Systems Integration Roadmap

Transcription

1 Systems Integration Roadmap ECS 4GL Systems Integration Roadmap 4GL Version March , 1999 Enterprise Computer Systems, Inc. Produced by: Enterprise Computer Systems, Inc. PO Box 2383, Greenville, SC ECS 4GL Systems Integration Roadmap (3.8.0) i

2 Notice This manual is to enhance your Enterprise 4GL Systems integration capabilities. It is your responsibility to determine that this information is in accordance with your own business procedures. Enterprise Computer Systems, Inc., has prepared this document for use by Enterprise associates, customers, and prospective customers. The information herein shall not be reproduced in whole or part without the prior approval of Enterprise Computer Systems, Inc. Enterprise Computer Systems, Inc., reserves the right to make changes in specifications and other information in this document without prior notice, and you should in all cases consult Enterprise Computer Systems, Inc., to determine if such changes have been made. In no event shall Enterprise Computer Systems, Inc., be liable for any incidental, indirect or, special or consequential damages whatsoever (including but not limited to lost profits) arising out of or related to this document or the information in it. ii ECS 4GL Systems Integration Roadmap (3.8.0)

3 Contents Contents A Roadmap for Successful Systems Integration 1 Welcome to No Boundaries 3 Implementing the Old Systems 3 Implementing the ECS 4GL System 4 Getting Everyone on the Bus 6 A Word About The Driver 7 Travel Itinerary of your 4GL Journey 9 Communications & Teamwork 13 Enterprise: Who We Are 13 A Note about our President 14 Sales & Marketing: More than Software 15 Operations & Development: Help s on the Way 16 Professional Services and On-Site Consultants 18 Support: There When You Need Us 19 Other Services We Can Offer You 25 Additional Software & Hardware 26 User Conferences 27 What We Cannot Do for You 28 Pick Winners for Your Project Team 29 Sample Project Team Organization 30 In the Driver s Seat: Project Manager 31 All that Technical Stuff: The Computer Pros 33 Basic Care and Feeding of the System: The System Administrator 34 The Quality Champs: Testing Team 35 Sharing the Knowledge: The Training Staff 37 To the Rescue: The Help Desk 38 Project Planning 41 What is an Overall Project Plan? 42 Project Plan Phases 44 What is the Resources Phase? 44 ECS 4GL Systems Integration Roadmap (3.8.0) iii

4 Contents What is the Process Mapping Phase? 45 What is the Acceptance Testing Phase? 46 What is the Hardware, Communications, and Networking Phase? 47 What is the Software Phase? 48 What is the Conversions Phase? 50 What is the Document and Forms Phase? 51 What is the Training Phase? 52 What is the Help Desk Phase? 53 What is the Go-Live and Rollout Phase? 54 On-Schedule and Within Budget 55 Tracking Progress with Software 55 Getting Status Reports for Tracking 56 Sample Schedule 57 Planning Worksheets 59 The Resource Planner 61 Work Breakdown for Resource Planning 61 About the Planning Meeting 62 Assigning Resources 64 Planning Meeting Checklist 66 The Process Mapping Planner 67 Work Breakdown for Process Mapping 67 Process Mapping and Beyond 69 Acceptance Test Script (Abbreviated Sample) 74 Cash Receipt Printer Customer Display Setup 74 Test Record Setup 74 Tests for CS.ENTRY 76 Miscellaneous Tests 76 Issues and Assumptions: 78 Approvals: 78 Acceptance Testing Planner 79 Work Breakdown for Acceptance Test Planning 81 iv ECS 4GL Systems Integration Roadmap (3.8.0)

5 Contents How Testers Can Help Process Mapping 81 Conversions & Interfaces Also Need Testing 82 Software Planning 85 Work Breakdown for Software Planning 85 Setting up and Updating Databases 88 Setting up Security 90 Maintaining Databases 92 Setting up Security 93 Department Worksheet 95 Group Worksheet 97 Setting up Users in the Database 99 Setting up an Entity Structure 105 Product-Related Setup 135 Setting up Accounting and Tax Information 147 Fields on the Accounting System Parameters Screen 171 Hardware Planning 201 Using Benchmarking to Find a Hardware Fit 201 Evaluating Wiring on Your Site 202 Work Breakdown for Hardware Planning 202 Communications & Networking 205 Work Breakdown for Communications 205 Overview of 4GL Communications 206 The Comm2 Process 208 Adding Machine Records 209 Machine.e Sign-Off Sheet 210 Setting Machine Relationships 211 Host.e Sign-Off Sheet 212 Establishing Data Highways 213 Machine.Loc.e Sign-Off Sheet 214 Flagging Files for the Communications Cycle 215 Comm.Table.e Sign-Off Sheet 227 Conversions and Interfaces 229 Work Breakdown for Conversions and Interfaces 230 Document Planning 231 Work Breakdown for Document Planning 232 How to Set Up Your Own Forms 233 ECS 4GL Systems Integration Roadmap (3.8.0) v

