Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/18157
Project planning should include the following steps: • Define the project team by creating a Responsibility Matrix. This should include a project sponsor, stakeholders and resources needed to complete the project tasks. Input from subject matter experts that own the current process may be needed. However, the project manager will have primary responsibility for execution and completion of the project. • Create a Project Schedule that details major milestones and task dependencies. The project schedule should highlight critical tasks and significant deadlines to ensure that each department or group involved in the project is accurately scheduling resources as needed. • Develop a Quality Assurance Plan/Testing Matrix which utilizes a sampling of every member of the firm who will interact with the process, including the sponsor department, staff, attorneys and IT. • Document an Ownership Transfer Plan so that, once the project is completed, the sponsor and IT department can maintain the system long-term. • Work to define mitigation plans for the high-level project pitfalls identified above. With these steps you have defined your detailed approach to final project delivery, as well as the project deliverables that you will use to benchmark the BPM project’s success. You can now finalize the budget and obtain final approvals for your project. 18 Project Management ILTA White Paper IMPLEMENTATION AND CONTROL At this point of the BPM project, your plans have been well documented and you are ready to coordinate your resources and execute the project tasks. Many decisions must be made regarding using internal versus external development resources as well as what software and hardware you will require. These decisions will depend greatly on your firm’s size and resources. Once these decisions have been made, based on the detailed project documentation, your first task should be to schedule a kickoff meeting. At this meeting review each of the project documents and ensure that the team has a firm grasp of their responsibilities throughout the project as well as how they are expected to communicate with each other. During the implementation phase of the project your primary goal is to manage the project team, and that means ensuring that tasks are completed properly and on schedule as well as ensuring an open communication flow among all team members and the firm. Specific activities include the following: • Provide executive updates. Support from management is critical to the success of a BPM implementation, so inform management of progress that you are making and ask for additional assistance when faced with policy and procedural issues. • Send project updates and notices about deadlines. Report regularly on progress and discuss issues and corrective actions with the team. • Communicate with your firm to educate everyone on the project and its benefits. Since changes in process affect users in many ways, understanding the culture of your firm is very important. Point out the benefits