One of the challenges I face in my job as a traveling consultant is making sure I have everything ready for me to start working when I get to a client. At my job, I often do not find out about a new installation or upgrade until a few days or a week before I have to fly out. Usually this information comes to me while I'm working full-time for another client, so there normally isn't any prep work I can do for them. Even if I had the time, companies are trying to squeeze every penny in savings out of the contract and the timeline is already compressed. I have to get the client to do some of the prep work for me before I get on-site.
Fortunately there is a lot the client can do in advance of my arrival that doesn't take any special knowledge of EnterpriseOne at all. One time-consuming thing a client can do is download all the necessary files for the upgrade/install. Oracle doesn't send out physical media anymore unless you ask, and even then the software might not be as up-to-date as you would find online.
To help out with the downloads, I maintain a current list of all the software required for an upgrade/installation along with instructions on how to log in to eDelivery and download the files. With that, the client can download virtually all the files necessary to get started.
It's a bit of a stretch to ask any client to get Change Assistant configured and start them downloading the Planner ESU, tools release files, and fix current ESUs. There are few companies - even those already using E1 - that know how to use CA. I usually don't send instructions for that unless I'm certain they can do it.
The most important thing the client can do is simply have all the systems ready. Our company sends someone on-site a few weeks before the engagement begins to tell them what kinds of servers to buy, what operating system to install, and what additional software and hardware requirements there are. By the time I find out that I'm the one that going to do the install, the client should be just about finished with all that setup.
The week before I show up on site, I have a conference call with the IT contact at the client and go over their setup with a fine-tooth comb. You have to ask them about each server, every bit of software - everything - and don't take "we're working on it" as an answer. If they can't be confident that the systems will be ready when you get there on Monday, then there's no point in traveling out there just so you can sit on your hands all day.
Of course there is no fool-proof way to determine if a client is totally ready before you show up on-site. With some clients you just have to be there to tell them what it is they need to finish. As a result you can spend a lot of time waiting for things to get ready and burning hours off the clock.
While it all pays the same in the end, the prep work saves the client money by offloading the busy work to them rather than having the expensive consultant do it. It also saves me from losing time I need to finish the installation. Often the next phase of the install begins on a certain date, with other consultants scheduled on-site and client activities scheduled for the implementation. The install has to be finished by that date regardless, so that lost time gets made up during overtime I could be spending with my family.
Just a few checklists prepared and sent to the client in advance can make the installation go smoother. A conference call before going on-site to discuss their preparation can eliminate a lot of frustration in the first week of work. Getting all that out of they way early can also let you enjoy that family BBQ three weeks from now.
No comments:
Post a Comment