Implementation Strategies
Kristy D. Besant
MT 400
Kaplan University
April 13, 2014
Implementation Strategies
Introduction
Jeston and Nelis (2008) describe the implement phase as “the phase where all of the designed and developed process improvements will actually be ‘brought to life’”. The way that the implementation is executed can make or break a project, on the other hand of its perfection in design. The three-implementation phase steps to the project will be applied by the conclusion of the assignment. The implementation strategies have pros and cons that help with the decision of which selection is proper for the certain circumstances. Based on step five the test and pilot studies are described before anyone can go into the full implementation of the project. Step eight discusses the contingency plans or the back out plan that would be adopted if the implementation does not go as well as expected. Implementation Strategies
The suitability of the four-implementation strategies covered the second step of the project. There are pros and cons of using the strategies for the project. Then a selection will be made for the best implementation strategy that will work best for the circumstances. The four-implementation scenarios are Big Bang, Parallel, Relay, and Combination. The big bang implementation scenario is the first implementation strategy, which is the recommended modification that is presented in the single most important refurbishment and it occurs in one big action as well as the team moves to the new process on a given date. The pros for the big bang scenario are it can be quickly implemented, costs are lower, the implementation time is shorter, and no one has to operate the business in two different computer systems (Neal, 2010). Some of the cons for the big bang strategy are the high risks, a number of things could go wrong, fallback plans do not always work out, there are more pronounced problems, and testing can be tough prior to the implementation (Neal, 2010). The next implementation strategy is the parallel implementation approach.
The parallel implementation strategy is the second and generic implementation scenario that is the projected adjustment, which is introduced step by step according to the location or business unit, with the next rollout starting before the previous rollout is finished. The pros for the parallel implementation scenario are it is a relatively fast implementation, the parallel implementation process has the ability to make use of the lessons that are learned from preceding implementations is valuable, it is less risky, and the users learn the new system while working on the old system. The cons of the parallel implementation approach are it is the most expensive, employees have to enter data in both systems, it can be inefficient and breed data-entry problems, additional resources will be required to assist with overlapping implementations, and the coordination of these simultaneous rollouts will be high and potentially complex (Jeston & Nelis, 2008). The third implementation scenario is the relay implementation strategy.
The relay implementation scenario is the proposed change that is introduced step by step, with each rollout only starting once the previous rollout has been completed. Some of the pros for the relay implementation approach are it has quality, as the lessons learned from the preceding rollouts, can be fully taken into account and the same implementation team can be used, and the conversion will done in parts as well as there is time for adjustments(Jeston & Nelis, 2008). The cons of the relay implementation strategy are the lack of speed, as the implementation could be dependent upon the circumstances, it takes some time to complete, it is complex to implement, mistakes are prone to be made, and the system delivery milestone is unclear. The combination implementation strategy is a combination of the above mentioned