6 Contents Document Types in the ECS 4GL System 234 Identifying Your Documents 236 Fields on the Document Class Screen 237 Document Class Help List 237 Parameters Related to Document-IDs 238 Designing Your Own Forms in 4GL 240 Fields on the Transaction Form Definition Screen 241 Trans.form Help List 244 Fields You Can Call into Your Forms 254 Training Planner 269 Work Breakdown for Training 271 Training Session #1: Database Setup Training 272 Training Session #2: Transactions 274 Checklists for Transactional Training 276 Sharing the Knowledge with Your Company 286 Go Live Checklists for Sales Training 287 Accounts Payable Period End Procedures 291 General Ledger Bank Reconciliation 292 G/L Reports and Procedures 292 Go-Live and Rollout Planning 295 Selecting and Preparing for a Pilot Site 295 Conducting a System Check 295 Checklist for System Check 296 During the Pilot Site Go-Live 297 The Two Step Go-Live Success Test 298 Rolling out Future Sites 298 Glossary 301 vi ECS 4GL Systems Integration Roadmap (3.8.0)

7 A ROADMAP FOR SUCCESSFUL SYSTEMS INTEGRATION Who should use this roadmap? This roadmap is for the people in your company who are responsible for setting up, installing, configuring, training, supporting, and maintaining the ECS 4GL System. It is intended to quickly bring your staff up to speed on the software and to phase out dependence on Enterprise consultations, thereby saving your company money. Although some of the people involved in this project should have special qualifications for performing tasks in their duties, no prior skills are necessary for conducting a successful integration. The primary requirements for you are a desire for peace among your corporate peers and to become a systems wizard striking awe into the hearts of anyone using the software. This document picks up right where the license agreement left off you re now the official owner of a new ECS 4GL system.this roadmap is the result of prior systems integrations. It addresses the most frequently asked questions encountered by our customers during the implementation process. It contains helpful hints for organizing the project, ideas for project controls to keep the project on schedule and within budget, and tips for making the next several months an enjoyable journey for everyone. This roadmap is by no means The Book of all systems integrations, but merely presents suggestions that have worked for some of our earlier customers. Some situations might not apply to your company at all. You might use this document as a springboard for coming up with better ways of integrating your ECS 4GL Systems Integration Roadmap 1

8 new system. If this is the case, we d be happy to hear for you. Just drop us an at 4glsupp@ecs-inc.com. This map is divided into four main sections: Welcome to No Boundaries This section is an executive summary for our new system s owner(s) to debrief you on the difference between your old and new systems and to scope out the systems integration process. It also gives you an overview of the systems integration process. Communications & Teamwork Dozens of people from different locations and companies are going to provide valuable contributions to this project. Here s a Who s Who primer to define the roles and responsibilities of key players needed for smooth systems integration. This section also provides an inside glimpse of the Enterprise associates who assist you in the upcoming months. It shows you how we do business internally, and suggests a sample project organization (complete with job descriptions and qualifications) you can use for setting up your own project team. Planning & Managing a Successful Project After the team players have been identified, this section tells you how to pull them all together and get them into action. It overviews the 10 phases in your systems integration and provides a sample schedule for you to use in drawing up your own project plan. Tips for keeping your project on schedule and within budget are also included here. Planning Worksheets This is the roll up your sleeves portion of the document. It presents work breakdown schedules for the 10 phases mentioned in the previous paragraph. This section also includes estimated schedules and planning worksheets for each effort, as well as process flow diagrams, sample forms, and checklists to make sure you don t leave anything out. 2 ECS 4GL Systems Integration Roadmap

