addition to previous work 9/2

Implementation Strategies

Eric Serrano

CMGT/ 445

August 28th, 2017

1.0 Introduction:

This communication plan describes the approaches and methodologies to be used for the customer care software implementation project communications, information dissemination, feedback, as well as stakeholder management. This is a working document and will function throughout the project life cycle. The purpose of the communication plan is to facilitate the transition of the customer care to an effective customer care service delivery department and through the implementation of robust customer care software. The specific objectives of this communication are;

• To facilitate sharing and dissemination of information, and create staff alignment within the customer care department

• To create alignment with external stakeholders to enable transition toward the new robust customer care software implementation and improve the value of services the customer care department provides to our customers in particular

• To pinpoint and develop a plan to inform key stakeholders, and allocate responsibilities for project tasks and information

• To keep up the focus of change and staff leading the communication strategy

1.1 Scope:

This document will detail:

• How stakeholders and managers will be kept informed regarding project progress. This will include the form of communication (status reports, meetings, etc.), frequency, and specific project milestones that will aid in determining where the implementation stands.

•  The various kinds of documentation that will be required to support the future system operation, including both user and technical documentation.

• The Change Control process that will be employed on the project to properly manage any disruptions to the progress of the project.

• Evaluate out-sourcing of implementation tasks, using consulting services versus performing them in-house, describing the costs, benefits, and challenges associated with each option.

2.0 Stakeholders and Managers Management:

There are various key stakeholders involved in this project and these include, the corporation’s loyal customers’ representatives, the customer care staff, customer care departmental managers and supervisors, customers of the corporate’s products and services, the corporates Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) manager and supervisors, Human Resource department, and external ICT product and service supplier, sales and maintenance team.

2.1 Information Management:

1. Meetings:

• The implementation team meetings will be held four (4) times in a month or as may be required to correspond with the significant milestones in the implementation work plan. Action minutes of all meetings will be documented and disseminated to all participants within two (2) working days of the meeting conclusion

• Liaison teams will meet weekly

• Special meetings may be held within the customer care department to address strategic concerns or actions that will impact achievement or development. Resolutions and actions from these meetings will be recounted at the next following implementation team meeting and incorporated for monitoring.

1. Status Reports:

In accordance with Richardson (2014), status reports will be submitted to the key stakeholders and managers on a monthly basis to update them with on the progress of each component of the plan. The communication matrix shall be restructured every so often to allow the implementation team to deliver progress reporting and keep informing other key stakeholders and managers on planned activities

1. Documentation and Accessibility:

The hard and soft copies of all documents concerning the project will be accessed through communication mechanisms that include, but not limited to those in Table 1 below. According to Van Tiem (2006), “communication channels are the delivery mechanisms for sending and receiving feedback from stakeholders.”

Table 1: Communication Channels to be used for Information Access and Dissemination

Other mechanisms that will be applied to assist with information management include Posters and flyers in the office, Magazines and Newsletters, Tailor-made capacity building and training sessions.

1. Feedback Mechanisms:

Feedback is significant to ascertain and gauge the ongoing effectiveness of communications. Through monitoring and replying to feedback frequently, communication can carry on addressing the prerequisites and anxieties of key stakeholders and managers (Van Tiem, 2006). Therefore, the corporation will allow the following feedback mechanisms:

• Direct feedback- face to face interactions to present a chance of accessing prompt information

• Formal feedback- directed to the customer care department managers and supervisors, the corporation’s directors and executive director

• Informal feedback- obtained verbally through the Human Resource department

1. The measure of Success:

The success of the project shall be measured by measuring the following milestones

• Has the communication installed an acceptance of change and a greater understanding of the value-add can be provided?

• Is the communicated information relevant?

• Are we effectively managing key stakeholders and managers expectations?

• Are we promoting and encouraging feedback effectively?

• Is the frequency of communication appropriate to the category intended?

• Does the communication increase awareness of the goals of the customer care department?

3.0 Various Documents Required Supporting the Future System Operation:

Since the change is a software implementation, the ICT department must be furnished with end user manual and an installation manual from the supplier, containing procedures to fix bugs whenever they arise, maintenance updates schedules, currently known bugs, and customizable information. The customer care department will only be supplied with the end user manual only after being trained on how to use the system by the supplier and the internal ICT department.

4.0 Change Control Process Management:

To ensure that the project is implemented appropriately and ultimately successful, I will ensure that, a project proposal can be accessed through the various communications mechanisms herein stated, the project proposal contains the description of the projected change, rationale for change, expected benefits of the change, implementation time framework, and the expected organizational value. I will also ascertain that the proposal has been submitted to all the key stakeholders for reviewing, thus creating a platform for interaction, answering questions, and enabling effective decision-making concerning the project. Through collaboration with my fellow managers, we shall allow responses to be made, through defining options and creating a response document containing suggestions on proposed solutions, the influence of the project, and time frame work. I will then re-evaluate the changes with key stakeholders and managers to zero down on the best way to allow the transition smoothly.

5.0 Evaluation of Out-Sourcing Vs. In-Housing Implementation Tasks:

The advantage of outsourcing an ICT software development company to implement the customer care software for a short term, although at a higher cost than using the company's ICT department is that, it saves the corporation from monies by not binding itself to an employee’s yearly remunerations. Outsourcing also brings to the corporation additional expertise that can be absorbed into the company for even long-term benefits. Likewise, the corporation stands to gain operational competencies and hands-on skills that could be challenging reproducing in-house. The disadvantages of outsourcing include; the process is tedious since, it involves competitive bidding, to zero down on a reasonably priced and high-quality service provider. One more challenge is those good service providers at many circumstances are inclined to be very busy; thus it could be difficult to get their attention when need be. The services also are costly per hour as compared to hiring a staff in-house, and their availability is not in the corporation's control (Traxler, 2012).

The benefits of in-house hiring include; nurturing the corporations own for operational and maintenance tasks; which has the benefits that include: controlling the service provider’s, availability time, quality and activity. Although, being less expensive than outsourcing, the challenge is that, at times it necessities funding the staff for further studies to acquire the needed expertise, which can delay the intended change, for the corporation to keep in line with the preferred changing market trends. The best way the corporation should solve this will be through, the hiring of services from an external ICT software service provider, who will train the corporations internal ICT implementation team to acquire the relevant hands-on skills (Traxler, 2012).

References:

Gary, G.L.R. (2014). Project Management Theory and Practice, Second Edition. Auerbach Publications.

Traxler, D. (22 Aug. 2012). Outsourcing v. Hiring In-house: Pros and Cons. Retrieved from: http://www.practicalecommerce.com/Outsourcing-v-Hiring-In-house-Pros-and-Conshouse-Pros-and-Cons

Van Tiem, J.L.D. (2006). Performance Improvement Interventions: Enhancing People, Processes, and Organizations Through Performance Technology. John Wiley & Sons.