to install a new software system with specific business processes that provide efficiency and high quality results for your institution. The output will be the true measure of your success.

You need to validate and have accountability that your project is performing as designed. Most organizations have very strict deadlines with limited resources to complete projects. In order to meet the deadline, decisions could have been made to imple-ment just the ‘bare bones’ of the system. Although you met the deadline, a post implementation assessment may be needed to explore if there are ‘bells and whistles’ that can be added to your processes to make each more efficient.

Lessons LearnedOne task that is often missed on projects is the “lessons learned phases” of the project. Documenting what you have learned can and will help on the future design of projects.

Communication is the key to all phases of the project but lessons learned can be considered the lock that fits the key in the overall project review.

Measuring SuccessHow can you properly measure a project’s success, and work towards ongoing improvements to enhance your business processes?

The answer is a Post-Implementation Assessment (PIA) also referred to as a Post Implementation Review (PIR). Either will help you answer the following questions:

• Did the project solve the business process we wanted to achieve?

• Can we take advantage of any features we did not implement?

• What lessons did we learn that we can apply to the future?

The Post Implementation Assessment (PIA)The key to a successful PIA is recognizing that the time spent on the project is not over, it is ongoing.

For people within the organization who will be working on similar projects in the future, there is a need to learn as many lessons as possible in order to not repeat the same mistakes. The assessment will also ensure that all departments benefiting from the new project are receiving the proper output.

When do you perform a Post Implementation Assessment? Shortly after the project has been deployed ….BUT

List observations as soon as you see them! You may forget them as time rolls along.

….WAIT long enough after the project is deployed so you can see if the changes took effect.

© 2015 SMART DEVINE; All rights reserved.

Page 3: Post Implementation Assessment: Does it really work?

smartdevine.com 267.670.7300

© 2015 SMART DEVINE; All rights reserved.

All users will need a period of adjustment as it is human nature to resist change. Implementers will need to provide training, communication and updates to provide organiza-tion-wide acceptance.

At SMART DEVINE, our best practice is to wait one full business cycle before beginning an evaluation; whether that cycle is an academic term, academic year or 30 days.

How do you start this review?• Allocate Budget – Be aware of the costs and budget for this process. It will cost time and money to allocate resources to this. Interviews, documentation, and testing recommendations is an investment. Make sure the potential benefits of conducting the assessment is worth the effort put in.

• Define the team – those to be interviewed should include stakeholders, sponsors to end users who implemented the new system/processes.

• Templates – Develop templates for the review to include questions to ask during the interviews, meeting agenda, meeting minutes, testing templates, review deliverables.

• Honesty – Do not penalize those you interview for their truthful feedback. Seed change champions throughout the organization. Challenging the status quo takes courage and their opinions usually provide management with productive feedback.

• Be objective – Describe what has happened in objective terms, and then focus on improvements. Focus on what is failing and make improvements. Do not place blame.

• Document all findings – Document practices and procedures that lead to project successes, and make recommendations for applying them to similar projects in the future. Remember to document project failures too, as to not repeat in the future.

• Embrace Retrospect – “If I only knew then, what I know now…” Pay attention to interview sessions to help develop a way of looking out for ways to avoid pitfalls on future projects.

• Look ahead – Always keep the future in mind. Improvements are ongoing in order to remain competitive.

• Review existing documents – Review the project documents such as the project charter, the project scope, the project plan, identified risks, and the communication plan. This will help you assess the project planning process, as well as the outcomes of the project. You always need to review your basic documents in order to make certain you accomplish what you wanted to achieve.

• Deliver appropriate reports – Report your findings. Remember that the PIA is designed to help the institution conduct more effective projects in the future, as well as to measure and improve the benefits of the specific project being reviewed.

• Present findings – Present the detailed recommendations from the PIA to the organization. Include all stakeholders so each may apply the new found best-practice information on future projects.

After a long project, the last thing many project teams want to do is relive the process and look for ways to improve. Looking at this for future projects will help uncover tips and strategies for improvement. By performing a well-timed PIA you will identify key lessons learned to apply for your organizations’ future endeavors.

SMART DEVINE has over 20 years of experience performing Post Implementation Assessments for process improvement.

Page 4: Post Implementation Assessment: Does it really work?

A c c o u n t i n g T a x A d v i s o r y

© 2015 SMART DEVINE; All rights reserved.

Higher Education Services

Finance, Tax and Accounting • GAAP Audits, A-133 Audits

• Tax – Form 990, state and local, UBIT, financial aid

• Accounting Operations

• Budgeting

• Accounting Outsourcing

• Sponsored Program Compliance

• Endowment Spend & Analysis

• Financial Risk Assessment

Higher Ed Administration • Project Management Office (PMO)

• Business Process Assessments

• Strategic Organization Planning

• Grant Management

• Internal Control Assessments

• Financial Reconciliation and Remediation

• Revenue Management and Compliance

• Strategic Sourcing

Student Services • Student Records and Registration– Academic and Continuing Education

• Accounts Receivable and Bursar Operations

• Recruiting and Admissions

• Financial Aid System and Process Support

• Institutional Research

• Housing and Judicial Management

Information Technology• Assessment and Selection of Technologies

• Conversions and Upgrades

• Database Administration

• Systems Integration and Interfaces

• Enterprise Software Implementation

• IT Strategy

• Packaged Software Enhancements

Reporting • Business Intelligence & Decision Support

• Reporting Strategy and Improvements

• Analytics and Performance Reporting

• Leadership Dashboard Development

• Report Integration with Compliance Requirements such as IPEDS and FERPA

Litigation and Forensics • Internal investigations

• Forensic Accounting

• Fraud/Billing issues

• Expert Witness Testimony

• False Billing Schemes

• Financial Statement Fraud

• Digital Forensics/e-Discovery

• Electronic Data Recovery

Selected Client ExperienceExpert at providing higher education services to colleges, universities and academic medical centers for over twenty-five (25) years:

Smart Devine is a full-service accounting firm offering audit, tax, financial and risk advisory, litigation support, and forensic accounting services to a variety of clients.

SMART DEVINE 1600 Market Street

32nd Floor Philadelphia, PA 19103

[email protected]

MaryLynn A. Kudey, PMP, CSM Higher Education

MaryLynn is a Director at Smart Devine

and has over 30 years of experience

in higher education, with a specific

emphasis on student administration

systems processes and project man-

agement. She conducts training ses-

sions on various aspects of BANNER

product, FERPA, Regulatory Report-

ing such as IPEDS and Clearinghouse

Reporting, and integrated components

of the Human Resources, Alumni,

Financial Aid and Finance products.

For more information, please contact

MaryLynn Kudey at 267.670.7371 or

[email protected]