The post-implementation support phase is the final stage of an IT project. Its objective is to ensure a smooth and effective transition between teams. Indeed, it is at this stage that the consulting firm (project leader) transfers the project to the client company.

The support period can last from one to three months. It varies according to the nature of the project and the degree of change involved in implementing it for the client.

What does post-implantation support consist of?

The job is to respond quickly and appropriately to user questions as soon as the deployment is complete. It is therefore necessary to choose the workforce whose technical skills are the most relevant. It is also necessary to use a rigorous method and good tools, but above all, to communicate and popularize effectively. The client must understand the support they are being offered, otherwise this step would not be essential. The success of this support depends on three key actions.

1 — Choosing the most competent workforce

The teams selected for support work are selected based on their skills and the characteristics of the project. In most cases, process skills and technical skills or skills specific to the new solution are those retained.

It is then necessary to clarify the responsibilities of each person and the scope of action, whether at the client, within the firm or in the liaison team. There may be several areas of intervention: operational, application or technological.

Business line experts (Subject Matter Expert — SME) are responsible for helping their colleagues navigate the new solution. They know it inside out and can therefore offer training to use it properly. Development and infrastructure teams, on the other hand, deal with complex technical issues. As for the team, which plays the role of interface, it manages the support phase, coordinates the follow-up and ensures communication.

2 — Identify and categorize issues

Once the teams are in place, it is necessary to quickly analyze the nature of the difficulties in order to send the problems to the right people. To do this, it is essential to define processes (workflows) according to the types of requests.

Technical issues, such as not being able to access an application, won't be resolved in the same way as non-technical issues. Among the latter, there could be a difficulty related to a procedure or data entry, for example. Les workflows will therefore be different.

The severity (the degree of operational impact) and the priority (the degree of urgency) of the anomalies must also be evaluated. They will dictate the speed of reaction, the most competent team and the type of response. Hence the importance of properly qualifying requests and ensuring that all actors know and accept the evaluation criteria.

3 — Conduct rigorous follow-up with all stakeholders to ensure successful post-implementation support

This categorization of issues also facilitates monitoring. Request management software provides statistics that allow you to visualize the evolution of patches and to communicate more effectively during information sessions.

Communication can be done in several ways: general or targeted informative emails, regular meetings with the management of the client company, meetings with business lines and stand-up flash meetings (Scrum) with the technical teams. In fact, you can read This article to learn more better understand the different ways your audience communicates.

Finally, getting feedback from users is valuable. They may very well be resistant to the new solution. They can also be particularly grateful for the help provided during post-implantation support.

Thus, the support phase often contributes to the acceptance of change and is a crucial stage in the project. It has to be a success, regardless of project management and delivery. How? By combining it with solid leadership, speed of reaction, the quality of technical interventions and the fluidity of information.

My colleague Jean-François Oligny wrote an article about choosing a integrated software package and another one on theimplementation of an ERP. These articles may well enrich the one you have just read.