Complication: A large retailer utilized many different systems and processes to manage timekeeping and attendance for associates located in 2000 store locations. The in-flight project was in the process of configuring the selected solution, but was behind schedule with results not matching expectations. Aspirent was brought in to manage the project implementation to achieve the business goal of increasing operational efficiency and process standardization.
Approach: The Aspirent team approached the implementation by reviewing the current project progress, remaining work, and implementation plan to identify necessary steps to accomplish the defined the business goals. To support the business goals, Aspirent approached the work with the following approach:
- Reviewed and clarified business requirements – Through working sessions with business owners, and reviewing requirements documentation and configuration documentation; Aspirent partnered with the client to identify gaps against the business goals. Remediation plans were created to address identified gaps.
- Reviewed and clarified scope, project approach, and resource needs – Leveraging the remediation plans Aspirent partnered with the client to finalize the project scope; modify the project approach; and created plans to address identified risks, issues, and resource gaps.
- Creation of an optimized implementation plan – Key to success was an optimized implementation plan which included all project work, as well as external factors which impacted training and implementation. The team identifying key impacts to be managed for a successful rollout. This model included remaining work to be completed, current in-flight projects impacting store associates, store work-loads during peak spring season, organizational hierarchy, and training requirements. The final implementation plan identified.
- Managed project execution and vendor management – Aspirent partnered with the client’s business and IT team, and the vendor to move to an agile approach executing configuration/development/testing in weekly releases providing ongoing transparency of progress to milestones and the ultimate business goal.
- Partnered in training and test creation – Leveraging the client’s internal training methodology and Aspirent’s testing methodology, Aspirent partnered to create the training content, approach, and execution. Aspirent also partnered with the vendor and client IT to finalize the testing methodology, approach and execution.
- Implementation of finalized system – following the optimized implementation plan, Aspirent partnered with the client to pilot the solution in 10 stores. Configuration was updated based upon identified improvements, and the pilot was expanded to 40 stores. Upon successful approval of the pilot results, and concurrent with training execution, the system was released to increasing numbers of stores based upon the optimized implementation plan.
