The BMA Group is a firm of business consultants with the technical expertise to provide an end-to-end solution that will meet your business objectives. Our consulting advice can go beyond application design and implementation to assisting our clients to improve associated management practices and business processes.
We work to ensure that our solutions deliver maximum business value. To do this it is vital that the final solution be delivered in a way that ensures user self-sufficiency with the application. This means that you should not need to call upon us, or your technical, IT staff, for normal application maintenance.
BMA's philosophy with each project is to transfer knowledge as an integral part of the project implementation. Client staff can become part of the project team - learning as they contribute to project outcomes. This approach reduces costs for on-going maintenance because our clients can do more themselves. Plus, you take ownership of the solution from the start.
We have adopted this philosophy because we know of far too many situations in which consulting companies bill their customers too heavily. We seek a balance - plenty of consulting, but not too much - that results in satisfied, knowledgeable customers who know that when we advocate new services or projects, we do so to provide maximum value.
While our "knowledge transfer" approach is preferred for reasons outlined below, some companies prefer that BMA takes full responsibility for project results. Often this is because, the client doesn't have the resources to take an active role in the development of an initial solution. In these situations, we have the resources to provide a turnkey solution.
However, we strongly advocate customer involvement in every aspect of the design and implementation. Ideally, a client should dedicate at least one person to the project with some or all of the following skills:
• Knowledge of and commitment to the business objectives that justify the project
• Subject matter knowledge or experience
• Excel expertise
As the implementation progresses, we strive to make you progressively more independent (if you support this approach). We start by drawing out the implications of moving to the type of technology that underlies our applications. This is to create an understanding of the much wider possibilities opened up by adopting the technology. This is particularly important so that the application design is not limited by prior beliefs about what is possible. After the design stage, we teach you more of the basics of the software tool that supports the application, and any other skills required to take full advantage of it. These skills will improve during the implementation process because we teach you special techniques, and how to overcome unusual challenges that invariably arise.
The best way to become self-sufficient is to be responsible for as many tasks as possible during the project. Therefore our customers are assigned tasks, and involved in all aspects of the design and implementation, either directly, or indirectly. If involved indirectly, we explain what was done, why and how to do it and support it.
The BMA Project Stages
BMA normally recommends the following stages for design and implementation:
- Establish or review project objectives and scope
- Develop initial project plan
- Prepare analysis and design document
- Finalise project plan (including resource allocation)
- Develop application according to analysis and design document
- Test and review application (including administrator training)
- Implement application (including user training)
- On-going solution review
Each of these stages is outlined below:
Establish or Review Project Objectives and Scope
This is an important stage that will affect the ultimate success of the project. Well-defined and agreed project objectives and deliverables simplify the creation of realistic project budgets and timelines.
This is normally in the form of one or more workshops to ensure that there is total agreement among all participants on the scope of the project and the criteria for success. The participants in the workshop will be members of the client's project team (especially main beneficiaries or users of the application) and key members of the consulting team.
Develop Initial Project Plan
The client's and BMA's project leaders work together to prepare this plan.
The plan assesses resources needed for the project at each stage, allocate specific responsibilities, estimate timelines and milestones and estimate costs for each stage.
Prepare Analysis & Design (A&D) Document
This document translates the project scope and objectives into a design that maps the components of the application into the appropriate business processes.
We start the A&D process by reviewing existing analytical technologies, processes, data sources, and reports. We interview those who are involved in using the application, supporting it or paying for it (i.e., those with budget responsibility). More detailed objectives, issues and challenges are identified, and ways to improve efficiency and the quality of information produced by the application.
Through experience, our consultants know which questions produce meaningful, actionable answers. These answers may lead to approaches that weren't obvious at the start of the project.
This is where we alert client project staff to the wider possibilities opened up by the technology. This ensures that the application does not just replicate prior solutions, but adds value in the form of increased functionality, flexibility, and power.
The final A&D document describes the proposed application, expected results and desired processes. It includes an assessment of existing reports and it defines sources of data and how we propose to integrate them into the new application. In some cases, the document will include examples of how the application will look, including menus, reports and query capabilities.
Usually, we will develop a prototype of a key part of the application to illustrate key components of the design. The end result is a clear, well-defined statement of the proposed BMA solution.
Finalise Project Plan
Here we finalise the size, scope and length of the project. Key tasks are given an estimated completion time and individuals are assigned specific responsibilities. Cost estimates are finalised for each element of the project. This document becomes the blue print for monitoring the progress of the project, and includes the detailed steps needed to reach the objectives outlined in the A&D document.
Customer input is especially important during this phase. We finalise assignments, begin training of customer personnel involved in the project, and get final input before the project plan is submitted for final customer approval.
Develop Application
Consensus
These last two stages result in a consensus - BMA and the client agree on the same goals, scope, objectives, timing and deliverables. We only begin work on development after we feel certain that management and users are aligned with our understanding of the deliverables, and that they agree with the tasks defined, who will do them and how long they will take.
Training
At the beginning of this stage we provide training to key project staff on the basics of the underlying technology so that they can contribute to the tasks assigned to them and understand any technical issues that might arise.
Status Reports
At the end of every week, our project manager creates a status report. This ensures that everyone knows the status of the project and any concerns that might impact the final deliverables are identified. During the project, we also meet regularly with your management and user teams to review progress.
Administrator's Manual
After the application is built, we write an administrator's manual that explains how the application works, its structure, its processes, and how the application is maintained and modified. The manual includes procedures for period-end and ongoing maintenance of the application. Where appropriate, examples are included.
Test and Review Application
In conjunction with key client staff, we conduct a thorough review and test of the application to ensure that it:
• Satisfies project objectives
• Passes data and results integrity tests
• Is acceptable to users
• Meets the needs of application beneficiaries
Any necessary modifications are carried out at this stage. Implement Application
The main components of this are:
• Develop user training and, if necessary, User Manual
• Enable access to application by users
• "Train the Trainer" for user training
• Train users
On-Going Solution Review
To ensure that your solution continues to provide the value you expect, we provide a quarterly or semi-annual review of the solution we have developed for your company. It includes:
• Backup procedures
• Application performance
• Hardware utilisation
• Staff skill level review and assessment
• Network performance
• User wish lists
• Scheduling the next upgrade
• Modifications to achieve new business goals
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