End-To-End Masterclass

Unit #1 – Introduction:
High-level project phases
Learning goals / deliverables:
– Gain an essential and high-level overview of general software implementation projects.
– Get familiar with all the major project phases and their attributes in software implementation projects.
– Deep dive into the main activities and concepts involved in each project phase.
Related distribution material:
– Overview of learning content for high-level project phases cheat sheet

Unit #2:
Initialization project phase
Learning goals / deliverables:
– Deep dive into all necessary tasks, documents, concepts, and knowledge around the initialization of the software implementation project.
– Get familiar with the high-level scoping of the project, initial stakeholder identification, and development of the project governance.
– Explore the stage gate process, the importance of building a project charter, working with the Sponsor and Steering Committee, and launching the kick-off meeting.
Related distribution material:
– Project initialization checklist template

Unit #3:
Project charter
Learning goals / deliverables:
– Gain an understanding of what a Project charter is and what its purpose is.
– Deep dive into the content and chapters of the Project charter.
– Master how to construct or contribute to a comprehensive Project charter.
Related distribution material:
– Project charter template

Unit #4:
Steering Committee
Learning goals / deliverables:
– Gain knowledge of the importance, aim, and team composition of Steering Committees.
– Get familiar with the various roles of the Steering Committee.
– Discover the agenda and all other important aspects of Steering Committee meetings.
Related distribution material:
– Steering Committee presentation template

Unit #5:
Kickoff meeting
Learning goals / deliverables:
– Understand what the importance of software implementation project kickoff meetings is.
– Learn what preparation work is required for the kickoff meeting and post-kickoff activities.
– Get familiar with an effective kickoff meeting agenda and structure.
Related distribution material:
– Kickoff control checklist template

Unit #6:
Project planning project phase
Learning goals / deliverables:
– Deep dive into all necessary tasks, documents, concepts, and knowledge surrounding the planning phase of a software implementation project.
– Gain an overview of what project plans are created, revised, and extended during the project planning phase.
– Explore knowledge about the “buy-or-make” decision, system selection, commercial alignments, statement of work, and laying the foundation of documentation, user structure, and user training.
Related distribution material:
– Project planning checklist template

Unit #7:
Buy or make decision
Learning goals / deliverables:
– Get familiar with the benefits and drawbacks of buying off-the-shelf software or outsourcing the software development.
– Explore the benefits and drawbacks of internally developing the software.
– Understand what are the prerequisites and major influencing factors of the “buy or make” decision.
Related distribution material:
– Buy or make decision evaluation template

Unit #8:
System selection
Learning goals / deliverables:
– Understand why a proper system selection process is necessary for implementation success and how the selection process is carried out.
– Learn what common influencing factors have an active role in system selection.
– Get familiar with effective strategies and best practices in system selection.
Related distribution material:
– System selection evaluation matrix template

Unit #9:
Statement of work
Learning goals / deliverables:
– Discover the aim of the Statement of Work; who, when, and how it is prepared.
– Deep dive into the content and structure of the Statement of Work.
– Gain insight into the usage of the Statement of Work during the progress of the project.
Related distribution material:
– Statement of work template

Unit #10:
Client-specific documentation
Learning goals / deliverables:
– Get familiar with the importance of various Client-specific documentation, and understand the attitude and ownership of software Vendors toward such.
– Understand the drawbacks and negative effects on the software implementation in case of lacking custom documentation.
– Master step-by-step how to secure Client-specific documentation thus increasing the success of software implementation projects.
Related distribution material:
– Documentation checklist template

Unit #11:
Solution design project phase
Learning goals / deliverables:
– Deep dive into all essential tasks, documents, concepts, and knowledge around the solution design phase of a software implementation project.
– Explore knowledge on need- and requirement assessment, business process modeling, GAP identification, and specification.
– Gain an understanding of fundamental aspects of solutions, such as software security, integration and interfaces, and master data management.
Related distribution material:
– Solution design deep-dive session tracker

Unit #12:
Needs and requirements assessment
Learning goals / deliverables:
– Gain knowledge on how to carry out a business process mapping, and identify bottlenecks or inefficiencies.
– Get familiar with requirement analysis and prioritization models.
– Learn how to capture properly business and IT requirements to build a requirement repository.
Related distribution material:
– Requirement capture template

