ArcWorkbench: systems-led change programme management
What is ArcWorkbench?
ArcWorkbench is a software tool to support system implementation projects involving large multi-user application systems. It provides a software environment to support implementation methodologies that address assessing business needs, relating these needs to system functionality and project managing the implementation of new systems into the business. Its scope covers systems strategy planning, functionality assessment and implementation. ArcWorkbench can be used by a number of different constituencies:
Application service providers
Business process model and related system set-up configuration policies can be established for different types of industries, providing clear guidelines for rapid introduction of the system service into new customer sites.
Software suppliers
Design variations incorporated into the solution for particular customers can be closely monitored and controlled against the standard "out-of-box" design. Such variations and their development costs can be discussed objectively with customers. When variations are agreed, ArcWorkbench can be used to monitor them and provide an audit trail for system upgrades.
System integrators and implementation consultancies
ArcWorkbench supports development of a solution architecture to marry system functionality with the business need. Business process models for different industries and system design and functionality can be retained within ArcWorkbench and used as templates for implementation projects, minimising implementation costs and timescales.
Project management and system change control support provided by ArcWorkbench will help to ensure project quality and provide guidance for less experienced project team members. ArcWorkbench is a flexible tool that can be used with any proprietary implementation methodology.
End customers
ArcWorkbench provides an inherent methodology for in-house management of system implementation projects, which may or may not involve external consultancy support. Once implementation is complete, ArcWorkbench can be used to manage and control subsequent changes to system design. It can represent an integrated repository for relating business process need to system support and become the central reference point for the business/IT dialogue.
Features and benefits
Multiple projects
ArcWorkbench can retain separate information bases for multiple projects. This enables all constituencies to build up and transfer knowledge bases for business process modelling and system setup configuration from one project to another.
Business process modelling
Business process models can be developed to up to three levels. Models can be interfaced to third-party packages (e.g. Visio) for further definition and refinement. Models are specific to a particular project but can be copied from one project to another. In this way master models can be constructed for different types of organisations and utilised as the starting model for a particular project.
Business environment definition
Construction of a business process model is just one element required for defining an organisation's operating environment. ArcWorkbench supports definition and analysis of current business activity and business process policy requirements. Business process models may be common from one organisation site to another, but policies for undertaking the process may differ and have an impact on how systems are configured from site to site. ArcWorkbench can recognise and support this, whilst at the same time ensuring the adoption of a common and integrated core solution across all organisational sites.
System design and functionality
System design objects (tables, forms, applications, etc.) and functionality can be defined and related to each other in ArcWorkbench. ArcWorkbench provides an interface facility for importing such design features from software suppliers. Defining design objects within ArcWorkbench supports change control during and after implementation. Any number of systems can be defined within ArcWorkbench to support multi-system implementation projects.
Analysis
System functionality can be mapped to business process models and functionality gaps identified. A formal assessment can be made of the relative importance of functionality gaps to support management decision making in either taking action to close a gap or in objectively comparing the suitability of one system over another.
System setup and configuration
Setup steps and configuration policy can be defined for each system. The precedence and relevance of system setup steps can be identified automatically by ArcWorkbench, depending upon which of a system's application modules are to be included in the implementation project. Configuration policies can be defined for each element of data set-up and can vary (if necessary) for different types of organisational site. This will give clarity to the rules and constraints for establishing setup data so that the system core solution is maintained across sites with practicality and integrity.
Data migration
Policies and procedures can be defined for migrating data from legacy systems in the new system's database. Declaring such policies and procedures at an early stage in an implementation project will enable them to be scrutinised and tested, well before live implementation. Such policies and procedures relate to system table objects and can be defined separately for different organisational sites.
System design change control
ArcWorkbench enables design variations to the "out-of-box" system to be monitored and controlled. Design change requirements can be objectively assessed against the business process model needs, and development costs can be estimated. Formal approval for design change requests can be tracked. This helps to ensure that design changes are restricted to the minimum required to meet the business needs, that project budgets are not unexpectedly comprised, and it provides an audit trail for supporting future system upgrades.
Project documentation control
ArcWorkbench enables project document deliverables and other reference documents to be registered within it. Such documents can then be accessed and worked upon directly from within ArcWorkbench, with the status of project deliverables being monitored. ArcWorkbench can automatically configure external documents (e.g. word, excel, visio, etc.) as deliverables and references for individual projects, helping to establish project document standards. Once configured these external documents can be accessed from within ArcWorkbench.
Interfaces to third party packages
ArcWorkbench can interface to most other third party system products. system products can be accessed directly from within ArcWorkbench, either "firing-up" a particular document that has been registered within ArcWorkbench or just opening up the third party product (with no reference to a particular document). This provides a controlled environment for managing a project through ArcWorkbench, with the flexibility of utilising numerous other third party products to create project documentation or access reference material.
ArcWorkbench applications
System Administration
This application is only accessible to users that have system administrator privileges. ArcWorkbench users can be established, and menus and default project phases can also be established.
Development Estimate Standards
This application enables the establishment of standard system development tasks and resources, for assignment to change request cost estimates. Development tasks can be associated with three levels of complexity (simple, average, and complex), each with their own number of standard hours for undertaking the task at each level. Resources can be associated with a standard hourly cost rate.