9 WELCOME TO NO BOUNDARIES Your new ECS 4GL system gives you the freedom to define your processes any way you want. Use this guide as a tool for providing a gentle transition from your old system to the new system throughout your company. Congratulations on your new ECS 4GL System! Your company now has the most advanced software available. Your 4GL system will provide (literally) decades of responsive, efficient service to your company. As you recall from our sales pitch, your software investment has no boundaries. A software ideal to be sure your cutting-edge system can grow with your business, no matter where your business goes. But let s take a look at that term, no boundaries. By its very nature, something that has no boundaries has no definition until you give it some. Ever try to drive to a new place without a map? A roadmap is nothing but a boundary identifier. This guide serves as your trip planner for implementing the smoothest integration possible. After all, you are merging not only your old and new systems, but also defining your own business processes to suit your corporate direction and helping your entire company to adjust all at the same time. It could be a bumpy ride, but it doesn t have to be. Implementing the Old Systems More than likely, your old software has plenty of boundaries. Software back in the old days tended to dictate a company s business procedures, instead of vice versa. Your company didn t have to make very many administrative decisions, because the software already made them for you. There was little flexibility in installing it, configuring, maintaining, updating, and operating it. In many cases, your old software defined the way you conducted all your transactions. ECS 4GL Systems Integration Roadmap 3

10 A roadmap for implementing your old system might look something like this: As is Implementing older systems often involved accepting the software as is and revising your business practices around it. Simple, but very limited flexibility. Implementing the ECS 4GL System The objective for your implementation is to have the smoothest journey possible. On the flip side, your new system is sophisticated enough to realize your company is unique. Enterprise knows that your Road to Success may not have the same highways and byways as the guy down the street. A whole new world of possibilities opens. Therefore, a roadmap for implementing your ECS 4GL System might look something like this: Since the journey may take several months, careful planning helps everyone enjoy the ride. In the ECS 4GL System, the Road to Success can have many different paths. It is up to you to decide which ones are the best for your company. 4 ECS 4GL Systems Integration Roadmap

11 Your journey to complete systems integration might take a while you can t just stop work on your old system today, install your new system in a directory, and begin work immediately. It s a process that requires information translation, staff training, and defining / redefining ways (your own way) of doing things. This involves a lot of decision making, a lot of trial runs to make sure your decisions feel right in the real world and a lot of change. Remember, too, that you are taking your entire company on this journey, right down to that high school student that works part time on the loading dock. Because of that, expect some resistance to these changes. You ll probably hear: The old system was so much easier! But what they are really saying is that the old system is more comfortable. They do not see the Big Picture, like you do. All they see is that it is easier to find that familiar post in the snow than it is to navigate though the unknown panorama of endless possibilities. Although you might be tempted to speed your way on the journey a la motorcycle, it will probably feel more like this: Your job (should you choose to accept it) is to define the boundaries for your coworkers. Then, when the time comes, the change is easier to accept and they feel confident that you know ECS 4GL Systems Integration Roadmap 5

12 what you re doing. You can generate confidence by listening to the front-line people who use the system for daily business. Trip-Tip Create a Highway of Least Resistance by getting buy-in from selected branch personnel who are involved in the day-to-day business processes and transactions. Traditionally, MIS staff, top level management, and day-to-day operations personnel cross paths very rarely. Your ECS 4GL software implementation provides an opportunity for everyone to have input in configuring the best system for your company s needs. Getting Everyone on the Bus Some companies using older-type systems have a crackerjack MIS team responsible for learning, installing, and supporting the software. They routinely handle system updates and learn new features in the software. Because the old systems have so little flexibility, this was pretty much a straightforward task. As a result, the MIS team is accustomed to operating fairly independently of top level corporate management and day-to-day operations personnel. In the case of your new ECS 4GL system, every single element of your business operations can be examined right down to the message that prints on sales receipts and the information appearing on every report. Decisions need to be made about how your corporate processes are going to be conducted top-level strategies belonging to your highest level of management. These decisions are discussed later on. It s important to also get input from your branch personnel. They are accustomed to applying all these elements in your old system and have unique insights to proposed software modifications that could save you lots of time and money. 6 ECS 4GL Systems Integration Roadmap

13 Getting branch personnel involved from the start also promotes a feeling of ownership. They belong as part of the process and feel that it is their system, not just management s way of making them change their daily routines. The branch personnel are most helpful during the process mapping phase and in training fellow employees. Both of these project components are discussed later in this roadmap. Of course, the MIS team, upper-level management, branch personnel, and anyone else involved will all have different ways of looking at and doing things. Trip-Tip There should only be one driver. If you don t have one already, appoint a project manager to make sure everyone stays focused and on track. Otherwise, your company risks wasting too much time and money on unproductive efforts. A Word About The Driver Enterprise s primary role on this trip is to be an information resource. If you are interested in a more intensive consulting effort than what you are already receiving, call us immediately so we can revise our schedule. If your old system dictated a lot of your business processes, ultimately what was happening was that the software company was dictating your business processes. In a sense, they owned your system even after you bought it. Enterprise respects your freedom to run your business the way you want, and not the way we tell you. For this reason, your Enterprise consultant s primary responsibility is to help you get up and running on the system, not to drive it for you. ECS 4GL Systems Integration Roadmap 7