Unit #13:
Software security
Learning goals / deliverables:
– Explore the importance and weight of software security.
– Learn how to prepare a proper software security plan and implement software security concepts.
– Get familiar with common authorization- and data management principles, and deep dive into the compliance of software Vendors and their software.
Related distribution material:
– Software security checklist template

Unit #14:
Integration and interfaces
Learning goals / deliverables:
– Explore the steps and elements of the interface mapping process.
– Master how the interfaces can be enhanced and improved.
– Equip your knowledge with best practices in the field of software integration.
Related distribution material:
– Integration mapping template

Unit #15:
System setup and process implementation project phase
Learning goals / deliverables:
– Deep dive into all fundamental tasks, documents, concepts, and knowledge around the System setup and process implementation project phase of the software implementation project.
– Explore knowledge of specific areas for configuration and customization such as access and permission, master data, and interfaces.
– Gain insights into the handling of change requests and the delivery of user training.
Related distribution material:
– System setup and process implementation checklist template

Unit #16:
Change requests
Learning goals / deliverables:
– Gain knowledge of what a change request is and how it is handled during the implementation project.
– Gain insight into the change request formulation and approval framework both on the Client- and Vendor sides.
– Discover how a change request One-pager summary document is prepared.
Related distribution material:
– Change request one pager template

Unit #17:
User training
Learning goals / deliverables:
– Understand how sufficient user training increases the success of the software implementation project.
– Discover what a successful training strategy looks like, and how it is built up based on best practices.
– Get familiar with fostering long-lasting knowledge build-up within the organization.
Related distribution material:
– User training plan template

Unit #18:
System testing project phase
Learning goals / deliverables:
– Get familiar with various software testing types and understand their aims.
– Deep dive into the blueprint of developing a testing plan.
– Learn testing best practices and methods to effectively track and mitigate defects.
Related distribution material:
– Test case tracker template

Unit #19:
Go-live management project phase
Learning goals / deliverables:
– Get familiar with building a validation checklist before deciding to go-live with the software and organizational change.
– Understand how software implementation projects are rolled out and what their benefits are.
– Learn the step-by-step blueprint for successfully going live.
Related distribution material:
– Go-live validation checklist template

Unit #20:
Post go-live support project phase
Learning goals / deliverables:
– Master how to plan properly for the post go-live or hypercare phase.
– Learn all aspects of activities and tasks delivered during the hypercare phase; and how the organization shifts into operational mode.
– Understand what psychological challenges are linked to the post go-live project phase.
Related distribution material:
– Hypercare planning checklist template

Unit #21:
Project closure project phase
Learning goals / deliverables:
– Get familiar with all essential steps of software implementation project closure.
– Ensure that the project’s performance is assessed, lessons learned are aggregated, knowledge repository is enhanced, financial aspects are settled, etc.
– Understand how to communicate project closure internally and externally and what the future of the implemented software will be.
Related distribution material:
– Lessons learned template

Unit #22:
Operating the implemented software
Learning goals / deliverables:
– Understand the team composition changes and the new way of working compared to the implementation project.
– Discover the operational and business-as-usual activities of the implemented software.
– Deep dive into the required tasks to successfully maintain the software.
Related distribution material:
– Activities of software operations mind map

Unit #23:
System upgrade
Learning goals / deliverables:
– Understand the core internal and external reasons that trigger a system upgrade project.
– Master how to formulate an upgrade strategy; understand the Vendor- and Client-side actions of an upgrade project.
– Deep dive into the unique aspects of a system upgrade compared to a new software implementation.
Related distribution material:
– System upgrade trigger evaluation checklist

Unit #1:
Project Management Office (PMO)
Learning goals / deliverables:
– Gain an understanding of what a PMO is and its benefits in the organization.
– Explore how a PMO operates in the organization and how it enhances the implementation project delivery.
– Understand on what levels a PMO operates and what authority levels it has.
Related distribution material:
– PMO collaboration checklist template

