Rolling Out With a Bang

 

There is a common dilemma organizations face when deciding on the approach for a packaged systems implementation. There are two options (1) a big bang approach and (2) a phased approach.

So what's the difference? Here is an example, in a phased implementation approach for a CRM project would be where an organization implements sales force automation (SFA), service automation (call center, e-service) and marketing automation (campaign management) separately. Which means that each module would have a separate analysis, design, configuration, and implementation stages in the project life cycle. The steps could also be replicated to accommodate different business units. On the other hand in a big bang approach there would be one phase in which the scope of the project stages would include al three modules.

To overcome this dilemma and to give you a basis for decision, I have listed some factors to consider while deciding between a big bang and phased implementation. They are as follows:

Project Urgency: First organizations need to assess the sense of urgency of the particular package implementation. How critical is the system for organizational operation? Examples of mission critical projects could include the likes of the (a) Y2K dilemma, or (b) required functionality for operation of key business activities, or (c) when a software vendor has ceased operations (see …

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