Estates Systems Optimisation Programme seeks to improve Estates business functions through Business Transformation of Systems, Processes and Roles.
- Systems will be reviewed and refreshed, moving from a large number of small-scale, single-use systems, to an integrated, designed model of multi-use systems, consolidating the numbers of applications and partners used.
- Current and Future processes will be analysed and documented to enable functional design and technical workflows
- Business-as-Usual models including Target Operating Models and role profiles will be defined
Full 'whole-life' Total cost of Ownership solutions will be defined based on IT best-practise, such as Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITILv3) to ensure end state solutions are reliable, supportable and maintainable as ‘Business-as-Usual’ services.
The Systems Optimisation programme will have a small number of large-scale multi-year projects. Projects will consider improvements to systems, processes and team capabilities where necessary and agreed.
The programme currently consists of the following live projects:
2. EST123 Estates CAFM Stabilisation now reports an AMBER status. This is due to delays in getting Estates to provide demo of Archibus and EBIS Online as input to the Archibus Customisation documentation. The project is being closed in February.
3. EST129Estates Business Readiness and Adoption of SEP P&MThe overall RAG assessment remains at RED. Estates are engaged with P&M to work through and resolve outstanding questions on the scope of UAT, scope of “Training Change Management and Comms” and the impacts on Estates business processes and staffing.
4.EST138Deister (Proxsafe)Now reports a RED status. Rollout of new system encountered several network issues where there is one outstanding issue. Online remote sessions are planned to resolve this.
5.EST139 Estates System Audit started on 29th Nov- GREEN. Work is progressing well and the initial audit of the system has been completed.
6. EST135 Perspective Upgrade -Not started- GREEN
7.EST136 Contact Database for Estates Help Desk -Not started - GREEN
8.EST137 Archibus Upgrade - Not started- GREEN
9. EST132 Estates IQ Vision/Trend963 Upgrade -Now Unsuspended - GREEN - Initial discussions have taken place around the procurement route and a Project Board has been set up.
The overall RAG assessment moves from RED to AMBER. Estates are engaged with P&M to work through and resolve outstanding questions on the scope of UAT, scope of “Training Change Management and Comms” and the impacts on Estates business processes and staffing.
However SIT period 3 start has slipped, creating slippage at later stages in the project. There is no change to Go Live on 2nd Aug'22. The change impact is:
There is no allowance between conclusions of UAT period 3 & UAT period 4 (mop up) to update and tailor training materials.
SIT period 3 & mop up period 4 are now running parallel. there is no contingency to retest failures.
IS resource effort has been approved by Apps review and Estates: IS Portfolio and Programme.
Work stream
Current RAG
Previous RAG
RAG Commentary
Data Migration
AMBER
AMBER
Status remains AMBER:
Focus is on preparation for System Integrations Testing (SIT) start period 3 (P&M start dates have been delayed from 17th Jan’22 to 14th Feb’22):
Data Migration activities previously assigned to MASS are being handed over to ISG.
The data validation process is work in progress based on receipt of a defined P&M plan.
EST129 resources have re-prioritised time to support additional P&M scope communicated during Jan’22.
There remains a question outstanding regarding the timing of required Archibus data base updates/refresh.
Work stream
Current RAG
Previous RAG
RAG Commentary
Historical Data Store (HDS)
GREEN
GREEN
Status remains at GREEN:
There has been no activity for this work stream however this is not critical to P&M launch.
The working assumption is that access to historical data will be maintained at current access levels until a replacement solution is signed off as fit for business purposes.
Work stream
Current RAG
Previous RAG
RAG Commentary
Finance Operations
AMBER
AMBER
Status remains at AMBER:
“As is” process maps are a work in progress & will be signed off in Feb’22.
There remains a number of outstanding open questions to be addressed by P&M.
An overview on the P&M Retention process will be scheduled for Feb’22.
Work stream
Current RAG
Previous RAG
RAG Commentary
Procurement Operations
RED
RED
Status remains at RED:
No sight of planned “To Be” new procedures / “To Be” new Roles & Responsibilities / Comms / Training / Go-live preparation / Cut over planning to new ways of working / Knowledge Share / SLA’s / etc. for core operations. Limited engagement on this from Procurement.
There remains a number of outstanding open questions to be addressed by P&M.
An Estates contract data matrix is work in progress, due for completion early ‘22.
Work stream
Current RAG
Previous RAG
RAG Commentary
Reporting
AMBER
AMBER
Status remains at AMBER:
EST129 are supporting P&M in an exercise to identify gap analysis on Estates reporting requirement versus P&M report deliverables. However this exercise has been currently stopped pending P&M stakeholder support
EST129 have completed Estates contributors report requirements for HESA Compliance.
A list of other University of Edinburgh contributors to HESA Compliance reporting has been provided to P&M Business Analyst to enable P&M to validate completeness of HESA Compliance requirements inclusion in P&M report scope.
Work stream
Current RAG
Previous RAG
RAG Commentary
Systems Integrations
GREEN
AMBER
Status moved from AMBER to GREEN:
The four System Integrations are ready for System Integration Testing (SIT) Tests: (myProject / Archibus integrations: Stock (Inventory) / AR Leases / Work Requests).