Unit #2:
Software contracts
Learning goals / deliverables:
– Gain a complete understanding of various contract types that are commonly used in software implementation projects.
– Deep dive into the structure and content of software implementation contracts.
– Discover unique clauses and legal documents of software implementation contracts.
Related distribution material:
– Software implementation contract template

Unit #3:
System integrator third-party company
Learning goals / deliverables:
– Understand who are System integrators and how they contribute to the success of software implementation projects.
– Discover how System integrators have a conflict of interest with the Client organization and how it can be mitigated.
– Deep dive into the selection factors of System integrators.
Related distribution material:
– System integrator selection matrix template

Unit #4:
Evolution of software vendor companies
Learning goals / deliverables:
– Gain insight into the consecutive life stages of software vendor companies.
– Understand how software vendor companies evolve in 3 aspects: Product, Team composition, and Competitive edge.
– Get familiar with evergreen growth principles of software vendor companies that overarch all their life stages.
Related distribution material:
– Evolution of software vendor companies cheat sheet

Unit #5:
Software vendor sales strategies
Learning goals / deliverables:
– Understand the end-to-end sales qualification process of software Vendors.
– Get familiar with various software Vendor sales roles and their activities during the sales phase.
– Deep dive and master how to avoid the most common pitfalls during the sales cycle that can impact the overall software implementation.
Related distribution material:
– Common pitfalls during software sales cycle mind map

Unit #1:
Scope management
Learning goals / deliverables:
– Gain an understanding of the aim of scope management; and how scope is developed and constructed.
– Discover how scope is managed in waterfall, agile, and hybrid projects.
– Learn the important aspects of the scope management plan.
Related distribution material:
– Scope statement template

Unit #2:
Stakeholder engagement
Learning goals / deliverables:
– Discover the stakeholders in the software implementation project and why engaging with them is important.
– Learn how to identify and collaborate with software implementation project stakeholders.
– Get familiar with concepts on how to manage stakeholder engagement and how to react to stakeholder changes.
Related distribution material:
– Stakeholder mapping template

Unit #3:
Schedule management
Learning goals / deliverables:
– Gain an understanding of how the schedule management plan is constructed; and how the project management methodology influences it.
– Learn how to develop a project schedule step-by-step based on the initial Work Breakdown Structure (WBS).
– Master concepts to shorten the project timeline; and influencing factors of schedule development.
Related distribution material:
– Gantt chart template

Unit #4:
Project risk management
Learning goals / deliverables:
– Get familiar with different types of risks that might occur in software implementations.
– Deep dive into a step-by-step and structured risk management process including risk collection, assessment, tracking, etc.
– Understand how to develop a comprehensive risk response strategy and learn how to include risks in financial planning.
Related distribution material:
– Risk and opportunity log template

Unit #5:
Communication management
Learning goals / deliverables:
– Learn why and how communication is an essential part of software implementation projects.
– Gain an understanding of possible directions and factors of communication in the organization.
– Understand how a communication plan is built up using best practices.
Related distribution material:
– Communication management plan template

Unit #6:
Cost management
Learning goals / deliverables:
– Deep dive into the principles of cost reserves, budget elements, and monitoring.
– Explore various types of cost estimation techniques and methodologies; and discover what factors have an important role in cost estimations.
– Master how costs are managed for off-the-shelf (eg. SaaS) and in-house developed software and get familiar with Earned Value Management (EVM).
Related distribution material:
– Cost management template

Unit #7:
Expectation management
Learning goals / deliverables:
– Explore various fields of expectations (eg. delivered value, costs, timeline) and how they need to be managed.
– Master how to manage correctly the expectations of stakeholders.
– Gain knowledge on how to handle the aftermath of incorrectly set expectations.
Related distribution material:
– Expectation monitoring matrix template

Unit #1:
Tangible and intangible benefits of an implemented software
Learning goals / deliverables:
– Discover the tangible- and intangible benefits of an implemented software.
– Deep dive into the extensive pool of logically grouped benefits of an implemented software.
– Learn how to build key performance indicators to measure the benefits that a software implementation brings.
Related distribution material:
– Benefits of an implemented software mind map

Unit #2:
Critical success factors
Learning goals / deliverables:
– Learn how to define software implementation project success and develop Critical Success Factors (CSF).
– Discover the 10 most important critical success factors.
– Master various techniques to reduce the risk of project failure.
Related distribution material:
– Critical Success Factors planning template

