What are the questions you might ask when starting a 9.1 implementation for Core HR? Everyone has a questionaire stuffed away somewhere that was used in a former project. Some of us have several. In the next few posts, I will provide some of the initial questions I use when trying to get some high level information from my clients. Please feel free to comment and add your ideas as that is what makes this site valuable. Contributions that are longer than comments may be submitted for consideration. Though these questions are pertinent to a PeopleSoft Implementation, many could be used for other applications as well.

What might be some of the over arching questions that must be asked at the beginning of an implementation and what are some of the things you want your project team thinking about as they start on their adventure into implementation? Certainly a knowledge of the organizational structure is critical to understanding how the system might support the organization. Also, this is a time for looking hard at the organizational structure to envision where changes might make it more effective or integrated.

In terms of process your team members must have the ability to conceptualize and verbalize what they envision as the future state. Who will be doing what in the new process, what are the roles going to look like as the organization moves into the future? Where are the boundaries in the process? Is there a boundary between recruitment and workforce administration? Are they different systems which would require an interface? Where do processes begin and end?
What are the pre and post conditions? For example, after a termination there are actions that must be taken such as Cobra communication. This would be a post condition of the termination process.
Finally what are the business rules that must be followed in the process and are there any government regulations that will impact the way the process is implemented?

Wow, that seems like a lot of information and yet it is only a small part of the information that you must gather during project initiation.

What might be some Points of Discussion that you want your team to consider?
Investigate their pain points in the current process and how they might want to change that going forward? On every project there are pain points in the process such as dual data entry, manual processes, hand delivery rather than electronic. I am sure you can add to this list.
Are there points in the process that could be eliminated? Would automated workflow improve the efficiency of the process? If so, how and where would workflow be critical?

Are there manual processes that you would like to have supported by the system? Again, analyzing the process often uncovers areas that are still being especially where there are hand offs in the process or boundaries to cross.

Finally, what changes are most frightening in the organization? Uncover the areas of fear and trepidation and communicate the value of the new system. Enlist change agents to carry the positive message forward to the entire organization. Where are the pockets of resistance most apparent?

These are just a few of the overarching questions and concerns at the beginning of an implementation. In future blogs, discussion will center on the questions you might use in your initial questionaires.

Please comment and contribute as we all can benefit from the insight of others. Read the rest of this entry »

 

The requirements are in place but often not well understood.  The project is ready to go and it is necessary to gather information for the blueprint.  Who has a template for a Blueprint?  Seems they are all quite different and each application has many versions.  There are Blueprint’s that are completed in Excel and those that become incredibly long, profuse documents.  Personally, the excel works for me because it seems to be more efficient. 

Gathering information for the Blueprint requires reviewing all the requirements.  Just as you draw up blueprints for building a house, it is necessary to draw up blueprints for an implementation.  Who will manage the project, who will design, build, and ensure requirements are being met?  Much as you look at building construction with its myriad sub-contractors, you can translate that approach to building an implementation. 

Questionnaires help to gather information to help understand what will be built, the timing and how the process will work at a high level.  The implementation that is the 9.1 PeopleSoft implementation is using questionnaires for Core HR, Benefits/Ben Admin, Payroll, Time and Labor to establish some fundamental information that will be used not only in the blueprint, but also in the process as it is drilled down, the design, the build, the testing, the training and in the quality assurance to ensure the requirements are met. 

Finding the questionnaires and adding information is much more difficult than a visit to google search.  Questionnaires become specific to an organization where you are working.  Is the project in a commercial, public sector, or education sector?  Currently I am seeking a questionnaire template for Pension so any help that anyone can provide would be greatly appreciated.  If you are in need of questionnaires, leave a comment and we can exchange some information.

What have you heard about PeopleSoft 9.1?

Some information that has been gathered includes some facts:

It is the third release since the acquisition

It has 1350 new features approximately

It has 28,000 or more page enhancements

It has Web 2.0 Capabilities

Approximately 300 new web services

And a large number of industry specific enhancements

Like many new releases, there is a new look and feel to the product. You still have the My Favorites area and in addition there is a recently used area on the menu.  In addition the navigation menu is only visible when pulled down.

