HOLISTIC APPROACH

Collaborative Solutions’ approach to implementations is to conduct projects in multiple, consecutive phases, in which project management, change management, and technology activities are iterative and ongoing. Our solution consultants are deeply skilled with all phases of the implementation lifecycle, each having experience across multiple successful implementations from initial planning to deployment, and each step in between. They understand the differences that must be considered when performing implementations across different industry segments, technology platforms and geographic boundaries. Further, they understand the potential challenges and pitfalls that can occur with enterprise solution implementations and how to plan for and avoid them.

Project Methodology

The foundation of our implementation services is our Cynergy™ methodology, which guides the phases of the delivery process. Cynergy™ is derived from methodology best practices we have captured from our past experience in enterprise solution delivery. It also leverages the structured guidance of such current standards as the Software Engineering Institute’s Capability Maturity Model (CMM) for standardization and version control and the Project Management Institute’s (PMI®) best practices for project management and value measurement. Cynergy provides a holistic approach to project implementation by ensuring that the impact of business processes, the organization and its people, the underlying technology, the desired performance measures, and operational control points are addressed in each step of the delivery process.

Underlying these iterative activities are discrete stages that focus on the specific project delivery tasks inherent in a systems development lifecycle (SDLC). These stages comprise the logical, segregated aspects of systems development:

• Plan
• Analyze
• Design
• Build
• Validate
• Deploy
• Monitor

As the name Cynergy™ implies, the combination of these activities delivers a more comprehensive solution versus a solution that is, for example, technology optimized but not user friendly.

As a framework for solution delivery, Cynergy™ provides a roadmap of structured tasks, templates, and tools to guide a project from inception to design and test to deployment. These tools and templates include application-specific items, such as workplans, estimating models, test scripts, training guides, table loading sequence guides, and configuration scripts. Our methodology also reflects defined tracks for packaged applications like Oracle’s PeopleSoft Enterprise and E-Business Suite and SaaS applications like Workday. We actively focus on continuous improvement of Cynergy™, revising estimates, templates, and other elements based on feedback from our project engagements, vendor partners, and general industry findings. Further, Cynergy™ is easily tailored to include the desired task packages, templates, or performance measures that our customers’ SDLC or delivery requirements might dictate.

Implementation Services

Collaborative Solutions provides a large host of critical implementation services aligned with our Cynergy™ Methodology, including:

• Planning
• Project Management
• Change Management
• Requirements Analysis and Baselining
• Fit/Gap Analysis
• Configuration and Prototyping
• Data Sanitization and Conversion
• Infrastructure Design and Review
• Software, Hardware and Database Installation
• Development of Customizations and Interfaces
• Setup and Validation of Security
• Object Migration and Configuration Control
• Multi-level Testing
• End-User Training and User Adoption
• Cutover Plan Development
• Application Deployment Management
• Post Production Monitoring and Support

For more information about how Collaborative Solutions implementation services can help your planned or current enterprise solution initiative, contact us at inquiries@collaborativesolutions.com.