Unit #3:
New trends and future technologies in the software industry
Learning goals / deliverables:
– Get familiar with the new trends, future- and emerging technologies in the software industry (e.g., artificial intelligence, big data, blockchain, etc.).
– Explore in which industries these technologies appear; what their use cases are, and how they change the current way of thinking.
– Deep dive into why these technologies are revolutionary and what impact on the software industry they have.
Related distribution material:
– New trends and future technologies in the software industry cheat sheet

Unit #4:
AI in software implementation
Learning goals / deliverables:
– Gain an understanding of how the emerging AI (Artificial Intelligence) can affect software implementation projects.
– Understand what AI can enable during the implementation project and what the limitations are.
– Deep dive into a vast amount of use cases of AI usage: from improving stakeholder engagement to automated software testing.
Related distribution material:
– Applications of AI (artificial intelligence) in software implementation projects mind map

Unit #5:
Supporting tools for project delivery
Learning goals / deliverables:
– Learn what tools and how they can contribute to the successful project delivery.
– Get familiar with specific functions of applications, that are used during software implementation projects.
– Master best practices of what aspects need to be considered in the case of using supporting tools.
Related distribution material:
– Supporting tool evaluation matrix template

Unit #6:
SaaS VS. On-premise solutions
Learning goals / deliverables:
– Explore the principles of how SaaS and On-premise software solutions operate.
– Discover important factors that might influence the system selection.
– Explore the key benefits and drawbacks of the SaaS and On-premise approaches.
Related distribution material:
– Saas vs On-premise solution comparison factors cheat sheet

Unit #7:
Organizational change and change management
Learning goals / deliverables:
– Discover the importance of managing change within the organization to achieve project success.
– Gain a fundamental understanding of organizational design; and deep dive into change management planning and its tools.
– Get familiar with various change models to understand the psychological side of organizational transformation and human behavior.
Related distribution material:
– Organizational change checklist template

Unit #8:
Implementation methodologies (agile, waterfall, hybrid)
Learning goals / deliverables:
– Learn all aspects, use cases, and differences of waterfall, agile, and hybrid implementation approaches.
– Deep dive into what factors determine proper methodology selection.
– Get familiar with tailoring and adopting well-known project management principles such as PMBOK Guide by PMI, or Prince2 by Axelos.
Related distribution material:
– Project methodology selection template

Unit #9:
Project quality gates
Learning goals / deliverables:
– Learn why project quality gates are important and how they work.
– Deep dive into reasonable and justifying quality gate questions for each project phase.
– Gain knowledge of how the performed work can be controlled and validated at the end of each project phase.
Related distribution material:
– Quality gate checklist template

Unit #10:
Documentation and knowledge sharing
Learning goals / deliverables:
– Learn how to capture and structure project- and software know-how.
– Deep dive into how to equip software users with the necessary level of knowledge.
– Understand how to build and maintain a long-lasting knowledge base, and foster knowledge transfer within the organization.
Related distribution material:
– Knowledge sharing checklist template

Unit #11:
Internal commitment and buy-in
Learning goals / deliverables:
– Learn why and how commitment and buy-in should appear on all levels of the organization.
– Understand how Executives, Managers, Key- and End-users can become enthusiastic promoters of the software implementation.
– Get familiar with the blueprint of a successful path to build commitment and buy-in.
Related distribution material:
– Commitment and buy-in checklist template

Unit #12:
Roles and positions in implementation projects
Learning goals / deliverables:
– Gain an understanding of software implementation project team composition.
– Learn the importance of each role regardless if it is on the Client- or Vendor side.
– Gain insight into how each role contributes to the implementation project.
Related distribution material:
Roles and positions in software implementation projects mind map

Unit #13:
Most common barriers and pitfalls
Learning goals / deliverables:
– Understand what adds complexity to software implementation projects.
– Deep dive into the most common barriers and pitfalls in software implementation projects.
– Learn to recognize approaching issues, traps, and dangers during software implementation projects.
Related distribution material:
– Most common barriers and pitfalls in software implementation projects mind map