Cut Over is a Phase
The Cut Over Plan will cover a period of days or weeks. It is not as people incorrectly think, a flick of a switch. If only it was that simple! Cut Over planning incorporates a number of activities and tasks which need to be done in preparation for that final go ahead that you are now Live on SAP.
Plan in Detail
Plan out the activities at a high level during the Realisation Phase and then go into more detail when you are in the Test Phase. Finally in the weeks prior to the Cut Over Phase, plan the activities in intricate detail.
Communicate the Plan to all interested parties
The above heading includes “all interested parties” for the reason that everyone who is affected by the project needs to be aware of what is going to take place, when it takes place and who will be involved and affected.
All too often Cut Over Plans are only viewed by the project manager. It is vital that all of the project team members see the plan so that they can know what activities are required of them and as such plan their input for these activities. One response a project manager will not want to hear on a project is someone saying: “I didn’t know that I had to do that”.
In addition, the relevant cut over activities should be communicated to a much wider audience. Project Go Lives generally affect a large number of employees within the organisation (usually all employees are affected in some way). Communicate this to them so that they are all aware.
Include All Potential Activities in the plan
Remember to include all activities in the plan. This will include SAP activities as well as other non-SAP activities such as manual tasks, activities required in other systems, communication initiatives etc.
Ensure the Plan is easily visible to all
If you are a project manager or team lead who only works with MS Project, check whether everyone is able to view MS Project files. If not, then save the cut over plan in HTML format so that everyone can view it on their own work stations.
Don’t keep the Cut Over Plan contained deep in one of the shared project drives where on the project manager knows where to go and view it. Not everyone can navigate those 12 folders to get to the relevant folder. Create a shortcut for the file and let everyone know the link to the file so that they can view it easily.
Even better still print out the Cut Over Plan and stick it to a wall which is visible to all. Again, don’t just put it on any wall. Choose the position carefully. Choose a position near the drinks machine. Sounds obvious but these things make a successful project.
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