Our Methodology

Project Management Tools that Ensure Success

With experience honed over nearly two decades, PMA’s implementation methodology integrates consulting and education with project management tools, templates and samples. Focusing on collaboration and knowledge transfer, implementation follows a four-phased approach, designed to ensure an expedient, low-cost, high-value process.

Planning Phase

Project Kickoff & Initial Project Planning

As a first step, the PMA consulting team and the client project team review PMA’s implementation methodology and project management tools. Baseline activities include:

Acknowledge project goals and scope
Finalize team structures
Establish communication channels
Draft implementation and education plans
Review application integration timing considerations
Agree on all deliverables, dependencies and responsibilities for implementation activities

Design Phase

Business Requirements/Design Session

PMA works with your project team to outline major elements required to successfully implement the solution. These include:

High-level implementation objectives
Key user groups
Reporting
Specific data requirements
Integration requirements

The deliverable is an application design document, reflecting all joint configuration decisions.

System Administrator Training

Providing specifics on all roles and responsibilities, system administrator training details how to set up and maintain:

User and client accounts
Permission sets for security
Reports
Configuration of application attributes
Resource transfer schedules
Scheduled action utility
Report server

Construction Phase

Preliminary Configuration

PMA consultant and system administrator walk through the design configuration worksheet. Using lessons learned in training, the system administrator begins configuring the database. Even if the worksheet is incomplete, the system administrator gains enough experience during this step to add or modify configuration settings as they are finalized.

Detailed System Build-out (Configuration/Construction)

PMA consultant and system administrator configure all necessary systems and aspects of the overall solution, integrated with other core applications in a development environment.

Full System Unit Test

PMA consultant and client team execute a full end-to-end unit test, covering all delivered and configured elements of the complete solution. Limited to the core team only, successful testing gives the green light to proceed with the conference room pilot.

Conference Room Pilot

The concept is built and tested in a hands-on environment to ensure the planned implementation effectively addresses business issues. The project team uses the conference room pilot to:

Enhance understanding of application for structuring and processing decisions
Identify and develop appropriate data sets and controls for prototype system
Assess adjustments to system setup, procedures and policies

Activation Phase

End-User Training

Pilot end-users commence training, led by either PMA or client resources.

Production Build & Cutover

PMA consultant and system administrator walk through the design configuration worksheet to validate and finalize via all testing cycles. The system administrator begins configuring the database.

Detailed Production Build-out

PMA consultant and system administrator configure all identified systems and aspects of the complete solution, integrated with core applications in the production environment/product line.

Post Go-Live Support

To conclude the implementation process, the project team:

Confirms that production system is functioning correctly as cutover procedures are completed
Resolves issues that result from cutover and first live processes
Defines long-term support strategies