Welcome to Next4biz!
We can begin adapting next4biz for your business and integrating it with other applications. Here you will find the steps to be followed on this journey and the important points that will need your attention on the way.
STEP 1
Key users are the highest level representatives of the next4biz BPM system within your organization. A minimum of two Key Users should be assigned for this purpose. One should represent the business units engaged in marketing/sales management and have comprehensive insight into these processes and your related business strategies. The other should be a member of the IT support department.
Following Design and Customization training and the accompanying certification, Key Users will participate throughout the implementation project ensuring coordination between the project team and your organization. Following project completion and going live, Key Users will retain their role as the configuration authority for the next4biz BPM system. The uninterrupted involvement and strict adherence to the project schedule by the Key Users is a key project success factor.
STEP 2
Design and customization training comprises an intensive and immersive virtual classroom course for Key Users and led by expert instructors. The training materials emphasize the practical utilization of next4biz BPM functionality and customization features. Additionally, they include conceptual content where needed to ensure alignment with the trainees’ organizational context. The course duration is 40 hours, planned to be completed within two calendar weeks. Access training content and calendar here.
It’s important to distinguish between design and customization training and end user training. In contrast to end user training, design and customization training delves deeper into the intricacies of customization.
Full, uninterrupted attendance is mandatory. Participants who do not achieve certification during the training program may not participate as Key Users during the implementation project. If a Key User is changed, the new Key User must receive Design and Customization Training and be certified before joining the team.
STEP 3
Requirement Gathering: The tool used for requirement gathering purposes is the Requirement Analysis Question Set (RAQS) which is distributed to certified Key Users. Answers to RAQS questions are prepared and submitted digitally to the next4biz project team by whom they are compiled and consolidated.
Project Kickoff: The project kickoff is a significant meeting that marks the official initiation of rollout project activities. It is a jump-off point for all members of the project team, both from your organization and next4biz. During the meeting responses to the RAQS are reviewed and the draft project plan shared is divulged.
Project Requirement Analysis: During this activity the Project Analysis Document (PAD) is prepared on the basis of responses to the Requirement Analysis Question Set and additional information gathered during project kickoff. PAD provides the basis and determines the scope of further analysis and design, including customer data requirement analysis and integration requirements analysis.
Customer data requirement analysis: Based on the scope defined by the Project Analysis Document and your process management strategies, the data structures for storing and presenting process flow related data and master data are determined and defined. These data elements are either mapped to user interfaces and/or to interfaces with data providing external systems.
Integration Requirements Analysis: In this activity each system slated for integration is assessed from a technical standpoint to ascertain the appropriate technologies, methods, scope, and structure for establishing an interface that facilitates inter-system communication. The results of the analysis are documented in a comprehensive Integration Plan.
Solution Design: This is the activity that brings together the results of data analysis and integration analysis as a Solution Design (SD) document which sets forth the process design, implementation and customization roadmap.
Reporting Requirements Analysis: next4biz BPM boasts an extensive library of built-in reports that can readily fulfill many of your reporting needs. In this activity your reporting requirements that are satisfied by next4biz filter and reporting fields are identified. All remaining requirements are analyzed and earmarked as implementation targets.
Solution design review: In this meeting, the next4biz team presents the solution design to senior management of your organization responsible for the project. The design is given a final review and minor adjustments are made if necessary to bring the design in to its final form.
Prototyping: The purpose of prototyping is to demonstrate to stakeholders for evaluation, how business processes will flow between system states in the targeted solution and the user interfaces that will be deployed.
Through prototyping stakeholders will arrive at a common understanding and expectation level with respect to the finalized system.
Requirement Gathering: Fully answering RAQS is crucial to producing a comprehensive analysis and guiding the subsequent solution design.
Project Kickoff: All members of the project team from your organization as well as next4biz should be present at the meeting.
The attendance of senior managers and stakeholders is crucial to emphasize and motivate participants, indicating the project’s top-level endorsement within your organization.
