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8 Survival Steps for a
Successful M3 Upgrade
Your Guide to a Robust Quality Assurance Process
for an M3 Upgrade
Tim Bower – Original Software
and
Helle Mering - SOSY
Optimizing IT
• Multi-Platform Solutions • Systems Management – Halcyon solutions from HelpSystems
• Data Sharing - Double-Take SHARE from Vision Solutions
• Software TEST Management – Solutions from Original Software
• Software CHANGE Management – Aldon Lifecycle Manager from Rocket
• IBM i Solutions • Performance – GiAPA from iPerformance
• Security – PowerTech solutions from HelpSystems
SOSY Today…
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Vote in this Quick Poll What is your company’s current situation?
1. Migrating to M3
2. Upgrading M3
3. Patching M3
4. Not planning to Upgrade or Patch
5. Discontinuing Use
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Preparation Method
Establish responsibilities, communication and collaboration
Assemble experts
Red Flags Availability, skills gaps
Goals Ensure expertise available for areas of high risk/importance
Best Practice Commitment from key stakeholders
External expertise where appropriate/necessary
Who Project Managers / Business Owners / SMEs
Documentation Establish Knowledge Base repository
Technology Knowledge Base / Resource Management
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Preparation
What do you see as the
biggest challenge in an
ERP upgrade?
Top Challenges
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Evaluation Method
Review: Documentation, Functionality, CEMLIs
Cost/Benefit Analysis
Red Flags Failure to include all stakeholders
Goals Create a ‘watertight’ business case and obtain ‘buy-in’
Best Practice Select the correct project approach
Consider benefits from : New functionality, technology improvements
Who Steering Group, Business SMEs, IT, external consultants
Documentation Project Scope, Impact, Risk Factors
Capture existing business processes
Technology Automated capture of business processes
Analysis of customisations
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Evaluation
Documentation review
Create a watertight business case
Ensure buy in from management
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How well documented are your business processes?
1. Poorly
2. Some documentation, likely out of date
3. Customizations documented, little else
4. Well documented
Vote in this Quick Poll
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Planning Method
Define process, tools and people involved
Ensure project has objectives, new features, customisations and down-time documented
Red Flags No detailed project plan, no ‘Go Live’ checklist defined
Goals Provide clear communication between all stakeholders’
Best Practice Ensure project is formal, company-wide project
Ensure team has broad, complimentary skills
Who PM, Steering Group, IT
Documentation Plan resource requirements and timescales
Create test plan
Technology Common planning solution
Common test repository
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Technical Upgrade Method
Evaluate architecture, create technical upgrade document and perform practice upgrade first
CEMLI retrofit and verify installation
Red Flags Failure to correctly size hardware, failure to perform, performance and load tests
Goals Ensure architecture will support new / upgraded system
Best Practice Regular checkpoints, document lessons learned
Get ‘code current’ and optimise/re-organise the database
Who IT, DBA, Dev, QA, BA
Documentation Capture upgrade task steps, record results of ‘smoke’ tests
Provide stakeholders with visibility of project progress
Technology Automate Upgrade steps
Automate ‘smoke’ tests and other environment validation
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Technical Upgrade
Check if architecture change is required
Calculate hardware sizing requirements
Document lessons learned in the practice upgrade
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Business Validation Method
Conference Room Pilots (CRP), System Integration Test (SIT)
Final User Acceptance Test (UAT)
Red Flags Failure to test all business processes, failure to set test acceptance criteria
Goals Use tooling to facilitate automatic documentation of validation
Best Practice Use each test phase to further tune the upgrade
Enable testers to document their progress, the results of their testing and provide data for user guides
Who PM, key business users, Dev and QA
Documentation Capture proof-of-testing, record test results incorporating evidence of issues
Provide stakeholders with real-time progress updates
Technology Knowledge base and collaboration platform
Automated validation and capture of issues
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Business Validation
Ensure all processes are used in
test cycle
Get functional user buy in
Collect proof-of-testing for audit purposes
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How many Business Users do you expect to involve in
Testing & Validation?
1. Less than 10
2. 10 to 30
3. 31 to 50
4. 50 to 70
5. Over 70
Vote in this Quick Poll
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Adoption Method
Prepare training materials and deliver end-user and IT training
Review new/amended business processes
Red Flags Failure to make all users aware of the new/changed functionality
Goals Create a clear and effective training plan
Best Practice Ensure correct timing for the training of business users
Optimise the training process
Who All system users, trainers
Documentation Repurpose test results to produce training documents
Consider self-help training through videos and documents
Technology Automatically created training documents
Conversion of documents into videos
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Adoption
Ensure all users are aware of new
functionality
Re-purpose tests recorded by
business users to produce
documentation and videos
Ensure correct timing for training
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Go-Live Method
Cut to live and support users
Red Flags Failure to ensure all compliance requirements are met
Goals Create a defensible ‘go’ / ‘no-go’ decision
Best Practice Determine best time to cut over
Use the downtime assessment to plan cut over
Who Steering Group, PM, IT, All Users
Documentation Review outstanding issues and captured test results
Technology Automatically capture production issues
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Post-Live Support Method
Rapid response to user issues
Streamline issue reporting
Red Flags Unclear issue reports
Goals Early capture of issues and fast response to issues
Best Practice Live monitoring of users actions to capture issues immediately
Clear and simple issue logging/management process
Who Support desk, users and SMEs
Documentation Maintain knowledge base for future patches/upgrades
Capture evidence of production issues for speedy resolution
Technology Status and project metrics
Automated capture of production issues
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Post-Live Support
Early and easy capture of issues
Proactive response to users
Clear issue logging/processing
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Total Project Savings
Eliminate risk
Meet business /project
deadlines
Reduce cost by 30%
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Thank you for listening It’s Q & A time….
Please post your questions via the
question panel
origsoft.com/contact | UK +44 (0)1256 338666 | USA +1 630 321 0092 | [email protected]
sosy.dk/index.php/contact | [email protected]
If you would like to receive our 8 Step ERP
Upgrade Best Practice infographic visit:
origsoft.com/8-steps-erp
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Did You Know… You can access great video content that
shows you how our solutions are
challenging the status quo and can be
used by non-technical users.
origsoft.com/contact | UK +44 (0)1256 338666 | USA +1 630 321 0092 | [email protected]
Visit: origsoft.com/quality-assurance-videos