Successful System Implementation Series

Understanding how to successfully implement new IT systems is integral to almost everything a business analyst does. Whether its gathering requirements for a new system, conducting a successful User Acceptance Test, or deploying a new ERP system there are best practices for a business analyst to follow. During this series of short courses we will explore the key factors that can lead to success or failure of their projects.

The Successful System Implementation Series contains the following 6 courses which may be delivered as individual modules or collectively as a series:
  • 1. Conducting Successful Meetings

    • Conducting Successful Meetings

      Course Number: DJ
      Recommended Duration: 6 Hours Virtual Class
      • Two 90-minute virtual sessions
      • Three hours of independent study
      Intended Audience: Business Analysts who need to facilitate successful business meetings, bring a group to a consensus decision, and create group buy-in.

      Course Overview

      Many times you will lead meetings that have the goal of coming to an agreement on a project’s scope and direction. This often requires meeting facilitation and negotiation skills, especially when you must preserve the working relationship with your team.

      This course is designed around a Harvard Business School case study that was carefully selected to analyze the issues encountered during business meetings. Each participant will assume the role of a different character in a business setting. A team of 4 characters will conduct a business meeting to negotiate an IT strategy. They will report back to the class the results of their efforts.

      Conducting Successful Business Meetings is the first class in our Successful System Implementation Course Series. Participants must play their part, project their point of view, and be able to defend their positions. During class discussions, participants will work with their peers to understand the key factors that led to success or failure of the meeting, and, with the help of your instructor, identify key lessons that you can apply to your current and future roles within your company.

      Key Objectives

      After completing this course participants will be able to :
      • Conduct more successful meetings.
      • Understand the role of a meeting facilitator.
      • Promote the following meeting goals:
        • Making Decisions
        • Sharing Information
        • Planning Work
        • Learning from one another
        • Creating buy-in
        • Successful Negotiation

      Share with others

  • 2. Prioritizing Projects

    • Prioritizing Projects

      Course Number: DJ
      Recommended Duration: 6 Hours Virtual Class
      • Two 90-minute virtual sessions
      • Three hours of independent study
      Intended Audience: Business Analysts involved in defining needs and recommending projects that deliver value to the business

      Course Overview

      Implementing a new system into the organization is often a complex and risky venture. Many factors can lead to success or failure: inadequate support and resources, resistance from users, poor requirements, bad code, and even external factors such as market changes and shifting business priorities. Businesses must decide how to allocate limited resources to best support their strategic goals.

      When the business demands that many things must get done, and get done correctly, which of many projects should be given a priority? Project Prioritization ensures the right people are working on the right projects at the right time.

      Prioritizing Projects is the second class in our Successful System Implementation Course Series. In this class we will be exploring the many factors that go into deciding which projects to initiate. We will discuss a prioritization process that:
      • Targets efforts on highest value projects.
      • Gains consensus on project value and priority, prior to project start.
      • Performs analysis to ensure the number of simultaneous projects is manageable.
      • Ensures that project goals and scope are clearly defined and individual accountability is assigned.

      Key Objectives

      After completing this course participants will be able to:
      1. Promote business buy-in and ownership
      2. Track benefits in business terms
      3. Request discretionary funds for IT only projects (security, refactoring, system upgrades)
      4. Understand resource allocations and trade-offs
      5. Align project goals with business priorities

      Share with others

  • 3. Defining Requirements

    • Defining and Communicating Requirements

      Course Number: DJ
      Recommended Duration: 6 Hours Virtual Class
      • Two 90-minute virtual sessions
      • Three hours of independent study
      Intended Audience: Business Analysts who need to define and communicate requirements.

      Course Overview

      Once your project is initiated, you will need to identify the system requirements. These requirements define WHAT the system should do. Functional owners should drive the requirements definition effort but many times they can’t communicate what they need or understand what the technology can do.

      The challenge is to define the requirements in enough detail so that everyone understands what is expected. Then, once the requirements are understood, you must make the build versus buy decision. In this class, selecting a software package solution also means picking a vendor / partner. You must make sure the vendor will stick around and will continue to provide support.

      Defining and Communicating Requirements is the third class in our Successful System Implementation Course Series. This course is designed around a Harvard Business Case Study that was selected to analyze a major requirements gathering effort. Because this case is based on real world problems, it is messy, and just like in the real world there isn’t a clear, “right” solution. Participants in this class will analyze all these facets of the requirements gathering process.

      Key Objectives

      After completing this course participants will be able to:
      1. Ask questions that drill down to the root cause of a business problem
      2. Document Use Cases
      3. Include functional users in IT projects
      4. Select vendors / partners using a proven methodology
      5. Determine the requirements associated with an IT project
      6. Integrate business requirements into a functional specification

      Share with others

  • 4. Mobile Application Design

    • Mobile Application Design

      Course Number: DJ
      Recommended Duration: 6 Hours Virtual Class
      • Two 90-minute virtual sessions
      • Three hours of independent study
      Intended Audience: Business Analysts who need to facilitate successful business meetings, bring a group to a consensus decision, and create group buy-in.

