Staying on TOP of your IP Asset Management Database System Project: Part IV – Process

Editor’s Note: This is the fourth and final post in this series examining our lessons learned from managing IP Asset Management database system migration projects. 

As I noted in the first post in this series, there are three critical building blocks to position your organization to stay on TOP of your migration to a new IPAM solution:

• Technology – Selecting the right technology and technology solution partners. 
• Organization – Anticipating the impact to your organization and proactively developing and implementing a successful change management program. 
• Process – Assembling the right project team and developing a practical project plan to position your organization for a successful implementation. 

In this posting I will elaborate on the “Process” component. This is another challenging element of any large project. Key aspects of this element include assembling a project team; empowering them and positioning them for success; and investing the time to develop a realistic project plan. Specific best practices relative to the Process building block include:

1. Understand that you will undoubtedly underestimate the resource and schedule requirements for all systems projects. It is also very easy to underestimate the extent of legacy data migration and system integration challenges – especially if there have been multiple generations / versions of your current software solution. This is generally not complex but requires attention to detail and careful follow-through.

2. Manage expectations for your project team to be accountable for the project beyond the initial implementation to ensure that all your key project goals are achieved. It is extremely difficult not to get distracted and return to “business as usual” (i.e. your normal day job) after the initial implementation of a major technology solution.

3. Ensure that your project team has accountability for all aspects of your system migration. Key roles to consider include:

a. Program Manager: Responsible for project schedule, technical architecture, software and hardware platforms selection, project communications, change management

b. Process Manager: Responsible for planning and updating your key operational processes in alignment with changes, constraints, and opportunities provided by your new IPAM solution

c. Data Manager: Oversee the legacy data migration into the new system and the new data standards that you will implement to take full advantage of your new system

4. Be proactive in your vendor communications with proactive communications to continue to align perceptions, expectations, goals, and objectives to ensure a success outcome for both parties.

How successful has your organization planning and executing systems implementations within your institution? Have you documented and taken action on your lessons learned? What lessons learned have surprised you?