The System Support Review

When the postimplementation review has been successfully completed, you and your team would normally be available for undertaking new projects such as enhancements to the product or system or new products. However, the project manager should complete or be involved in two more activities before the project is considered complete.

You should negotiate the system support review process with the project sponsor and the team that is going to support the new system or enhancement.

In our approach to project management, it is essential that the total life of the system be managed as distinct from just the development process. As we have discussed earlier, studies and research by our group have indicated that the original development of the system accounts for only 20% to 30% of the total investment the organization will undertake. The remaining 70% to 80% will be spent after the initial implementation. We'll discuss the system support review process in the next chapter.

The next and final process is one of the most interesting, satisfying , frustrating, and political project management processes you can be involved with: the realization of benefits.