Additional E2E “dry run” testing has been scheduled in the four weeks window created by the delayed start date for SIT.
Work stream
Current RAG
Previous RAG
RAG Commentary
System and Data Integration Test (SIT)
AMBER
AMBER
Status remains AMBER:
Estates System Integration (SIT) Testing: Delayed by 4 weeks now 14 Feb‘22 – 11 Mar ‘22.
EST129 have completed a review and feedback on P&M test scripts for Stock (Inventory) and Lease system interfaces.
EST129 are awaiting delivery of P&M test scripts for myProject and Work Requests interfaces.
P&M SIT lead (Lisa Chamberlain) is hosting meetings on Tuesday 1st Feb’22 to provide an overview of the team, timelines and SIT/UAT expectations for Estates Systems Integrations (MyProject / Archibus integrations: Stock (Inventory) / AR Leases / Work Requests).
Work stream
Current RAG
Previous RAG
RAG Commentary
User Acceptance Test (UAT)
AMBER
AMBER
Status remains AMBER:
UAT now moved out much closer to Go-Live creating significant risk:
Period 3 Estates User Acceptance Testing (UAT) : Delayed by 7 weeks now 23 May ‘22 – 17 June ‘22
Period 4 (Mop-up / Planning & Budgeting) User Acceptance Testing (UAT) : Delayed by 2 weeks now 23 May ‘22 – 01 July ‘22
Risk: Period 4 ‘mop up’ runs in parallel & not after Period 3. No contingence to retest critical failures.
Staff Training: Original dates 06 June ‘21 – 29 July ’22 - No Change
Risk: No allowance between conclusions of Periods 3 & 4 to update and tailor training materials.
Go Live: Original dates 02 August ’22, no change.
P&M have confirmed that UAT is “critical” only – scope not defined at this time
Risk: Omission of “non-critical” test elements could lead to unidentified failures being realised at Go-Live.
P&M do not anticipate Estates involvement in UAT Periods 1 & 2
Issue: Estates consider that it is should be revisited given the current scope of these UAT periods.
Awaiting detailed UAT plan from P&M, including schedule for data validation checks, entry and exit requirement etc...
EST129 is in the process of identify required Estates resources to participate in UAT.
Work stream
Current RAG
Previous RAG
RAG Commentary
Archibus Changes
GREEN
GREEN
Status remains GREEN:
Work to be scheduled at the end of SIT as changes dependent on SIT outcome.
Work stream
Current RAG
Previous RAG
RAG Commentary
Training, Change Management and Communications.
RED
AMBER
Status moved from AMBER to RED
Awaiting P&M detailed plan and scope.
Regular meetings commenced in Jan’22 with P&M Programme Lead (Brian Butler), Estates Programme Lead (Jane Cameron) and P&M Head of Change (Gillian Richardson). Objective: to address Estates concerns around scope and detailed integrated training schedule.
Work stream
Current RAG
Previous RAG
RAG Commentary
Cutover & Go Live
AMBER
GREEN
Status moved from GREEN to AMBER:
Awaiting P&M detailed plan and scope.
David Shannon has been redeployed two days a week to EST129 to support the development of Estate’s cutover and contingency plans.
These are detailed at the following link and cover the challenges with Scope, Time and Effort and MASS failure to meet P&M plans for Integrations and Data Migration.
Milestones
Milestones based on the P&M high level plan is work in progress.
The scope of the project has been established, the brief and plan were submitted to Apps Review and were noted on the 20/01/2022.
The project has achieved the first deadline received from P&M and has advised the names of Estates staff for the Timekeeper role and the Costing Administrator role.
A communications channel has been established to reach Estates staff, weekly contributions will be made from the project team via this communications route.
The project team has established a positive and constructive working relationship with the Estates local guides. The Estates local guides have demonstrated a desire for active involvement and engagement in successfully delivering P&M phase 2.
Dispensation on P&M timecards has been granted for hard to reach Estates staff (cleaners & janitorial ). This has been communicated to Estates leaders via the project team and the local guides.
Issues / Outstanding
There was a short notice change to the launch date, which caused a revision of the both the plan and brief, resulting in double work for the project team.
The messaging around the new launch date from P&M is not consistent or accurate in the materials issued from P&M.
Materials produced by the change team often do not include Estates scenario's (e.g. the timecard dispensation). They tend to be focused on Finance and Research. This lack of relevance for Estates make it difficult to use the provided materials for information cascade from leaders to staff.
Communications from P&M on the holiday stat days, and if the close days, will or will not be actioned as a bulk upload by the P&M project team. flip flops. The communications are contradictory and create a lack of confidence in both the system and the P&M project team. This negative activity is unhelpful for EST140, when attempting to gain positive engagement with the staff group on absence recording.
Significant issues have been uncovered on the usability of the reports created by P&M on Annual Leave. Information has been fed back to the P&M team on this.
Next Steps
The focus for January and February will be on absence recording uptake. The project team will work with the local guide group and will seek to understand where there are areas of low uptake, with a view to supporting these areas in P&M use.
Regular communications via the established channel will continue.
The project team will establish regular weekly meetings with the local guide group