Prescriptive Project Initiation
- Jan Kubica
Analytics
Introduction
The purpose of the project initiation sprint is to set up the project on both the Partner/Pricefx side, but also (and more importantly!) on the customer’s side.
Project initiation lasts 3 weeks.
Prescriptive methodology implies that PM, BA/SA from Partner/Pricefx side have already been involved in Phase 1 Delivery Workshop. That means there is not need for a handover.
It is crucial for client to understand exactly what is expected from them. For a successful project, client needs to line up a consistent team, where all needed roles are represented. That team needs to actively participate, respond in timely manner and test thoroughly.
Week 1
PMs' initial meeting and alignment
Meet with client about data and get the first data drop -> if customer is not ready, stop and escalate to SDM and project sponsors.
Client team presentation. Check if the team is complete and all roles are represented.
Joint preparation of the Kick-off workshop.
If data and team are ready, Partner/Pricefx PM requests to set up Dev and QA environments.
Week 2
Kick-off workshop is to focus on Use Cases from the Industry Catalogue + User Stories refinement
Client gets familiar with Partner/Pricefx project methodology. and tools.
User stories refinement to configuration ready user stories for the first sprint
no changes, only details, measures,
refinement of the data input/outputs specifications.
Kickoff training of the key members of the customer’s team.
Clear expectations must be set towards the customer about the testing outcomes and response time. Inform client that failure to comply shall result in escalation to sponsors.
Foundation week (3)
optional week - depends on the volume of the non-PDR based user stories.
continuing the user stories refinement; the goal is to get implementation-ready user stories at least for the first feature sprint
Risk and potential warning signs
Often customers underestimate the demands of a pricing project. Problematic situations observed in past projects (not a complete and exclusive list):
Client does not assign the right resources, or not in sufficient capacity.
IT is not involved at all, while they have a crucial role. IT delivers the data and make changes client's internal IT landscape.
There is no sufficient business involvement, only IT. The project is perceived as an IT one.
Project is not anchored enough in the client’s organization. Lack of senior management attention.
During the sales cycle a lot of functionalities were discussed.
In negotiations only a subset of those functionalities ended up in the contract.
This information was not cascaded throughout the customer’s organization. Expectations were not managed.Client’s project team was not involved at all in the sales cycle. That creates a need for lengthy complex knowledge transfer.
Client is not able to provide detailed user stories specification and acceptance criteria.
Client doesn’t have in place adoption and change management plan.
All the time long
Manage the customer’s expectations. Don’t be afraid to say NO.
Data! Data! Data!
If you see something wrong or worrying, raise your hand. Don’t be afraid to reach out to your manager, SDM, competency lead, PMO, …
(W1) PMs' initial meeting and alignment
Typically the project starts when the PMs on both sides start their alignment. For guiding this we have the Pricefx Implementation Process Overview slide deck.
Use it as a template for client discussions.
Agenda points to cover:
The goal of the Project Initiation phase
Partner/Pricefx Project Implementation Methodology
Hybrid Agile model and the ‘why’ of each sprint.
Scope – the more we go into detail, the more the scope will grow.
We need to focus on MVP.
In terms of MoSCoW - 'must-haves' first, then 'should haves', and all the rest is a bonus.
Client roles and Partner/Pricefx roles and responsibilities:
Client's PM is to manage the initiative in their organization.
Partner/Pricefx PM manages the Partner/Pricefx team and organization.
We are not entitled to manage the client’s stakeholders!Client needs to choose use cases they want from the Industry Catalogue.
Partner/Pricefx help refine the user stories, including the acceptance criteria.
Follow the 80/20 rule and try to avoid customization as much as possible.Client is to do unit testing and user stories approval during the feature sprints.
All user stories need to be closed after the sprint.
During the UAT testing client is to do end-to-end testing.
Client needs to share their UAT test scripts with Partner/Pricefx beforehand.Client is responsible for delivering the data to Partner/Pricefx.
Data need to be complete, clean, consistent and properly filtered.
Partner/Pricefx is not a data warehouse or a BI tool!
Pricefx Integration Manager is not an ETL tool. Data manipulation or transformation by Partner/Pricefx will negatively impact performance.Client is responsible for adoption & change management, training end users, documentation.
Pricefx offers a commercial packages for training. Everything outside it's framework Partner/Pricefx does not provide.
Partner/Pricefx train client’s team during sprint demos. Train-the-trainer concept is applied.Client takes up first and second level of support after the go-live.
Pricefx only provides the third-level support in terms of ITIL/ITSM.
CSM to be involved to discuss additional support options (COSA, dedicated support, SLA, etc.).
Before the project starts client needs to:
Set up the proper project governance (Project Board, SteerCo, Architecture board - as needed)
Appoint project team, filling all needed roles and manage their allocation.
Complete Pricefx Business User kickoff training.
Plan all activities around needed changes to non-Pricefx systems.
Plan all change management activities.
Plan all data readiness related activities.
Data is very important and most underestimated in terms of complexity and volume.
Emphasize this over and over again to our clients!SoW Review & project timeline update
Review SoW together with client, so that everyone is on the same page.
This seems obvious, but very often client is surprised to find out what they actually agreed to.Project timeline is often created months before the actual start (as negotiations and getting an actual signature can take long).
Plan needs to be updated based on constraints on both sides.
Prepare Kick-off meeting
Client explains their goals for the project, what they want to achieve etc.
Partner/Pricefx AE explains how Pricefx works.
Client's PM presents the project plan.
Partner/Pricefx PM lays out how we are to work together.
Kick-off meeting is not just a Pricefx Kick-off meeting.
It is the joint project team’s Kick-off meeting. Client and Partner/Pricefx work together.
(W2) Project kick-off
Kick-off workshop is to focus on Use Cases + User stories refinement (no changes) + expectations management.
Client gets familiar with Partner/Pricefx project methodology.
Both parties get on the same page regarding the project management plan.
Clear expectations about testing end response time are set.
Client receives the training on Agile and Jira tools.
It is crucial to make absolutely sure that client understands and agrees with all of what has been said in the kick-off meeting. Record the session and share with client the recordings as well as the PDF version of the kick-off deck. This will be useful especially in case of unexpected project team members changes.
W2 & W3 outcome
With client
User stories confirmed and refined.
The acceptance criteria are defined.
All User Stories have status set to 'Defined'. Client acknowledges that all requirements are final.
User stories at least for feature sprint 1 are of config ready detail.
Customer’s team has received the kickoff training
Organize training on Pricefx tool. To be done by either done by Partner/Pricefx PM/SA or the education team
Align with client's internal systems (contact person, data owner).
Identify clients tend to have custom procedures and/or requirements around testing before an application goes live in their production environment.
Partner/Pricefx needs to take those into account in the timeline.
Partner/Pricefx internally:
Have an internal review on the effort estimations. During the Sales cycle initial estimations were made. In case the SA has since changed, the new SA should re-estimate all user stories. PM should re-estimate all non-config time. This new estimation should be compared with the original estimate. If new estimation differs from the initial estimation from the SoW, inform the SDM and your manager and ask for advice. Involve the Solution Sales team.
Invite yourself to the PMO call to make the project initiation checkpoint.
Artifacts:
Pricefx Training partition
Data Specification document
RAID Log
Status report
Additional actions
It is good to plan all meeting cadences already, so everyone’s agenda is blocked.
This can be the following meetings:
User story refinement meetings
Sprint planning meetings
Daily standups
Sprint Demo meetings
Sprint Retrospective meetings
Artifacts to use: