Scenario

Implementation of Oracle Financials.

Situation

Charteris was asked to undertake a four-month assignment to guide a major UK infrastructure company through the implementation phase of an Oracle Financials system. This system represented the first major element in the company's business transformation programme. The Charteris brief included:

• An initial assessment of the risks associated with the fifteen month development project
• The development and execution of a programme plan to support the new system produced by the project
• Offering guidance as required to the client's own IT and central financial service operations

Charteris Role

During the first two months, the Charteris' programme manager helped the IT department to prepare for going live, and by taking on day-to-day management of part of the programme. It later became necessary to establish a team of client staff who could support the live system. Other areas requiring attention were acceptance criteria, a major network upgrade, help desk and knowledge bank facilities, the roll-out of the desktop functionality to users and system performance testing.

After going live, the Charteris' consultant focussed on:

• Developing and guiding the programme to support the 'steady-state' situation
• The set-up, skills and training of the support team
• Transferring knowledge and procedures from the project to end-users
• System/network performance and disaster recovery plans.

Solution

An intermediate review determined that the project was being driven very effectively towards its go-live date, which was successfully achieved. An important element of the Charteris contribution then became the management of the risks associated with the drive to achieve timely implementation.

The client was delighted with Charteris' contribution to the project and commented that the consultant "brought clarity to the normal welter of competing agendas that surround a big project like this...during a very hectic period".

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