Project Setup
This application enables new projects to be established, automatically establishing project phases and phase deliverables and configuring external document links to the project according to file structures residing in the Projects and Reference sub directories of ArcWorkbench.
Project Phase Deliverables
This application enables deliverable and reference documents to be assigned to project phases. They are established automatically during Project Setup, but can be altered manually within this application. The completion status of deliverable documents can be monitored.
Documents Set-up
This application enables documents to be configured to a project. Documents are configured automatically during Project Setup, but can be altered manually within this application.
Process Model Set-up
This application enables business process areas (the highest level of a business process model) to be established. Business process areas are uniquely assigned to a particular project. Business processes can also be assigned to business process areas and process tasks can be assigned to business processes to create a three-level business process model for a particular project.
Model Tailoring
This application is accessed from within the Process Model Setup application. It enables the copying of a business process model (or elements of it) from one project to another. ArcWorkbench is seeded with template (master), industry-specific business process models. These can be copied to new projects, enabling the fast establishment of an initial business process model for subsequent development.
Company Sites
This application enables company sites involved with a project to be defined, and within these sites organisational departments to be defined. It also enables company roles to be defined (e.g. production controller, maintenance planning section, etc.) and assigned to departments. Defining the organisation in this way enables it to be mapped to the Business Process Model, providing a capability for undertaking various types of analysis within other application areas of ArcWorkbench.
System Change Requests
This application enables change requests to be registered, with the automatic creation of a Change Request Note. It also enables the approval of change requests to be monitored and controlled and provides a capability for creating a cost estimate for the change request, based upon estimate standards.
Critical Success Factors
This application enables Critical Success Factors (CSFs) to be defined for each business process area. Each CSF can have a number of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) defined against it, with their current and target values. The CSFs and KPIs provide an executive-level focus for development of the Business Process Model and priorities for improvement. KPIs also provide a basis for establishing executive and management information requirements.
Department Activity
This application enables a rough-cut estimate to be made of the existing cost of business process areas. It supports the definition of current departmental activity and its assignment to a Business Process Area. In this way, current departmental activity can be mapped to the Business Process Model and, with reference to departmental budgets, an estimate of the current cost of business process areas can be established. Similarly to the use of CSFs, this provides an executive-level focus for development of the Business Process Model and priorities for improvement.
Process Area Inputs and Outputs
This application enables the principal inputs and outputs to be defined for each Business Process Area with the Business Process Model. It checks the integrity between inputs and outputs within the Business Process Model and provides focus for establishing Critical Success Factors.
Process Model
This application enables the initial Business Process Model, created within the Process Model Set-up application, to be developed further. It enables changes to be made to business processes and process tasks. It enables processes to be associated with company sites and tasks to be mapped to system functionality. It also enables tasks to be linked to external documents (e.g. Visio diagrams), providing a capability for lower definition of the Business Process Model.
Process Policies
This application enables operational policies (high level executive rules) to be defined for each business process (the second level) of the Business Process Model. Again, this provides an executive-level focus for development of the Business Process Model and priorities for improvement. Each policy can be assigned to one or more company sites (which have been associated with the process).
Process Area Questions and Characteristics
This application enables open and closed (characteristics) questions to be posed for each business process (the second level) within the Business Process Model (closed questions are posed at the Business Process Area level). Questions can be used to construct specific department manager questionnaires or to support consultant interviewing. Answers to questions (from specific departments) can be recorded.
System Functionality Requirement
This application enables system functionality requirements to be defined against key tasks within the Business Process Model. It enables all requirements to be captured and graded (i.e. Certain, Possible, Probable). It also allows the capability of application systems to meet these requirements to be assessed using a scoring mechanism. It can be used to analyse the "fit" of a system to a business process model and also to capture initial change requirements prior to the creation of a formal Change Request.
System Design Objects
This application enables the registration of System Design Objects (e.g. tables, forms, applications, reports, etc), identifying them as either as supplied ("out-of-box") or additionally created objects. Once the details of these design objects have been defined, changes against them can be monitored. ArcWorkbench provides interface tables for importing system design objects from supplier systems.
Design Changes - Forms
This application enables changes to Form (screen) Design Objects to be monitored and controlled. All registered changes must be associated with an approved Change Request Note. It provides an audit trail for all system changes.
Design Changes - Reports
This application enables changes to Report Design Objects to be monitored and controlled. All registered changes must be associated with an approved Change Request Note. It provides an audit trail for all system changes.
Design Changes - Stored Procedures
This application enables changes to Stored Procedures (program coding) Design Objects to be monitored and controlled. All registered changes must be associated with an approved Change Request Note. It provides an audit trail for all system changes.
Design Changes - Tables
This application enables changes to Tables Design Objects to be monitored and controlled. All registered changes must be associated with an approved Change Request Note. It provides an audit trail for all system changes.
Design Changes - Table Objects
This application enables changes to Table Column, Table Index and Table Trigger Design Objects to be monitored and controlled. All registered changes must be associated with an approved Change Request Note. It provides an audit trail for all system changes. Changes to Table Objects automatically register changes to their associated table (see above).
Data Migration Strategy
This application enables a migration strategy to be defined for populating the new system's database. It is based upon grouping Table Design Objects into data subject areas, where tables in each area have a high affinity to each other. Strategies can then be defined for each company site to migrate data within a data subject area. The logical sequence of these strategies can also be defined.