9.1 also includes mouse over functionality on the menus.  In going through some of the changes and talking with clients one of the features they seem very happy with is the ability to use zoom grids for more working space with drag and drop, grid scrolling and column locking capability.  The grids are also sortable.

Some of the other items include an updated style sheet, a rich text editor, mouse-over pop ups as mentioned previously and an instant message capability with Yahoo and Beehive.

Some other features include out of the box role-based dashboards and reports.  The fact that it uses PeopleSoft  security is not a change.

There are some nice HR analytics dashboards including: workforce profile, Recruitment, Leave and Absence, Learning Management (a favorite mine), HR Performance, Compensation, Retention and Workforce Development.  Some of these are new and some enhanced.

So why would you want to upgrade?  Well, if you are on 8.8 you are going to have to get extended support which certainly is a financial reason to upgrade.  Others are increasing the effectiveness of your workforce by ensuring compensation rewards top performers and you have pay for performance capabilities.  Making sure that you have a strong pipeline for key talent is critical to any organization and maintaining this internally is a cost saving for recruitment.  Nine one will provide executives with the ability to make better informed decisions with metrics available.    Eliminating interfaces could reduce IT expenses and eliminating customizations during the upgrade usually results in cost savings and additional efficiency.

Some links that will provide additional information include:

http://www.oracle.com/education

Http://www.oracle.com/pls/psft/homepage

http://www.oracle.com/applications/peoplesoft-information-portal.html

If you are interested in some great decision trees, read this article from Gartner, it is packed with good information and would be helpful in deciding if you want to go to 9.1.

When customers are planning a new installation of PeopleSoft, Gartner suggest to implement version 9.0. “Gartner believes that v.9.1 will be released during 2H09, but most customers will not want to be the first to take on a new release. If you need the newest functionality right away (such as compensation management or succession management in HCM), then implement v.9.1 as soon as is practical for your organization. If you don’t need the new functionality, then implement v.9.0 until v.9.1 has more market traction and proof points, which Gartner expects within 12 to 18 months of release.”

Read the full article.

Source: Gartner (July 2009)

This year Oracle released new versions of PeopleSoft (8.50) and Applications (9.1). Will customers start upgrading to 9.1 in 2010? If customers follow Gartner they will wait. My opinion is that the evolution steps between the PeopleSoft versions aren’t that big. Loads of fixes, patches, bundles and maintenance packs from previous versions have been included in this new release. Big functional changes haven’t been made in 9.1. The risk between upgrading to 9.0 or upgrading to 9.1 isn’t that big. If your customers are multi language users, you might want to consider the upgrade to 9.1 as it is unclear when the language pack will become available.

Do you have the Deltas?  Have you started implementing 9.1?  Add Comments or follow RSS.

Continuing to read the Cluetrain Manifesto and finding great insight into organizations. A big clue that is mentioned is that top down organizations are dysfunctional and counterproductive. Look at the organization you are working in and determine if it is an organization where communication is open or controlled. “Do not contact that person”, “don’t send that email”, “never call anyone that is higher in the food chain “….dysfunction at its finest. People throughout the organization top to bottom often have very valuable information and much more valuable than the “control freaks”. Remember too that listening is a very important communication tool as is assimilation.

Putting down the Cluetrain and listening to the morning news brought forth another enlightening concept. A camel is a horse that was developed by committee. Any team has to have a leader and if everyone is the leader you will have a beautiful Camel. This does not mean the leader has to be “Controlling” because that is NOT true leadership. They do have to lead the team in the direction of the results expected and provide guidance and direction while listening to suggestions. It is so easy to put together a group that goes off in every direction believing that each of them are the “in charge” person. If you are building a Camel…look around and find a leader, or be one!

Going through many books during a recent move, the cluetrain manifesto surfaced. Having read it before it seemed apparent it had been saved for a reason. Reading back through the 95 theses in the beginning provides 95 reasons for a re-read. The theses apply at different times but some of my favorites include things like the org chart today is hyperlinked not the old pyramid. There are those who would like to maintain that heirarchy as it provides them with “secrets” and “power”, but it will be short lived in a hyperlinked organization.

