It is recommended that the selection, procurement and implementation processes are addressed as separate projects. They are different in nature, require different skills and follow a specific order. The implementation project cannot be defined anyway until the outcome from the selection and procurement processes are completed.
Selecting a COTS package requires a lot of time and effort and there is no real way of getting around this. In fact, within the public sector, certain processes must be followed and this in itself can be onerous. However, unless due process is followed, the results can be catastrophic. Therefore, it is important that a strategy is adopted for dealing with selection and it is usual in these circumstances to use the services of an outside consultant with experience in managing these projects.
The procurement process is often seen as part of the selection process. However, we would offer a word of caution over this approach since this can lead to a blurring of the processes which in turn can result in compromise, especially during negotiation and the definition of supplier commitments.
Part of the procurement process is to agree details of costs, payment schedules, service descriptions and other supplier commitments. This information will be used in order to revise the estimates for the whole project and revisit the business case. These must be completed prior to signing contracts and authorising the implementation project.
The management of the boundaries between the selection and implementation projects is therefore of key importance. It will ensure that the implementation project will not commence until the following are agreed:
- contracts and legal issues
- costs - hardware, software, internal, external services
- product and service descriptions
- customisation required and other developments e.g. integration, data cleansing and migration
- roles and responsibilities
- timescales
- payment schedules, trigger points, penalties and bonuses
