System Integration
By Rod Hutchings MAppSc MAIPM MACS RegPM(MPD)
System integration is all about bringing together various disparate components to address your business automation needs. A focus on the integration of people, processes and technology to implement the right IT system that will support your business goals will ensure your IT project is completed on time and on budget.
Let's look at how we would approach an IT infrastructure integration project, for example, installing a new client/server network to support a new financial management application.
Managing the Risks
To ensure customers have
complete confidence a proven process which eliminates guesswork and
manages the risk and variables common in IT projects is required. Many
IT products and services offered are new and untried. The process for
implementing and managing them need not be.
To introduce the levels of certainty business demand, a complete systems integration methodology for open systems and client/server environments is an integral part of a successful IT project.
A Successful Project is Well Managed
The reasons
for IT Project Management are the same as for any Management. If you
are going to spend or invest a sum of money, you want to make sure that
it is spent or invested in a way which you trust. In the Information
Technology area, the need for good management of resources and
expenditure is exacerbated by the perception of the 'high costs'
involved.
Having good management in place reduces the risks of an IT project turning into a 'bad thing'. Risks of unexpected additional expenditure to achieve your goal, too many resources being put into the project and wasting valuable time, or lesser quality components being substituted 'as the client will never know' and the usually critical risk of timing.
Project Managers carry responsibility for getting the job done, on time, with the designated resources or else having good business reasons why not ! It is the knowledge of alternative solutions, options, planning and fiscal control combined with people and management skills that they bring to the client.
Planning the Right System
Part of the
responsibility of the project manager is to work with the client to
gain a clear understanding of the business requirements. The Plan Phase
ensures that all the business requirements for a project are well
understood and that they are communicated to everyone involved. The
Plan Phase also identifies the risks in a project. Workshops and
interviews are a key component of the planning process and can include:
needs analysis
project definition workshop
scope of work
quality planning
audit
risk analysis
tender preparation
Designing the Best System
The Design Phase is
focused on the technical and contractual side of a project. It
minimises the technical risks to a project by ensuring all
configurations and technical designs are subject to a full Technical
Assurance review. It is during the Design Phase of a project that the
systems integrator will work with its clients to agree the Acceptance
Criteria used to judge and sign-off the system on completion. During
the Design Phase any user training requirements are documented and a
Training plan agreed, The Design Phase can involve:
functional requirements specification
product evaluation and recommendation
technical specification
benchmarking
piloting
Building the Preferred System
The Build Phase
sees all the components of the system brought together in a state that
can be tested prior to installation. Testing all the equipment is an
important quality assurance step. Before the system can be delivered,
it must have all software and applications loaded to ensure successful
delivery the first time. The Build Phase can involve:
cabling
hardware configuration
software installation and configuration
hot staging
site preparation
integration
migration
conversion
development
Delivering a Working System
The Delivery Phase
sees the full implementation of the system, including the completion
and handing over of any documentation and the completion of the
necessary training according to the plan. It is during the
implementation of the system that the Support Plan is developed to
ensure that the maximum business return from the investment is
realised. The final step in the Delivery Phase is the testing and
sign-off of the completed system. Delivery Phase tasks can include
testing
documentation
support plan development
training
The deliverable from this phase is an implementation that is in production and being effectively utilised.
Supporting the New System
The Support phase
ensures that the solution is fully supported, ensuring the right cover
and service levels are in place for each component. During this
on-going phase the client in partner with the systems integrator look
at ways to gain the maximum productivity from the system and plan for
growth and for refinement as the potential of the system is better
understood. Tasks can include:
facilities management
national response centre
repair and maintenance
network services
remote management centre
asset management
skills transfer
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