Command and control are outdated and just enhance bereaucracy and power as well as a culture of paranoia. Don’t talk to the CEO as it will only result in TMI for them. Don’t skip levels in the heirarchy or power will be lost to your superior. Hah, and Dah, these no longer apply. Most communication failures can be traced to command and control.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but employees want access to corporate information and not just in a brochure or an annual report. Employees want to know what the strategy is, where the corporation is going, the mission and results. How do they fit in the corporate culture and how many ways are they contributing to the results.

Cluetrain points out a new kind of organizational conversation between and among workers. The conversation is making them smarter and more productive. Isn’t it time for your organization to join the conversation?

W. Clement Stone said “Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity.” Courage, truth, the right thing and living your life with integrity. Are we doing this in our business and professional lives as we struggle with a difficult market. Are you still as responsive to your clients? Are you still meeting obligations to employees or applicants with integrity?

Many consultants express frustration with sending resumes that seem to go into a black hole and they never get a response. It is important that recruiters understand that even with many, many applicants, it is important to respond to them whether the response is positive or negative.

Employers may have made promises they find impossible to keep when finances aren’t available to meet bonus or salary increases. Integrity is either meeting those obligations or communicating with the employees to ensure they remain confident in the integrity of the company executives. Often this is not the case and the employee is left wondering and waiting for promises to be kept. The longer they wait the less confidence they have in the company or executives and begin to look for other opportunities. Given the market conditions, it is still very costly to replace good employees who contribute to the success of a corporation.

Integrity involves honesty and trust. You must work together as a team and reward team members for their work. Do not reward manipulative behaviors or those individuals who are political in assuming credit. Finally, respect each other and always be honest with yourself. Do you meet obligations? Achieve results? Give credit to others? Meet commitments? Respond and communicate? You will find answers to Integrity in a down market in the answers to those questions. A friend on facebook wrote: “always check (and review) your motives and expectations. If they’re from love and caring, then it’s all good. If they’re from self-interest, it’ll blow up in your face…every time.” Be sure your motives are based on Integrity.

How will the project be administered?

Projects need to have a governance model and the project team needs to understand the model and agree to work within it’s construct.

How this activity works:
By reviewing the standards of the methodology you are using.  Will it be Compass, Rational, or some similar project methodology.  Many groups are looking to Agile to implement or upgrade faster. This might be a good methodology if your technical team is also solid in understanding the functionality associated with the application.
Reporting relationships will be identified and how status reporting will take place is important to the success of your project.  Do you have a status report template so all reporitng is consistent.

Determine status reporting responsibilities
 How often will you require status reports? Daily? Weekly by team rolled up once a month by Project Manager?  Discussed at weekly meetings?
 What is the format or template that will be used for your status report?  How can you determine at a quick glance the status of the project.
 Who should receive the status reports? How will they be distributed, posted?
• Define project filing system/repository or project diary to maintain all information in a central location.
• Determine meeting schedules and format
• Determine issue resolution procedures
• Determine change request procedures
• Determine configuration management procedures
• Determine quality review procedures
 how often
 who will perform
 what will they review

Management Procedures

Objective
To determine the tools for tracking the project and how we will measure progress and budget
Overview
How this activity works:
This discussion is about the collection of input, processing and reporting of project information and what tools will be used for these activities.  Examples such as Excel, Project, Word, Powerpoint for progress presentations (standard project template, logos etc..

It begins with the your methodology standard as a “straw man”.
Additional Materials
Distribute methodology standards

Activity to follow last post:

How this activity works:

Review the Roles and Responsibilities outcome chart for:

· Major issues

· Items that need further work:

§ Skills development

§ Additional backfill

§ Alternate resources (third party, higher skill level)

The result of this activity will be changes to the roles and responsibilities chart, or affirmation that former discussions were accurate.

Moving on, or in the words of that all to famous movie: Move it, move it, move it…..

How will Success be Defined?

This is the next activity for group discussions and activities.

Objective

At the conclusion of this activity the team will develop the five to ten performance measures that they will recommend to management as the criteria by which this project will be measured. These measurements should support the project’s objectives and provide high level direction to all project activities and tasks.

How this activity works:

This activity is done as a single group. The group will discuss which factors are critical to the success of the project.  Using the 10 to 15 factors that were developed in the discussion, have the team evaluate the pros and cons of each of the proposed measurements.