Project Requirement Analysis: The thoroughness and level of detail captured by PAD determine the ease and quality of subsequent analysis, design, and the eventual customized end-solution. Key Users play an important role in communicating with and compiling input from all relevant departments to ensure a detailed and rounded-out PAD.
Customer data requirement analysis: Key users play a pivotal role during this stage by evaluating not only current data needs but also determining data requirements arising from process improvements planned to accompany the rollout of next4biz BPM. Key users ensure that this analysis accurately represents the needs of all elements within your organization by collaborating with all relevant departments and sub-departments involved in the BPM processes being implemented.
Integration Requirements Analysis: Key Users representing the IT function and the IT department play the leading role in sourcing critical input regarding the systems with which integration is targeted.
Solution Design: The Solution Design document (SD) scopes the solution to be implemented. Work outside of this scope will not be undertaken within the rollout project. However, the SD may prescribe a step-wise transition for the next4biz BPM implementation as necessary.
Reporting Requirements Analysis: Key users ensure that this analysis accurately represents the needs of all elements within your organization by collaborating with all relevant departments and sub-departments involved in the BPM processes being implemented.
Solution design review: This meeting marks the culmination of all preceding analysis and design efforts. The outcome is a binding design which will require the input of all stakeholders as expounded in the solution design. Therefore, senior management participation in this meeting and endorsement of the solution design is required.
Prototyping: The prototype is a visualization tool for stakeholders to understand the implications of the solution design in operational terms.
Adjustments and revisions to the solution design are to be expected. However stakeholder expectations must be checked by overall project requirements signed off during Solution design review.
As a result of prototype evaluation, revisions in the solution design might be necessary. It is the responsibility of Key Users to manage stakeholder expectations and convert additional requests into tangible requirements.
STEP 4
Following Process Analysis and Solution Design, the next step is preparation and execution of a comprehensive bulk upload of existing process data from source databases and data stores.
In order to be ready on-time, the IT department should have pre-prepared data sets for upload to next4biz BPM.
STEP 5
Customization is performed collaboratively by members of the next4biz team and the Key Users through the implementation of the customization requirements identified by the approved Solution Design document and in accordance with the Roadmap to Success (R2S) methodology. In parallel to this and in accordance with the R2S, the next4biz team and your IT team realize the integration between next4biz BPM and your other systems.
It is crucial to adhere to the schedule defined in the Solution Design document. For this reason the key stakeholders should closely monitor project progress during this stage. Particular care must be taken for making available resources of the IT department for integration activities according to the approved schedule.
STEP 6
Following the completion of customizations and integrations specified by the Solution Design (SD) document, Key Users prepare and execute test scenarios within the next4biz BPM environment According to the success attained with these scenarios, a pilot run may also be performed.
Test scenarios need to be pre-prepared by Key Users as a prerequisite to this stage. It is important that all processes are covered by these scenarios executed by the actual end users, so as to accurately identify any risks looking forward to live operations. Customization revisions should be made to eliminate identified risks.
STEP 7
In this stage the Key Users prepare training programs and content targeting End Users and personally provide training to the End Users on this basis. The prepared training materials reflect the practices of using next4biz BPM within the context of your implemented business processes. If necessary a user manual can also be prepared as part of the materials provided to End Users.
The quality level of End User training is inversely proportional to the applications for support made by End Users to the Key Users. A well-designed training program ensures End User satisfaction and reduces the need for extensive support.
STEP 8
Congratulations! You are now an active user business of next4biz BPM. During a two-week transition period next4biz product consultants will continue providing in-the-loop support to your users. After this period your users will have gained the experience and confidence to operate and manage your new BPM system autonomously. Meanwhile, next4biz is always there for help via the next4biz customer support platform accessible from the HELP menu of your system.
From this point onward, Key Users should monitor the use of your next4biz BPM system and identify emerging risks and process improvement opportunities. Their experience with the application and processes will be sufficient for them to independently evolve the configuration of your next4biz BPM system in response to your changing business requirements.