14 However, we can: Train your core project team (as defined by you) Help configure and install databases (up to the first golive) Make sure you get high priority response to any issue that might arise during the systems integration process Some of our customers have wanted us to serve as one or more key members of their project management team. (Refer to Pick Winners for your Project Team section for a sample project team structure.) If you want Enterprise to take over one or more of these key positions, let us know as soon as possible so that we can adjust to schedule to take all of your considerations under advisement. This might involve adjusting your go-live date, and/or assigning full-time personnel to your site. Whatever the effort, Enterprise promises to take care of you every step of the way. We take pride in our customer service. Our strategic direction states, ECS s primary goal is to service our customers better than anyone... We have many associates willing to give you the best service in the industry. 8 ECS 4GL Systems Integration Roadmap

15 Travel Itinerary of your 4GL Journey Because of our sales analysis process, Enterprise usually has enough information to start you on your way. We can start customizing the software to meet your needs This section overviews the entire systems integration from license agreement to the first golive. The project planning section and the planning sheets at the end of this document contain more details on all the tasks mentioned here. Enjoy your trip! Your first mission is to determine an organizational structure for the phases of your systems integrations (described later in this section). This helps you determine the resources you need, and helps get you started on your project plan. We hold an initial planning meeting with you to discuss the various elements of the project plan, various assignments, and elements of the implementation. The initial planning meeting also helps to resolve any open issues in the contract. Enterprise then presents a one to two week training class to a core group of trainers, acceptance testers, help desk personnel, and computer personnel to provide an understanding of how the 4GL software works. This training serves as a working foundation for what is to be learned in the coming months. After the project plan is drawn up, we work with your programmer representative to get the information we need for developing the conversion programs. Conversions consist of mapping out the information to be brought over from the old system. The person assigned to this phase should have some exposure to the 4GL software and understand the old system s software. Once we have identified the information to be converted, we begin writing the conversion programs. As we work on the conversions, you specify any changes you want made to the software by drawing up a Functional Specification for each change. (A sample functional spec and more information on it is included in the Acceptance Test Script ECS 4GL Systems Integration Roadmap 9

16 section.) We need a functional specification for modifications identified in the sale as well as any other modifications requested. The spec helps us give you an estimate of how long it will take to deliver the revised software to you and better determine a go-live date. While we are working on the conversions and modifications, your hardware experts will be busy analyzing what hardware is most appropriate for your needs including: CPUs, terminals, printers, cash drawers, bar coding (just to name a few). To select the best hardware and software setup for your needs, it is a good idea to benchmark the configuration against your peak transaction loads. As we begin to deliver the conversion programs and the revised software, you need to test the software to make sure it performs to your expectations. This is called acceptance testing. When the software is satisfactory, the acceptance testers sign a form approving it. During this testing process, we are prepared to immediately address issues that arise. This includes making adjustments to the custom code for you as well as new enhancements that are required for go-live. After gathering a basic set of information from you, your Enterprise consultant begins to build the database used for your go-live. Our consultant can only set up the basics for you you will complete the rest of the setup. This is your database, your business, and your information. You get to make decisions on how the database is constructed and molded. Enterprise provides the conversion programs to bring over as much information from the old system as possible. You need to 10 ECS 4GL Systems Integration Roadmap

17 set up the support tables, key-in any open fields in the conversions, and check the validity of your data. After the database has a solid information foundation with customers, suppliers, products, pricing, and the like, you (along with operational personnel that have had some training on the 4GL system) use the original RFP requirements to develop a script for all types of transactions performed by your branch locations. We call this process mapping. (More information on process mapping is included in the Process Mapping Planner section.) Your top-level management should review all process maps to see if the software addresses all your business requirements. These procedures should be documented and taught to your staff to make sure everyone understands how procedures are handled on your new system. Because of the advanced nature of the 4GL architecture, a comprehensive training program should be developed for the trainers and the help desk. As the initial implementation draws near, we help you develop a rollout plan. The plan is solidified and used as the pattern for subsequent roll-out installations. ECS 4GL Systems Integration Roadmap 11

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