      Course Overview

      Mobile applications that you design and build must meet the customer's business needs and take into account time, resources, and cost. This seems like a simple goal for the design and build phase, but surprisingly, the system delivered is often not what is required.

      Mobile Application Design is the forth class in our Successful System Implementation Course Series. In this class we will be exploring the many factors that go into deciding which mobile design approach you should use: Native IOS, Native Android, or Responsive Web. We will discuss the pros and cons of each approach. The following issues are discussed:
      • Development costs
      • Installation and updates
      • Device compatibility
      • Development platforms
      • Distribution of the application
      • Internet access and access to outside content
      • Access to device functionality
      • Performance

      Key Objectives

      After completing this course participants will be able to:
      1. Understand the benefits of IOS, Android and Responsive Web Designs.
      2. Know when to use the appropriate Mobile Design techniques.
      3. Use the power of a Responsive Web Design to drive down support costs.
      4. Understand the security issues associated with IOS, Android and Responsive Web.

      Share with others

  • 5. Managing the Testing Cycle

    • Managing the Testing Cycle

      Course Number:
      Recommended Duration: 6 Hours Virtual Class
      • Two 90-minute virtualsessions
      • Three hours of independent study
      Intended Audience: Business Analysts who need to facilitate successful business meetings, bring a group to a consensus decision, and create group buy-in.

      Course Overview

      By the time projects get to the testing phase, they are often behind schedule, over budget, and the organization is anxious to have the solution deployed. As a result, many times testing best practices are ignored. This course takes a deep dive into the testing cycle and covers the importance of following testing best practices.

      This course is designed around a Richard Ivey School of Business case study that was carefully selected to analyze business problems encountered during the Testing Cycle. The case study examines a software development project that is undertaken by an in-house team. This project is taking longer than planned, exceeding an ever-growing budget, and the User Acceptance Testing has failed.

      Managing the Testing Cycle is the fifth class in our Successful System Implementation Course Series. Participants must analyze the situation, pick a point of view, and be able to defend their recommendation. During class discussions, participants will work with their peers to explore the problem, identify the key factors that led to success or failure, and, with the help of your instructor, identify key lessons that you can apply to your future roles within your company.

      Key Objectives

      After completing this course participants will be able to:
      1. Describe the testing steps in an enterprise wide project.
      2. Align testing strategies that account for changing priorities.
      3. Provide accurate testing estimates.
      4. Build Test Plans and Test Cases.
      5. Understand when an Agile project can be used to deliver the business requirements.

      Share with others

  • 6. ERP Deployments

    • ERP Deployments

      Course Number: DJ
      Recommended Duration: 6 Hour Virtual Class
      • Two 90-minute virtual sessions
      • Three hours of independent study
      Intended Audience:  Business Analysts who need to facilitate successful business meetings, bring a group to a consensus decision, and create group buy-in.

      Course Overview

      Rolling out a new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system is difficult. ERP Deployments can be technically complex and financially risky. Everyone in the organization is affected by the changes imposed by the new ERP system, and many times there is resistance to change. During this course, we will explore the key factors that can lead to success or failure during an ERP Deployment.

      ERP Deployments is the sixth class in our Successful System Implementation Course Series. This course is designed around a Harvard Case Study, which was carefully selected to analyze business situations at each stage of an ERP Deployment. The case study includes a wide range of project management issues. Because this case is based on real world problems, it is messy, and just like in the real world there isn’t a clear, “right” solution.

      Managing the Testing Cycle is the sixth class in our Successful System Implementation Course Series. Participants must analyze the situation, pick a point of view, and be able to defend their recommendation. During class discussions, participants will work with their peers to explore the problem, identify the key factors that led to success or failure, and, with the help of your instructor, identify key lessons that you can apply to your future roles within your company.

      Key Objectives

      After completing this course participants will be able to:

      1. Describe how an ERP can improve business performance
      2. Determine what an ERP will fix and how it can add value
      3. Calculate what an ERP will really cost and when to expect payback
      4. Reflect on why ERP projects fail and how ERP projects can be organized to succeed
      5. Measure the major risk areas associated with an ERP project
      6. Describe the major modules in SAP and Oracle ERP
      7. Lead change in an organization

      Share with others


The courses in this series incorporate Harvard Business School and Richard Ivey School of Business case studies. Each case study is carefully selected to analyze business situations at each stage of the life cycle of a project. Cases are based on real world problems. They are messy and just like in the real world there isn’t a clear “right” solution. Class discussions will dig into key issues of the day (for example Mobile First deployment strategies and Agile/SCRUM project management).

Participants must come to SSI courses prepared to discuss the topic of the day. Participants will work with their peers to explore the problem, identify key factors that will lead to success or failure, and identify key lessons that they can apply to their current and future roles.


Please click here to return to the Technical Skills page.