In my previous blog, we explored what Project Methodology is meant to do at a high level and why it is important. When professional services organizations share their methodology with their customers, they are showing them what to expect and preparing them for success. The more the client is bought into the outlined process and understands the value, the more likely the project is to succeed.
There tends to be confusion when it comes to project methodologies. Some believe that a project methodology is the "holy grail" of a project and that there is only one RIGHT way to do it. I, however, believe the value of project methodology comes in its flexibility and guiding principles.
One example of a project methodology style is Kanban. Kanban is a scheduling board that shows you a visual representation of your to do list, what's currently in progress, and what has been completed. As you complete one task, you move your sticky note from one part of the board to the next. See a simplified example of Kanban below:
Despite what you may think, Kanban is not focused entirely on process. The core behind Kanban is visualizing the workflow, limiting work in progress, measuring lead time, clear policies and always looking for improvement opportunities. It allows you to move tasks around based on accomplishing the goal, but primarily focuses on providing a visual.
As with Kanban, Concentrus believes in flexibility. Therefore, the “Gates of Success”are focused on client touch points for constant validation. The purpose is to focus on the solution and needs of our Client. The guiding principles are the same, but the approach is different based on the type of project.
In the previous blog we focused on new NetSuite implementations, in this section we’ll focus on NetSuite Customization projects.
For every NetSuite customization project, we focus on:
- Discovery
The focus is to fully understand the current situation, the pain points and ideal outcome. We are not order takers, we’re looking for the root cause to implement a solution that will bring forth the desired results. - Requirements Approval
After spending the time upfront to understand the current situation, our team details the requirements and the solution. This is another check point to ensure we are aligned with your vision. - User Interface Approval
This is a critical component in which the client will get to SEE what the result will look like. Many projects fail because they are not easy to use on the front end. Our team takes the time to ensure you feel comfortable with the user experience. - Design Approval
After we’ve identified the root cause and created a plan for the solution, our team focuses on the back end to ensure the design will bring forth the desired results AND performance. Many times customization projects fixate one issue, but end up creating another due to poor planning. - User Acceptance Test
Before going live, we've included an additional gate of success for user acceptance. Here we focus on bringing it all together for you and ensuring you get to test drive it. This is important because we want to ensure you feel comfortable with the solution and train the team to ensure a successful launch.
With all project methodologies the intent is the same, efficiency, flexibility and delivers results. Our team is ready to serve you. For more information on project methodology, or the Concentrus approach to NetSuite customizations, click on the button below to learn more.
