This document discusses the challenges of global projects and success factors. Some challenges include cultural differences, languages, business practices, and time zones across countries. Success requires disciplined planning, thorough risk assessment, engagement of all locations, understanding that the front end is global but back end local, and extensive testing. Key factors are detailed dynamic plans, clear milestones, buffer time, 24/7 support during deployment, exhaustive contact lists, and post implementation support.
2. • Speaker introduction
• Challenges of Global Projects
• Success Factors:
• Development
• Implementation
• Post Implementation
• Questions
3. • Cultural differences
• Different native languages
• Business practices
• Time zones
• Working hours
• Client business cycles
• Multilingual applications
• Interfaces with back end systems
7. Country M T W T F S S
India
UAE
Iran
China (prior to golden weeks)
Lebanon
Western Europe
Saudi Arabia (before 2013)
8. • Year end close
• December – Traditional
• March – Japan
• September – Tech/ Last calendar quarter impact
• Quarterly close
• Public Holidays
• Islam: Eid el Fitr, Adha
• China/South East Asia: Lunar New Year
• Iran: Nowruz
• China: Golden Weeks
• India: Divali
• Western Europe: Easter, Year End
10. • Disciplined project planning
• Thorough assessment of the risk
• Risk will vary from location to location
• Actively engage all impacted locations
• The front end may be global but the back end is local
• De-scope what is not necessary
• Be realistic about your ability to deliver
• Plan at a very detailed level
• Understand the critical path and the linkages
• Focus on the key deliverables
• Test and test and test
• Do as many dress rehearsals as you need and can.
• Only sign off if everything has passed in dress rehearsal.
• Don’t hesitate to call off the go live date.
• Always conduct root cause analysis and post-mortem
• Be disciplined about team meetings at all levels:
• Working Group
• Steering Committees
• Ask the right questions
11. • Detailed dynamic D-Day plans
• Test plans during dress rehearsals
• Clear critical path
• Clear Go/No Go milestones
• Give yourself buffer time
• Create a 24 hours command centre for the duration of the deployment
• Staff with at least 2 persons
• Create an exhaustive list of contact details for all participants/stakeholders
• Keep rollback in mind at all times
• Evaluate time backwards
• Be dictatorial about updates from the execution teams.
• Don’t be shy about escalating
• Include all stakeholders in go/no go decisions
• Post implementation support