| Project Implementation
Because the
corrupted data was making it difficult to demonstrate correct processes in the PRMS class,
the same was true of the live system. It was
quickly agreed to frequently review and adjust the production company concurrent with
training. The causes of the data corruption
were found, corrective action was taken and documented and additional training was
developed as needed. The power users would
then make the necessary corrections to the data in the training environment.
When the
changes proved successful, the process was repeated in production. As the project developed, this became a key to
success.
Concurrent
piloting and training reinforcement led to other discoveries. For example, a shortcut being taken to create
Purchase Orders was giving MRP an incomplete view of open order status. A correction process was developed by SCL,
proved in the training system and applied to the live data.
Users were then re-trained in the necessary functions to eliminate the causes of
these errors.
Combined
with a renewed knowledge of the system, these corrections helped users gain confidence in
the information provided by PRMS. UGC’s
Paul Voogd, who spearheaded the project, states, “I would have been happy if we just
became better at planning. However, the
efforts of the SCL team to ferret out data errors gave us a vastly improved base to
work with. The training alone would be of
little value if we had not discovered and corrected our data accuracy issues.”
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During the consolidated pilot phase, real-time data was used in the final days of
testing, which revealed some timing and procedural issues that were easily corrected, but
would have had significant impact on planning in a live environment. USG could clearly understand why SCL’s
methodology preaches piloting and consolidated piloting of a client’s data.
As
do most projects of this nature, the UGC project changed its design, but not its
scope as it progressed. The goal from the
beginning was to enhance the users’ knowledge of the software and to begin using more
of its functionality. Systems Conversion
could have been satisfied to conduct the training in a sterile system, perform a few pilot
sessions and leave the users to apply it to the live side.
Instead, the daily sessions became working exercises. Real time data was used in the final days of
testing, which revealed some timing and procedural issues that were easily corrected, but
had significant impact on planning.
UGC appreciated Systems
Conversion Ltd’s flexibility and extra effort to develop an improvement plan
“on the fly” and yield the desired results.
The negative impact potential of projected business volume growth has been greatly
reduced and the overall knowledge of UGC’s users has significantly improved.
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