Project: EFPFI Ralph Michael GBA 573 Summer 2003

1. Project: EFPFIRalph MichaelGBA 573 Summer 2003

2. Project: EFPFI Intuit SR. V.P. of Tax Division asks me to accept Project Management assignment May 2000 • Initial Problem Definition: Intuit’s Tech Support • Centers are overwhelmed with EF related calls • Project Goal: • Reduce EF related Tech Support calls by 50%

3. Project: EFPFI • Project Deadline: Mid-December, 2000 • Project Priority: Ultra-high • Resources Available for Project: Unlimited • Project Start Date: Today • Compensation for Project Success: Substantial

4. Project: EFPFI • Refinement of Problem Definition: • What is the Main Root-cause Driving EF Related Tech • Support Calls? • Steps to Solution: • Mine Tech Support Call Database: • Classify, quantify & prioritize by volume & nature of EF • call • Visit Tucson and Fredericksburg Call Centers: • Conduct interviews with EF Tech Support Reps • Use Diamond Interview Technique • Document & Report Findings • Propose Best Solutions

5. Project: EFPFI • Refinement of Problem Definition: • What is the Main Root-cause? • Results of Analysis: • Mine Tech Support Call Database: • By far, largest EF call driver: • “I’ve e-filed my tax return. What do I do next?” • Visit Tucson and Fredericksburg Call Centers: • Interviews reveal Reps are having to walk customers • through post e-filing Process • Documented & Reported Findings • Proposed Best Solution: • Electronic Filing Printed Filing Instructions - EFPFI

6. Project: EFPFI e-filing Process: Return Passes Validation? Customer Prepares and Transmits Tax Return To Intuit’s ETX ETX Strips Wrapper-Data & Validates Return ETX Transmits to IRS Yes ETX Transmits Messaging Back To Customer Describing Validation Failure and Solution No Return Passes Validation? No IRS Transmits Rejection Acknowledgement To ETX IRS Validates Return Yes IRS Transmits Acceptance Acknowledgement To ETX ETX Transmits Acceptance Ack To Customer TurboTax Prints-out Post-Ack EF Paperwork Customer takes Appropriate EF Paperwork Action Legally Complete Tax Return e-filed Process Defect

7. e-filing Post-ACK EF Paperwork Requirements:

8. Project: EFPFI EFPFI Design Phase: Requirements: • Must effectively communicate Post-ACK EF Paperwork Process • Must dynamically include or omit relevant/non-relevant information by State • Must not require any tax knowledge or action by customer • Architecture and Development must be efficient • Must be easily QA’d • Must be delivered to QA by Mid-September and to PVT by Mid-December

9. Project: EFPFI EFPFI Project Team: Requirements: • 1 Project Manager • 10 EF Tax Development A/Ps • 10 EF Tax Development Q/As • 2 Tax Engineering Programmers • 1 Tax Engineering Q/A • 1 Product Manager

10. Project: EFPFI • Refinement of Problem Definition: • Risk Analysis • Results of Analysis: • Risk: Spend resources and not solve problem • Probability: .30 • Risk: Spend resources and partially solve problem, but not • reduce EF Tech Support calls by 50% • Probability: .50 • Risk: Spend resources and make problem worse • Probability: .05

11. Project: EFPFI EFPFI Project Gantt Chart:

12. Project: EFPFI EFPFI Development/Implementation Phase: Architecture : Engineering to pass data from Engine to Formset and from Formset to Engine

13. Project: EFPFI EFPFI Development/Implementation Phase: Architecture : Form must allow dynamic expansion and contraction of text fields

14. Project: EFPFI EFPFI Development/Implementation Phase: Architecture : Common code must be used to facilitate 1 A/P’s man-hours instead of 10 A/P’s man-hours

15. Project: EFPFI EFPFI Development/Implementation Phase: Architecture : 10 A/P’s shall use #defines to pass dynamic parameter definitions to common code

16. Project: EFPFI EFPFI Development/Implementation Phase: Architecture : Print-out result PIN not used

17. Project: EFPFI EFPFI Development/Implementation Phase: Architecture : Print-out result PIN used

18. Project: EFPFI EFPFI Development/Implementation Phase: Architecture : On-screen result PIN not used

19. Project: EFPFI EFPFI Final Project Results: Project Success !!! • Deliverables were on-time • Cost was reasonable • Risk was managed adequately • Tech Support EF call volume reduced by over 63% • Customer experience significantly improved • Ralph received 2 consecutive Chipman Award nominations, • lots of stock options, a nice raise and great personal satisfaction

20. Project: EFPFI EFPFI Lessons Learned: • Problem Definition/Root-cause – The key to a successful project. A solution developed for the wrong problem is no solution. • Listen and Understand – Although mining the call database was useful, it was the face-to-face interaction with the Tech Reps that convinced me of the right solution. • Understand the Process You’re Solving For – Although I was already intimate with the EF process, the Post-ACK state-by-state Jurat matrix had to be understood completely. • Risk Analysis can be Tricky – I believe my initial risk analysis was appropriate given the unknowns. As the project progressed, I could have issued an updated probability of success but decided instead to “play it close to the vest.”

21. Project: EFPFI EFPFI Lessons Learned: • Plan Work Breakdowns Conservatively – The project benefited from extra time being budgeted for Initial Analysis and QA. • Common Code – Utilizing common code produces multiple efficiencies and can have significant impact on the project’s critical path. • The “Team Player” Concept Applies to the Project Manager Also – I had such a clear vision of the proper solution with the common code being the critical piece that it didn’t make any sense to delegate this time consuming task just because I was the Project Manager. In the final analysis, my willingness to sacrifice contributed significantly to the project’s success.