The team needs to explore the possibility that for any existing project measure its value may be different now than it was when it was first used due to changing business conditions.

Once the initial performance measures have been compiled in a list, the activity leader will give each person a copy of the compiled list.

Each team member will rank the performance measures as to its importance to the company. Once everyone has completed the activity, the totals and averages should be calculated for each measurement. The top five become the team’s performance measurements. Then ask the team how they feel about the top five as it relates to their own function and provide opportunities for small group and large group discussion.  Each team member should be prepared to rank the team’s priorities and to establish how that fits with their priorities for the project or the priorities of their department.  Ask each team member to discuss how the measurements will relate to their function on the team, and in the organization.

What will a deliverable look like?

I am sure you can think of many more items for this list and your teams will surprise you with their contributions.

Let’s talk about some of the roles that you might want to consider for your project.  Depending on the size of the project, you may or may not need all of the roles but someone will have to assume the responsibilities.

Client Executive:  The client executive is responsible for the overall relationship with the customer.  This is the role that would address and resolve issues that cannot be resolved at the  vendor level. They keep the customer aware of new products, services, and software updates as they become available.  They are also the ones who look for opportunities where they can add value to the customer’s business.

Program Manager: The Program Manager may support the Client before and after their software acquisition, especially on large complex projects.  Sometimes called the Enterprise Manager, they would be a part of the Client’s Steering committee and should help shape the project success through the use of best practice, project and business practice.

The Enterprise Manager participates on the Steering Committee, and helps drive the project through to success.  They use industry best business process and practice.  They provide advice that will minimize risk and accelerate the implementation or upgrade.  Many organizations use the engagement manager and project manager interchangeably, however, their responsibilities re significantly different.

Project Manager: The individual in this roles provides the leadership for the project team and produces the status reports, plans, budgets and formal methodology (such as CSC, Compass, Rational) and resourcing.  The Engagement Manager supports the Project Managers both client and consulting in all aspects of project planning and control, and supports the design,development and deployment of a strong quality program.  The Project Manager is responsible for the “care and feeding” of the consulting and client project team members and for supporting the client Project Manager.

Process Specialists (Functional and Technical) Functional specialists are charged with guiding the project team through those steps that require detailed applications functional knowledge and related industry best practices. This consulting-sourced role is usually a full-time member of the project team.

The Technical Specialist executes the technical steps by providing support in the design and management of databases and in tuning the system and architecture. This is a consulting sourced role working in lock step with the client role.

System Engineer The System Engineer designs and creates technology solutions in response to business requirements. They are brought into a project when the solution requires some specific knowledge in the emerging technologies. Skills include: Workflow,  Electronic Commerce; Security including OLAP, Multi-dimensional modeling, compare report decisions, eApplications and solutions to customization requests.

Education Representative This person is responsible for working with the customer to make sure they use the education resources available to them in the most effective manner. This includes executing training plans, setting up on-site classes, and making the customer aware of alternate training formats including stand up training, interactive training, webinars and other venues. It is also the responsibility of this role to have a clear understanding of the business processes used and reflect those processes in User Productivity Kit or Tutor development.

As we move through the discussion on Day 2 and looking at the project scope, constraints will be identified.  Be sure to provide your client and consulting team with examples of what might be a constraint.  A constraint is something that limits your degree of freedom.  Limited development resources might be a constraint.  Constraints might be economic, political, functional, technical and even environmental.  Be sure to document the constraints and work with the project team to ensure they are identified.

Second to constraints would be assumptions.  You make assumptions regarding many aspects of the project.  Assumptions represent opinions that have not or cannot be readily or easily proven; yet they are expected to be true.  An assumption that is often made in organizations is that the executive team is on board and giving total support to the project.  Sometimes an assumption is made that the organization has a specific requirement, only to find out in the fit/gap that the system cannot support the requirement.

So far we have covered many discussion topics in Day 2 and it is important to facilitate interaction and participation by the team.  The one week workshop packs a great deal into the first week that not only sets the stage for the project but also ensures the success of the project.  Think about the deliverables that will be produced as a result of the workshop.