The Initial Situation and Framework Conditions at Project Start

In this project, we advised an internationally active, publicly listed technology corporation with an extensive portfolio on the selection of an IT tool for M carve-out and its implementation. In further steps, the project was planned in detail and project management was taken over for the implementation, including the rollout of the M application. The corresponding M tool was used in an IT carve-out scenario as a central tool for baselining, a comprehensive inventory of all data relevant to the project, for overall project management and particularly project control, as well as for the worldwide coordination and management of the entire carve-out.

A carve-out project is a highly confidential and sensitive undertaking, where great care is taken, especially in the initial phase, about what information becomes public. This requires a high degree of discretion from all involved. As we were involved in the project early on, it was important to conscientiously adhere to the confidentiality regulations agreed in the NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) at all times.

However, this also means that project participants are usually informed at short notice and instructions are handed over successively. In this context, it is essential to place a strong focus on correct rights role management to protect sensitive data areas.

The Structured Project Planning for Swift and Smooth Implementation

In a very short time, we set up a project plan for tool introduction and designed a concept for implementation within the tight schedule given to us. This included, for example, the initial project preparations, the course of the rollout, as well as the optimal configuration of the tool adapted to customer and project needs.

In M projects, circumstances change very frequently. Therefore, it was necessary to react quickly to these changes and develop appropriate solutions in coordination with the various stakeholders. Coordinating all project participants and continuously monitoring and controlling the complex project was a challenge that had to be mastered in order to successfully complete the project within the given time and budget framework.

The stakeholders in this project essentially consisted of three parties: the client’s IT department, which is responsible for the service of the tool, the provider of the application, and consultants and project managers from digatus.
With the complexity of a project and the number of project participants, the need for communication and coordination in a project also increases. Good and regular communication and coordination between project participants was therefore essential, both to meet the information needs of all involved and to monitor tasks and project progress. All with the goal of providing smooth service to the client and users. Daily stand-up meetings, as known from the SCRUM methodology, led to close coordination. When needed, additional ad-hoc meetings were set up with relevant stakeholders to jointly clarify short-term issues and problems.

The requirements for the tool and how it should be used in this specific case were determined by the client’s own M department. In addition, we developed and defined their special needs in individual workshops with representatives from the specialist departments. In cooperation with the provider, we succeeded in optimizing the application within two weeks to meet the project-specific requirements so that it could go live and be rolled out to users.

“Throughout all project phases, we took charge of the rollout management, including user training. Despite the project’s high complexity, we were able to ensure a smooth process at all times through particularly prudent project planning and implementation, leading the project to success.”

Patrick Streit

The Tasks and Challenges During the Rollout Phase

The rollout to users took place in waves. In accordance with the general project plan, a country concept was utilized. This involved grouping countries, after which their users were successively granted access to the application. The tool rollout encompassed nearly 5,000 users from over 80 countries. To ensure the productive use of the tool as quickly as possible, users were specially trained in over 75 sessions. Additional support was offered to users in the form of regular Q sessions as well as a hotline and email support.

To continuously question and improve our performance, we regularly held retrospectives to review our services and performance, making adjustments when necessary. One measure taken for this purpose was, for example, the creation of standardized communication templates and reporting templates that were used almost daily.
By managing the rollout by country and in multiple phases, a standardized approach could be identified for each. These standards were then adapted to the individual conditions and peculiarities of the countries as needed. In this way, adjustments for each wave could be implemented swiftly, and short-term action requirements could be addressed.

The Factors for Successful Project Completion

The swift and structured approach was essential to successfully and purposefully manage a project of this magnitude with high management attention and public pressure. By providing reliable service, we contributed to effectively steering the project. The reduction of response times and higher user satisfaction were made possible with simple solutions such as templates and standardized processes. Furthermore, media such as live training sessions for the application and short tutorials were recorded and made permanently available to users.

Last but not least, good teamwork and mutual support within the team were decisive factors in the successful implementation of the project.