Successful Management Of Change Programmes Solution Alignment (April 2007)

The Successful Management of Change Programmes Solution alignment

Solution alignment

This presentation is designed to provide a set of principles and guidelines for ensuring solutions are aligned to business goals and support the business within large, complex programmes

Topics covered:

Why we need to align solutions

Business led design

Developing a total business solution

Using an iterative and interactive process

Role based work procedures

Why do we need to align solutions?

Solutions don’t deliver any benefit unless they are aligned to business objectives

Technology in particular has to not only fit business needs but also be usable to deliver benefit

If a system isn’t fit for purpose, it won’t get used

If a system isn’t easy to operate, it won’t get used

If the users don’t know how to do their jobs with a new system, it won’t be used

Don’t assume people can work it out – they just want to get their job done. If it’s not obvious when they first start using the system, they will revert to old systems, spreadsheets or whatever works for them…..

Many systems are either ignored or are used, but not to the full potential

Some systems make things worse rather than better – ineffective operation and workarounds increase workload and decrease productivity

Significant Investment is wasted as benefits aren’t realised and expensive on-going development or improvements are required

Principles for Solution Alignment

Have clear business objectives and know what benefits you are hoping to achieve. Refer to them constantly throughout the design – use them as a beacon.

Look at the total business context for the system. The system will be operated by people, in roles with targets and measures, within an organisation fulfilling a business process. Know what impact the system will have on all of these areas.

Get target users involved in the design. Empower them to make good choices for the business. Make the process iteractive.

Iterate the design. It’s hard for the business to fully understand the technology and vice versa. Be prepared to iterate through the design 2 or 3 times to remove ambiguity.

Wherever possible show people the system (even if it’s only a few screens) – it helps people to visualise the potential and also how they can work with it. This will work far better than written specifications.

Don’t wait years to deliver a big bang solution. Deliver functionality regularly in drops. This proves and embeds one part of the system before the next piece is delivered.

Avoid bespoking if possible. Try to find technology solutions that work for the business within the scope of the package.

Take the design right down to the role level. Define new procedures at the role level. Know how they will do their work with the new system, what new targets or measures they will have, what new skills are required, what new behaviours are required and how they fit inside the organisation.

Business led design T otal business solution Iterative & interactive process Role based work procedures

Business led design: Guidelines

Ensure you have clear business objectives, business case and scope before you start.

Identify business issues and opportunities during AS-IS analysis

Use Root cause and consequence analysis. Analyse issues and opportunities and to identify the business impact of any solution options.

Ruthlessly eliminate any solution options that do not match business objectives or provide business benefit.

Revisit objectives and benefits throughout every stage of the design.

Business led design: Using Six Sigma to align solutions and deliver business benefit

Business led design: key steps Business Case AS IS analysis Issues Opportunities Impact Analysis Solution development Solution Implementation Business Objectives TO BE development Context & focus Context & focus Identified performance gap

Required benefits

Performance gap

Problems identified Root cause & consequence analysis Opportunities identified Solution options based on required benefits & objectives Compare post implementation performance with baseline – validate business case Context & focus Solution items delivering business benefit Six Sigma provides a rigorous approach for all of these steps

Developing a total business solution: Guidelines

Start by examining the business processes – this helps to keep focus on the business and provides a framework to discuss systems, roles, structure etc.

Find out who does what, why, when and how.

Show what happens with the system and show information flows where possible.

Start high level and build both layers of detail and different views. For each process build a system and information view, a people and structure view as well as process steps.

Review the total picture for each process. Does the solution fulfil the business objectives and meet the business needs? What is the impact of this solution on: culture, work/process, people and structure?

Analyse the solution impacts and develop a plan to mitigate against them.

Developing a total business solution: What you need to consider

Organisation of work

How tasks are divided by role

Degree of hierarchy

Interfaces between organisational units

Control systems

Monitoring of work

Delegated authorities

Compliance with GRIP

Audit requirements

Fit to business requirements

Systems architecture

Information architecture

Availability, integrity & confidentiality

Capacity planning

Capability

Current Skills, Required skills, gap analysis

Resourcing/roles

Numbers req’d & types, recruitment

Development planning

for individuals

For teams

Metrics

objectives, measures & incentives

Business processes

Work done by role

Regulatory requirements

Work instructions

Mandated activities

How to use systems to complete work

Updated Contracting requirements/ T&C’s

Behaviours

New behaviours required

Leadership behaviours to achieve required goals

Values

What is valued?

What is Rewarded/punished?

Symbols

to highlight what is valued

Power structures

Core beliefs of leaders

Where does the real power lie/how do things really get done?

Strategy

Vision

Guiding concepts

Objectives

Metrics e.g. EV, MBR, Performance baseline

Structure Culture People Work/ Process Info. & Systems

Using an interactive and iterative Process: Guidelines

Bring the process to life. Have a dedicated project room and put working material on the walls for the design team and others to review.

Use Low tech. materials – paper, post-it notes etc. to build pictures of the future that people can understand.

Review processes and technology interactively – capture information as you go.

Encourage constructive review and constantly check for understanding.

Encourage rapid prototyping/demonstrations to explore the possibilities.

Iterate but don’t prevaricate. With each iteration focus and agree key requirements. These can be re-visited, but don’t make the process open-ended – be clear decisions need to be made.

Iteration doesn’t mean slowing down the process. Planned and well managed workshops, prototyping sessions or Conference Room Pilots are highly productive and faster than traditional meetings and paper specifications.

Interactive and iterative Process: approach

Fast Track environment:

Dedicated project room

Visual, low tech pictures of the future developed with the business and solutions specialists

Rapid prototyping/ tailoring to explore possibilities

Works towards common understanding of possibilities & implications

Refined/clearer view of requirements

Gives a detailed business and technology view of the new system and how it will operate and support the business. This will enable clear identification of requirements, options, costs and benefits and therefore value for money. Low tech, visual methods facilitate common understanding and process definition with stakeholders and combined with rapid prototyping/tailoring will enable the solution definition and design process to be ‘fast tracked’. Transition Planning Prototype/ Demonstrator development System Build Requirements, options, costs and benefits Development of detailed working practices

Current Process analysis

Improvements and opportunities identified (including existing requirements)

Future principles for the Network Rail project lifecycle process (incorporating G.R.I.P.)

Business representation across the process

Definition of the future that includes:

End-to-end project lifecycle process

Cut of process across function and job role

Inputs, outputs and functions/flow performed by the system

Associated objectives, metrics and benefits

and evolution Solution definition

Role based work procedures: Guidelines

Drill down into the detail – define processes at a step by step level.

Define who (job role) will do each step.

Define clearly the responsbilities for every job involved in the process.

Understand what will be required to fulfil these responsibilities i.e. What informtion, reports, forms, authorisations are required

Review the new responsibilities against the job description – does this solution change their job? Consider the objectives, measures, deadlines and expectations of that job role – does it match those of the solution.