The Discovery Phase Why it’s the most important phase of any project A TUSC PMO Presentation

1. The Discovery PhaseWhy it’s the most importantphase of any project A TUSC PMO Presentation

2. Discovery Phase • What is it? • When does it occur? • How does it compare with PMI’s Project Initiation and Planning phases? • What are the deliverables from this phase?

3. What does the Discovery Phase Focus on? • Project Objective • Critical Success Factors • Scope Definition • Risk Definition • Assumptions • Compliance Evaluation • Best Practices Process Validation • Deployment Requirements • Organizational Readiness • Project Plans

4. Focus Area 1: Project Objective • Defines business need and organizational goals • Indicates controlling factor(s) • Time factor – meeting critical date • Budget – cannot exceed $$ • Corporate goal – streamline manufacturing by 10% • Indicates criticality factor • mission critical to • Sales Force • HR & Payroll • Entire organization

5. Focus Area 2: Critical Success Factors Explore and Document key project Critical Success Factors (CSFs) in the following areas: • Business Process Level CSFs • Reduce cycle time • Increase customer base • Reduce service-call duration • Streamline order processing • Application / End User CSFs • Types of browsers supported • Types of interfaces supported • Standards that must be met • Security and user access levels • Performance Metrics that must be met

6. Focus Area 2: Critical Success Factors Success factors must be stated in a manner that is measurable! • Not measurable if stated: • “Must be able to collect / store customer data” • It IS measurable if stated: • “Must be able to collect customer data via: • single intranet screen within order process • two screens within customer maintenance • data loader, within 1 sec per record speed

7. Focus Area 3: Scope Definition • What is in scope • What is NOT in scope • How will scope be managed • How will scope be measured

8. Focus Area 4: Risk Definition • Evaluate all areas: • Hardware • Dev/Test/Prod Environments • New or Existing? • Performance? • Technology • Bleeding Edge or Stable • Support / Maintenance • Knowledge base • Resources • Turn over, Availability, Travel • Business Processes • Change Aware • Qualify • How likely is this risk? • Quantify • What’s the cost if risk is realized?

9. Identification Communication Validation Focus Area 5: Assumptions

10. Focus Area 5: Assumptions - Infrastructure • Technology upgrades • Infrastructure • Networks • Scanning Equipment • Hardware • Development • Test (QA/Stress) • Production • End User / Workstations • Printers • Disk Storage • Software • Development tools • Migration Tools • Version Control • Performance Monitoring

11. Focus Area 5: Assumptions - Change • Business Process Changes • Will the project include business process re-engineering? • Validate timelines for “As is” vs “To be” • Define guide lines for BPR • Inclusion and the “buy in” approach • Acceptance of the “new world” • How will process changes be communicated • Consider using a BPR Marketing team • Town Hall Meetings • News Letters • E-Mail blasts • Posters • T-shirts, Mugs, Stress Balls • Build Excitement

12. Focus Area 5: Assumptions - Project Team • Team Members, Roles and Authority • Resource Availability • Business Users • Management Team • Decision Making Authority • Technical Team • Team Housing • Where will the team work • Is there Teaming space • Dynamics of location • Team Building • Create Trust • Define Roles • Find Common Thread to Unite

13. Focus Area 6: Compliance • Government Compliance Areas • Sarbanes Oxley ACT • Separation of Duties • Data Access Levels • Business Process Analysis • HIPAA Act • Data Security • Customer Data Security • Process Validations • PCI Compliance • Data Encryption • Document Controls • FDA Validation Requirements • Process definitions • Design, Dev, Test • Operational Support

14. Focus Area 6: Compliance • Application Security Requirements • Document the type of security that will be needed. • Application Level Security Rqmnts • User Level Security Rqmnts • Screen Level Security Rqmnts • Field Level Security Rqmnts

15. Focus Area 7: Best Practices • Conflict Resolution Process • Risk Management Process • Scope Management Process • Escalation Processes defined and effective

16. Focus Area 8: Deployment Factors • Definition of user community • Quantity of users 50-100 or 100-1000 • Access levels • Intranet • Internet • Dedicated or Leased Lines • User Access Plan • User ID creation • Access Approval process • Phased roll-0ut Plan • Deployment Plan

17. Focus Area 9: Organizational Readiness • Infrastructure • Clear Understanding of Business Needs • Strong Upper Management Support • Project Team Strength & Weaknesses

18. Focus Area 10: Project Plans • Resource Plan • Communication Plan • Scope Management Plan • Change Management Plan • Risk Management Plan • Issue Management Plan • Quality Management Plan • Training Plan • Deployment Plan • Support Plan

19. Discovery Team Members • Executive Management • Government compliance, Corporate Infrastructure, Budget • IT Management • Validation of infrastructure, IT governance and compliance, resource availability, organizational readiness • Project Manager • Plans: scope, risk, communication, resource • Business Managers • Business objectives, critical success factors, deployment requirements, compliance, security, resource availability • IT Support Staff • Standards, interfaces, resources, design review • Business Representatives / End-User Committee • Validation of design and business objectives, data accessibility, organizational readiness for change @ business level, application success factors • Business Systems Analyst • Process analysis

20. Recap • Project Objective • Critical Success Factors • Scope Definition • Risk Definition • Assumptions • Compliance Evaluation • Best Practices & Process Validation • Deployment Requirements • Organizational Readiness • Project Plans

21. The Discovery PhaseWhy it’s the most importantphase of any project A TUSC PMO Presentation References: Project Management Institute, A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, (PMBOK Guide). 3rd Edition, Project Management Institute, Pennsylvania, USA, Nov 2004 Neal Whitten, Neal Whitten’s No-Nonsense Advise for Successful Projects. USA, Management Concepts, Sept 2004.

22. Thank You